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Shih Tzu
An adult Shih Tzu in full show coat. Most pet Shih Tzus are kept with shorter, more manageable clips.
Other names	Chinese Lion Dog Chrysanthemum Dog
Country of origin	China
Traits
Classification & standards FCI Group 9 Section 5 #208 standard AKC Toys standard ANKC Group 7 - Non-Sporting standard CKC Group 6 - Non-Sporting standard KC (UK) Utility standard NZKC Non-sporting standard UKC Companion Breeds standard

The Shih Tzu (traditional Chinese: 獅子狗; simplified Chinese: 狮子狗; pinyin: Shīzi Gǒu; Wade-Giles: Shih-tzu Kou; literally "Lion Dog"), pronounced [ʂʐ dz]  [ "sher-dz" ]  ⁽ⁱ⁾ (with "sher" as in "sherbet" and "dz" as in "adz") ^[1], is a dog breed which originated in China. The name is both singular and plural. The spelling "Shih Tzu", most commonly used for the breed, is according to the Wade-Giles system of romanization. The Shih Tzu is reported to be the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs,^{[citation needed]} its vaguely lion-like look being associated with the Snowlion.^{[citation needed]} It is also often known as the "Xi Shi quan" (西施犬), based on the name of Xi Shi, regarded as the most beautiful woman of ancient China^[2], and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, because its face looks very much like the flower, and the Chinese or Tibetan Lion Dog. Image File history File links Question_book-new. ... Chinese characters for two ways of writing shi zi dog. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ... The New Zealand Kennel Club is an organisation responsible for dog pedigree registration services in New Zealand. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Image File history File links Shi_zi. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Lion (disambiguation). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Xi Shi (西施, Pinyin: XÄ« ShÄ«, c. ... Species Chrysanthemum aphrodite Chrysanthemum arcticum Chrysanthemum argyrophyllum Chrysanthemum arisanense Chrysanthemum boreale Chrysanthemum chalchingolicum Chrysanthemum chanetii Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium Chrysanthemum coronarium, Crown daisy Chrysanthemum crassum Chrysanthemum glabriusculum Chrysanthemum hypargyrum Chrysanthemum indicum Chrysanthemum japonense Chrysanthemum japonicum Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium Chrysanthemum mawii Chrysanthemum maximowiczii Chrysanthemum mongolicum Chrysanthemum morifolium Chrysanthemum morii Chrysanthemum okiense Chrysanthemum oreastrum Chrysanthemum...

Description

Appearance

The Shih Tzu is characterized by its long, flowing double coat; sturdy build; intelligence; and a friendly, energetic, lively attitude. Excellent example of lively Shih Tzu puppy behavior at 10 weeks [1]. In breeding all coat colors are allowed.^[3] The Shih Tzu's fur can be styled either in a short summer cut or kept long as is compulsory for conformation shows. In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to published breed standards. ...

The American Kennel Club (AKC) Shih Tzu breed standard calls for the dog to have a short snout, large eyes, and a palm-like tail that waves above its torso. The ideal Shih Tzu's height at 9 to 10 1/2 inches.[2] [3] The dog should stand no less than 8 inches and not more than 11 inches tall. The Shih Tzu should never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Regardless of size or gender, the Shih Tzu should always be solid and compact and carry good weight and substance for its size range. © The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ...

Breed variations

The American Kennel Club (AKC) and the American Shih Tzu Club (ASTC) define the Shih Tzu as a dog that weighs between 9 to 16 pounds as the official breed standard. Descriptions such as "imperial", "teacup", "tiny teacup" are used, but dogs that fit such descriptions are often an undersized or underdeveloped Shih Tzu. [4] Both the AKC and ASTC consider these variances to not be in conformity with the official breed standard. These tiny variances are also not what was defined as a standard by the professional circuit. Many people prefer to have these canines buzzed to a short cut, as their hair starts to mat and become dry as it grows. To have it long, the owner must give the dog's hair intensive care. A medium length coat is therefore recommended. A breed standard (also called bench standard) in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to insure that the animals produced by a breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed. ...

Health

Temperature sensitivity

Shih Tzu are considered to be brachycephalic (snub-nosed) dogs. As such, they are very sensitive to high temperatures. This is why many airlines that ship dogs will not accept them for shipment when temperatures at any point on the planned itinerary exceeds 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24°C) [5]. The cephalic index is the ratio of the maximum breadth of the head to its maximum length, sometimes multiplied by 100 for convenience. ... For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ...

Life span and health issues

The life span of a Shih Tzu is 13-15 years^[4], although some variation from this range is possible. Some health issues common among the breed are portosystemic liver shunt, renal dysplasia, and hip dysplasia in standard sizes.^[5][6] In addition, they also can suffer from various eye problems.^[7][8] Shih Tzus (and many other breeds) may present signs of allergies to red dye #40, and owners should respond to scratching in the absence of fleas by eliminating pet foods that contain this commonly used additive. A portosystemic shunt (PSS), also known as a liver shunt, is a bypass of the liver by the bodys circulatory system. ... Renal Dysplasia This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... This article is about hip dysplasia, a condition affecting the hip joint, which occurs in humans but is more commonly associated with animals, especially dogs (Canine hip dysplasia). ...

Care

A tri-color Shih Tzu Puppy

A Shih Tzu puppy

The Shih Tzu can require more care than some other breeds if the hair is kept at show length; they need daily brushing to avoid tangles. A short haircut, also known as a pet trim or puppy cut, can make this a task taking place every month or so rather than of daily. They also need regular haircuts. A Shih Tzu has two coats of fur, with the bottom coat shedding into the top coat rather than off of the dog entirely; as a result, this breed sheds very little in the conventional sense. With regular brushing and bathing, shedding can be reduced to almost nothing.^[9] As they shed so lightly, Shih-Tzu are considered to be one of the breeds more suitable for people with allergies. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,048 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 514 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,048 × 1,536 pixels, file size: 514 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Since the breed is adapted to a cool climate, letting the coat grow out somewhat for the colder seasons is appropriate, but there is still a substantial difference from a floor-length show coat and a warmer, medium-length winter coat.

Because Shih Tzu noses are small and flat, eating contributes to an unclean face. Once the dog has finished eating, owners often wipe the dog's face with a damp paper towel to remove food remnants. This is another area where the haircut matters; a proper show cut will get more messy (often even requiring the hair to be rubber-banded together for eating efficiently) than other ways of cutting the facial hair.

When they are drinking, it is sometimes necessary to supervise Shih Tzu; water can enter their face-level noses more easily and inhibit breathing. This is why many Shih Tzu are trained to drink from the sort of licker bottles used by hamsters and gerbils. The area around the eyes should be checked each day for mucus buildup and cleaned when needed. Providing the Shih Tzu with bottled water (or water that does not contain chlorine) helps to keep eye mucus to a minimum. Additionally, their claws need to be clipped approximately every month.

Mixed breeds

Shih Tzus are sometimes cross-bred with other toy dogs. Among the more commonly known mixed breeds are the Shih-poo^[10] (crossed with a toy Poodle), the "Zuchon" or "Shichon"^[11] (crossed with a Bichon Frisé) and the Pom shih (crossed with a Pomeranian). Shih Tzus may also be crossed with Maltese, (the "Mal-shih or Schmaltz") and many other breeds. A healthy mixed-breed dog shows hybrid vigor. ... This article lacks information on the importance of the subject matter. ... For the political insult see poodle (insult). ... A Bichon Frisé (French, literally meaning Curly lap dog; often spelled Bichon Frise in English) is a small breed of dog. ... A pointer - dalmatian cross. ... For other uses, see Pomeranian. ...

History

Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dog.^[12] Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ... Fourteen ancient breeds of dog have recently been identified through advances in DNA analysis. ...

Professor Ludvic von Schulmuth studied canine origins by studying the skeletal remains of dogs found in human settlements as long as ten thousand years ago. The Professor created a genealogical tree of Tibetan dogs that shows the "Gobi Desert Kitchen Midden Dog", a scavenger, evolved into the "Small Soft-Coated Drop-Eared Hunting Dog". From this dog evolved the Tibetan Spaniel, Pekingese, and Japanese Chin. Another branch coming down from the "Kitchen Midden Dog" gave rise to the Papillon and Long-haired Chihuahua and yet another "Kitchen Midden Dog" branch to the Pug and Shih Tzu.^{[citation needed]}

James E. Mumford described the breed in an American Shih Tzu magazine, giving a picture of the versatile character of the Shih Tzu: "Nobody knows how the Ancient Eunuchs managed to mix together…And now here comes the recipe: A dash of lion, several teaspoons of rabbit, a couple of ounces of domestic cat, one part court jester, a dash of ballerina, a pinch of old man (Chinese), a bit of beggar, a tablespoon of monkey, one part baby seal, a dash of teddy bear and the rest dogs of Tibetan and Chinese origin." James E. Mumford is an American teacher and composer. ...

Notes

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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Shih Tzu

• Shih Tzu at the Open Directory Project
• Shih Tzu breed standard at the official American Kennel Club website