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Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Dog Breed

Shih-Tzu Size Variations: Toy variety only
Shih-Tzu Colors: Solid and parti-color
Shih-Tzu Height: 8 to 11 inches at the shoulder
Shih-Tzu Weight: 9 to 16 pounds
Shih-Tzu Exercise Needs: Minimal
Shih-Tzu Grooming Needs: Demanding
Shih-Tzu Life Expectancy (Lifespan): 11 to 13 years
Are Shih-Tzus Child-Friendly? Yes, with supervision.
Shih-Tzu Training:  Medium Difficult
Breed Group:  Toy

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu History

The Shih-Tzu dog breed originated in United States of America. While the exact origins of the Shih Tzu are obscured by time, it is believed that this sweet-faced toy dog originated in Asia, his ancestors probably dating as far back as 1000 B.C. Although the exact facts are not known, many claim that the Shih Tzu was the favored holy dog of the Tibetan lamas. The lion played an important part in Buddhism and, while there were no lions in China, certain breeds of dogs could be bred and groomed to resemble lions. Considering that Shih Tzu actually means "lion," it is strongly believed that this little dust mop was perhaps both the smallest and oldest of all the different lion dogs.

We do know that a great portion of the breed's existence is thanks to the Dowager Empress Cixi, who kept a kennel of Pekingese, Pugs, and Shih Tzu that was famous throughout the world. With a watchful eye, she carefully supervised the three breeds, doing her best to keep the strains pure and completely separate from one another (although it is believed that the eunuchs, in charge of breeding the dogs according to her plans, often experimented and crossed the breeds in an attempt to make the dogs smaller and to find unusual colors and markings).

The Communist revolution almost saw the extinction of these unique little dogs. Fortunately, however, there were 3 Shih Tzus that had been imported to the Tashian kennel, owned by Lady Brownrigg of England and, to these, an additional 8 dogs were added when they were imported to England from 1933-1959. Meanwhile, in Norway, 3 other Shih Tzu had been imported in 1932 - one of which was the only Shih Tzu that had ever been bred in the Imperial Palace to ever set foot on Western soil. From these 14 dogs would stem the gene pool of all modern-day Shih Tzu and he would make his way into the United States by 1940, instantly becoming an overnight sensation and favored pet across the world.

Shih-Tzu Appearance

The Shih Tzu is a very beautiful little dog - possessing a very long and flowing double coat, he is often jokingly referred to as a dust mop, due to the way his hair drags along the floor as he moves. There is nothing common about these toy dogs however. In fact, the little lion dog carries himself with a proud and regal bearing, befitting his ancient and honorable lineage. With his head held high and tail arched high over his back, he is a very arrogant-looking little canine, though sweet in disposition.

While there is a great size variation amongst the Shih Tzu, it is generally said that they should be between 8-11 inches at the shoulder, and should ideally weigh no more than 16 pounds. His coat, beautiful to gaze upon and silky-soft to the touch, comes in a wide array of colors, including gold-and-white, red-and-white, red, black-masked gold, brindle-and-white, blue-and-white, liver-and-white, silver-and-white, black-and-white, solid black and solid liver.

Shih-Tzu Temperament

The Shih Tzu is a very docile and well-mannered little dog, on the whole. Not prone to some of the high-strung tendencies of some of the other toy breeds, he is a very quiet and even-tempered little individual. The Shih Tzu is non-quarrelsome and tends to get along very well with other animals and children (though they may hide from those who are very small and pull hair). Well-suited for either country or apartment living, this unique little dog�s main goal is to be close to his owner and enjoy your company.

A word of warning, however - the Shih Tzu is notoriously difficult to housebreak!

Shih-Tzu Exercise Needs

The Shih Tzu is very low-maintenance when it comes to exercise needs. While he does enjoy going for short walks, he is also very capable of amusing himself and is not above tearing around the living room with a favorite toy, should he feel the need to stretch his legs. Additionally, the Shih Tzu loves to travel and is a very happy-go-lucky companion on any road trip.

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Grooming Requirements

This is the one area where your beloved Shih Tzu is bound to be a great deal of work. Those who insist upon maintaining these unique little dogs' long flowing coat quickly discover that it requires daily combing and regular trims to keep them looking beautiful. This is often too much of a headache for the average pet owner. Most pet Shih Tzus travel to the grooming salon every couple of weeks, getting their long locks cut to a shorter, cooler, and more manageable style.

Shih-Tzu Training

The Shih Tzu is a very loving and obedient toy dog, who enjoys pleasing their human companions. Because of this, coupled with the dog's high intelligence, they are well-suited for obedience training, learning tricks, and can even shine in agility and obstacle courses. Most who have known Shih Tzus will be sure to tell you that they love learning new things and seem to really enjoy performing for the enjoyment of their owners. Be forewarned, however, that they are known to be very difficult to housebreak. Housetraining your Shih Tzu takes a lot of patience and understanding.

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Health Information

Fortunately, the Shih Tzu has very few major health concerns, when compared to many other purebred dogs. Nevertheless, considering the small gene pool that the modern-day Shih Tzu stems from, it�s not surprising that there are still a few genetic problems. Some of these health issues include:

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
Ear infections
Hip dysplasia
Elbow dysplasia
Renal dysplasia
Abnormal thyroid functioning
Hypersensitivity

Is the Shih-Tzu Dog Breed Right For You?

The Shih Tzu is a very sweet and affectionate little dog that makes an excellent companion, especially to the elderly. Loving and patient, he gets along with other animals, and tends to avoid all manners of confrontation. Unlike many breeds, he was bred not for hunting, retrieving, fighting or work - from the beginning of his days, the Shih Tzu was bred to be a loving companion and he takes great pride in this task.

Shih Tzu are not fighters and not good at defending themselves, so should always be supervised and kept on a leash when outside. One should also watch the Shih Tzu in the presence of small children, not because they are biters, but because they are small and delicate enough that they can be easily injured if dropped or played with too roughly. Aside from taking these safety precautions, if you have a lot of love to give and enjoy getting a lot of love in return, these sweet little lion dogs are sure to win your heart.

Finding A Responsible Shih-Tzu Breeder

Now that you have decided that the Shih-Tzu is the right breed for you, it's time to start the process of finding a responsible Shih-Tzu breeder from which to buy a healthy, well-socialized puppy. Not all breeders are alike; there are good breeders - and bad breeders. Don't be in a hurry to buy the first Shih-Tzu puppy you find at the cheapest price available! To buy a puppy from a responsible Shih-Tzu breeder, you may need to pay more and wait longer. The additional money and waiting time will be well worth it. Buy a puppy in haste from a newspaper ad, pet store or "backyard breeder", and you'll likely also purchase a great deal of additional expense and heartache, since you will likely end up falling in love with a puppy with health and behavioral problems that will likely need special care, plenty of veterinary visits, regular medication - or even euthanasia. But do your homework and find a responsible, caring Shih-Tzu breeder who home-raises their puppies with love, screens their breeding dogs for health problems, offers a health guarantee and post sale support, and who genuinely loves the Shih-Tzu breed and is in it for the love of the breed, rather than profit, and you can be fairly well assured of getting a healthy, happy, long lived and affectionate family companion that will provide you and your family with many years of joy, laughter and companionship.

Further information about choosing a responsible breeder...

Here are a few breeder directory sites that we recommend. These sites attempt to screen advertisers to ensure that the breeders listed are responsible and sell healthy, home-raised Shih-Tzu puppies to carefully screened buyers. There are many, many sites now online that advertise dog breeders - many are a Mecca for puppy mills and backyard breeders. We recommend that you steer clear of these resources in favor of sites that are more selective in the breeders whom they allow to advertise.

We Highly Recommend:

• Shih-Tzu Puppies For Sale
• Shih-Tzu Breeders Showcase
• Shih-Tzu Puppy Finder on Pet Net
  
  

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Names

Choosing a name for your Shih-Tzu puppy can be a daunting task! There are so many names to choose from that it can take a lot of thought and research to find just the right name for your Shih-Tzu. Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days or weeks. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on just the right name to choose. Does he have a sense of humor? A serious side? A goofy way of cocking his head to one side? A strange love of cantaloupe? By observing your new Shih-Tzu puppy over the first days or weeks, you should at least have a clue about what type of name you want to give. There are a ton of dog names and pet names web sites on the internet. Some are wonderful information resources, while others, unfortunately, are just "garbage" sites set up with the sole purpose of cashing in on visitor hits for this popular subject.

We recommend the following sites to assist you in choosing a name for your new Shih-Tzu puppy. These sites offer inventive, unique, original and creative pet names suggestions that have helped thousands of new puppy owners in selecting just the right name for their new baby!

Shih-Tzu Dog Names

• Dog Names
• Choosing A Name For Your Dog Or Puppy
• Unique Pet Names
  
  

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Pictures

Shih-Tzus are a very photogenic dog breed. By looking at Shih-Tzu pictures, you can usually gain more insight into what these dogs and puppies are like as a breed, and this can help you decide if you really want to become an Shih-Tzu owner. The following sites below offer pictures of Shih-Tzu dogs, Shih-Tzu puppy photos, funny Shih-Tzu photos and more. Enjoy!

• Shih-Tzu Dog Pictures
  
  

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Additional Shih-Tzu Information Resources

There are a wealth of resources online that can help you learn more about the Shih-Tzu dog breed. We've compiled a list of Shih-Tzu information sites to assist you in quickly locating quality information about the Shih-Tzu dog breed, while avoiding the "garbage" sites that are nothing more than poor attempts to capitalize on the popularity of dog breeds in general. If you know of an Shih-Tzu information site that offers unique, quality information and photos of the Shih-Tzu breed, please contact us with the URL and a brief description so that our editors can consider it for inclusion in our list below.

• Wikipedia - Shih-Tzus

Breed Brief - History - Appearance - Temperament - Exercise - Grooming
Training - Health - Is Breed Right For Me? - Breeders/Puppies For Sale
 Dog Names - Pictures - Further Info - Clubs/Rescues

Shih-Tzu Clubs and Rescues

Shih-Tzu clubs and rescues web sites can help you learn even more about the Shih-Tzu dog breed, help you locate a responsible Shih-Tzu breeder, or help you find an Shih-Tzu dog or puppy in need of a second chance for a loving, forever home. We've compiled the following list of Shih-Tzu clubs and Shih-Tzu rescues web sites for your convenience:

Shih-Tzu Clubs - Shih-Tzu Rescues