COUNTRY: Tibet (China)
WEIGHT; 9-16 pounds ideal, 19 pounds maximum
HEIGHT: 8-11 inches
COAT: Long and dense; appearing harsher than it feels
COLOR: All colors allowed, but white blaze and tail tip are highly prized
OTHER NAMES: Chrysanthemum Dog
REGISTRY: FCI, AKC, UKC, TKC, CKC
GROUP: Herding
Although the Shih Tzu's roots are in Tibet, his perfection occurred in China. If the Lhasa is a mildly dwarfed Tibetan Terrier, the Shih Tzu is a slightly more exaggerated dwarf form of these breeds. The Chinese prized the smaller individuals from the Lhasas sent to China and pre-ferred the very shortened face. Although some writers feel crossing to the Pekingese occurred, simple selection for the most dwarfed forms of the Lhasas could easily have created this charmer.
To further link the two breeds, the Chinese call their version Shih Tzu> which means lion dog, the same label that the Lhasa dog bears in Tibet. The scenario can easily be imagined: Tibetans sent pairs of charming smallish lion dogs to the imperial court of China. The Chinese also called them lion dogs (in Chinese, of course). Over the centuries the smaller, shorter legged and shorter faced specimens were selected or crossed with native toy breeds, and the result evolved into our modern Shih Tzu.
The dogs lived lives of luxury in the palaces of China, and were bred as loving companions. After China became a republic in 1912, occa-sional specimens made their way into Britain. Fortunately, enough were brought to England and Norway, and later North America, to begin good breeding programs prior to the Communist takeover when dogs were virtually eliminated in China.
The British awarded championship status to the breed in 1949 but it was not recognized in North America until the 1960s. When allowed to be shown in America in 1969, one of the specimens exhibited went all the way to Best in Show the first time he was shown. The breed is well known for its marvelous movement, with tremendous reach and drive pushing that little body smoothly ahead like a locomotive. Shih Tzus have enjoyed tremendous success in show rings all over the world. In Canada, where then-standard allows for a slightly larger specimen, they are a part of the Non-Sporting Group. The Shih Tzu is shown in the Toy Group in the United States.
The Shih Tzu is also being "discovered" as a fine companion dog. Less suspicious of strangers than his erstwhile cousin, the Lhasa, he is vivacious and athletic for his small size, and very people-oriented. Full of confidence and self-importance, his arrogant carriage is described in the standard. His beautiful, flowing coat does require a fair amount of grooming to look its best. It is the hair that grows upward from the short nose that gives the Shih Tzu the "chrysanthemum" look described by the Orientals. In fact, the original standard issued by the Peking Kennel Club may have been the most descriptive in dogdom. Included in the requirements were a "lion head, bear torso, camel hoof, feather-duster tail, palm-leaf ear, rice teeth, pearly petal tongue and movement like a goldfish." Shih Tzus consider themselves extremely dignified, yet can be charming clowns.