Shih Tzu breed guide

Being cute is a way of life for this lively charmer, which is especially affectionate with children. Bred to spend most of the day inside royal palaces, the Shih Tzu is a house companion at heart.

Training may be both amusing and frustrating, since the breed charms its owner into letting it have its own way, which can produce a chubby, not completely housebroken pet that is hard to groom.

Shih Tzu live 10 to 18 years. Because of heavy coats and short faces, they do not tolerate heat well and are not good swimmers. Breeders screen for hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and eye anomalies including cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy, retinal detachment and corneal dryness from eyelids that do not close properly.

A Shih Tzu with a long coat needs daily brushing with a good wire brush with flexible pins, layering the hair to reach the skin and a bath about every three or four weeks. The mustache and head hair need combing daily.

Bred as a house companion, the Shih Tzu needs minimal exercise: short daily walks and indoor playtime satisfy a small, short-legged companion.

When you own a Shih Tzu you own a bit of Chinese history. Imperial breeders in the palace of the Chinese emperor developed it centuries ago from Tibetan stock, most likely by crossing two older Sino-Tibetan breeds, the Lhasa Apso and the Pekingese.

For hundreds of years Shih Tzu were royal lap warmers pampered by emperors. Their families and emperors are said to have given valuable gifts to breeders who produced the most handsome and affectionate dogs.