Horse-coat (unusual but regaining ground), rough to the touch, extremely prickly and off-standing, soft in one direction and harsh in the other; brush-coat, with longer hair and a smoother feel; and bear-coat (not recognized by the AKC; there is ongoing debate as to whether this recessive gene is from an ancient relationship with the Chow Chow or modern crossbreeding of the two breeds). Examples of the breed were owned by the peasant class, and were used for working dogs and fighting due to their loose skin. The Western Shar-Pei comes in three different coat types: horse-, brush-, and bear-coat.