You are correct in your observation that Shar-pei should NOT have Garlic foot but with knuckled foot.

I have read the FCI standard closely again and please refer to my “Treatise on FCI standard for Shar-pei” section on “Feet” (page 5).

Both 94 and 99 standard said the same thing that “toes well knuckled”. 

But how did people associate this knuckled toe with Garlic is uncertain.

Sometimes people use the word “articulate” which I have checked in dictionary which means

“to unite by joints” or “consisting of sections united by joins” or simply “jointed”!

So articulate means more or less the same as knuckled, to see clearly the joints.

To borrow your old judges word “the legs of dragons with very articulate feet”.

So to say “articulate as garlic feet” simply does not make sense.

Articulate has nothing similar to a look of Garlic!

People associated the Garlic to the knuckle probably because misinformed.

Let’s look at what a Garlic in China looks like.  This should be the similar one you see in Italy.

Now we look a few typical photos of Tang dogs which you can clearly see the cat feet.  This you can associate with a Garlic look.

A Garlic look is like a ball, smooth surface and round like a bulb.  So you see the cat feet below.

When I translated the Chinese poems, I have called special attention that the words must be taken with discretion.

That is with care because the poems for Hunting dog and Tang dog which can share very similar function as Shar-pei.

Remember I have always said that in those good old days of the “Chinese Fighting Dog”, people do not particularly care and aware to differentiate between Tang dog and Shar-pei in the dog fighting ring.  In fact, according to some people, Tang dogs were the majority and Shar-pei only a minority.

So people (including the Chinese themselves) confused this feature and used interchangeably very carelessly.

I tell you a true story and it almost sound like a joke.

Not too long ago, a Japanese judge came to Hong Kong and judged for Hong Kong Kennel Club.

After the show, I showed the judge around Hong Kong and met with a famous Hong Kong Shar-pei breeder.

He seriously told the Japanese judge that the Akita is a kind of long hair, pricked ear Shar-pei.

At first the Japanese judge was very confused but I explained to the judge that this is how the Chinese look at the Shar-pei and the Tang dog.

If you think for a moment, an Akita is indeed look something like a Tang dog or vice versa, a Tang dog can look similar to Akita.

Without knowing the history, this can make you crazy.

So in summary, traditional Shar-pei has articulate or knuckled toes but not a Garlic foot.

Because of regression, many Meat-mouth has Garlic foot and not knuckled foot.

Come to think of it, of course this is true because Meat-mouth is often short haired Chow Chow.

I hope I have made this clear.

Regards,

Eric