The Shih Tzu...
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
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Puppies Available |
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I
have these AKC Shih Tzu Puppies for sale; they are 6 weeks old
and they have been through their first first series of
shots. They come from Champion bloodlines. The
mother is an adorable brown/black and white, the father is
mostly white with some tan markings. They are ready to
be seen.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Guccies Babies
Canton, Ohio
Mary Lou Ickes
1-330- 588 8410 or
1-330-364-6729
mli2504@msn.com
NEW!
Fist Litter of Puppies |
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 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.
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