All About Shih Tzu

On my first day as an official shih tzu owner I rambled about quick facts about them. Knowing a little bit of their history, from where they came from is good jumpstart.

Shih tzu have been great human companions since ancient time . According to historians their breed originated from Tibet and China. Shih Tzu means 'lion'. Lion was a symbolism of Buddhism. In Tebet they lived in temples and were considered holy. In China on the other hand, they were made to companion for royal people. They said this was on the reasons why they are arrogant in nature.

It is believed that Shih Tzu descended from cross breeding both asian breed dogs Lhasa Apso and Pekingese. These are small  dogs with long flowing coats. (About Lhasa Apso: http://www.akc.org/breeds/lhasa_apso/ ; Pekingese: http://www.akc.org/breeds/pekingese/)

 

 

Let me share a short clip from Animal Planet’s “Dogs 101” series summing up the history and all you need to know about Shih Tzu breed.

 

Reference: 

AKC MEET THE BREEDS^®: Shih Tzu. Retrieved from http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/ 

Adamson, Eve (2007). Shih Tzu for Dummies. p.30

Quick Facts

Shih Tzu is a sturdy, lively and passionate toy dog. This breed has distinctively arrogant carriage never lowering its head and tail while boasting its long flowing coat.

When picking up the right shih tzu for you, should consider the following appearance characteristics:

•  Eyes: the eyes should be large and round, but it should not protrude. You will notice that they have a little bit cross-eyed, but shouldn’t be to exaggerated.
• Nose: Choose the snub-nosed (“pango” in tagalog). It looks cuter compared to high-bridged nose. Check also the nostrils, it should be wide open for easy breathing.
• Bite: A shih tzu bite should be undershot, meaning top teeth should be behind the lower teeth. 

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The standard shih tzu calls for weight range of 9 to 16 pounds. Some breeders may call them as “teacup” or “princess” type which is relatively smaller than the normal size. This is not accepted by AKC standard though.

The smaller the size the more special it is, therefore worth higher the price. Take note that small type of shih tzu is not meant for breeding. They may also produce puppies who may have health problems.