Dog breed · People's Republic of China
The Shih Tzu (UK: , US: ) is a toy dog or pet dog breed originating from Tibet and believed to be bred from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso.
Description: The Shih Tzu is a sturdy little dog with a small snout and normally has large dark brown eyes. They have a soft and long double coat that will tangle and mat easily if not brushed at least every 2 or 3 days. A Shih Tzu should stand no more than 26.7 cm (101⁄2") at the withers and with an ideal weight of 4.0 to [dose — ask your vet] (9 to 17 lbs). Their floppy ears are covered with long hair, and their heavily hair-covered tail is carried curled over the back. The coat may be of any color, though white and with blazes of grey are frequently seen. A very noticeable feature is the underbite, which is required in the breed standard. The Chinese have described their head shapes as "owl head" and "lion head", and their mouth as "frog mouths" and their lips as "earthworm lips".
Coat Colors: The Shih Tzu comes in many colours. The following colours are recognised by The Royal Kennel Club:
Additionally the following colours are recognised as existing within the breed but not being part of the standard: blue, cream, lilac, lilac & white, white, particolour.
Health: A number of health issues, some of them hereditary, have been found in individual Shih Tzu, and are listed below. The popularity of the breed has allowed for extremely poor breeding in general, leading to generalized and lifelong diseases, often from a fairly early age.
History: One theory is that the Shih Tzu descended from a cross between the Pekingese and Lhasa Apso. The dogs were favorites of the Chinese royals during the Ming Dynasty and were so prized that, for years, the Chinese refused to sell, trade, or give any away. The Dowager Empress Cixi developed a program dedicated to breeding Shih Tzus. Many court eunuchs also bred Shih Tzus to win favor with the Emperor.
The first dogs of the breed were imported into Europe (England and Norway) during the 1920s and 1930s. Lady Brownrigg, an Englishwoman living in China, first brought two Shih Tzus to England in 1928. These dogs were classified by the Kennel Club as "Apsos". The first European standard for the breed was written in England in 1935 by the Shih Tzu Club, and the dogs were categorised again as Shih Tzu. This was the result of the first congregation of these dogs from China at Crufts in 1933 at which it was realised that the Tibetan Terrier, Apso and Shih Tzu were distinctly different breeds. The breed spread throughout Europe and was brought to the United States after World War II, when returning members of the U.S. military brought back dogs from Europe and Asia, in the mid-1950s. The Shih Tzu was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969 in the Toy Group.
In 1934, the Shih Tzu Club of England was founded and the breed was officially recognised by the Kennel Club (UK) on 7 May 1940. When it became eligible for Challenge Certificates, none were awarded until 1949. The breed is now recognized by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world. It is also recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for international competition in Companion and Toy Dog Group, Section 5, Tibetan breeds.
