History

The Shih Tzu originated in Tibet where it was kept in temples as a sacred dog. It is known that they were occasionally given to the Manchu Dynasty as a tribute of great honor and that is how they came to be established in China. 
In that country, the dogs quickly became "little temple dogs," were kept in the palace and were carefully guarded and cared for by the court eunuchs. The Brown Riggs are credited with bringing the first little temple dog to Great Britain in 1928. In 1933, the Shih Tzu became recognized as a separate breed from the Tibetan Apso and its name, denoting this was established. Individuals of he breed are alternately known as the "little inch dogs." This name depicts not only their similarity of appearance to the large jungle feline, probably because of the abundant golden hair of some breed specimens, but also that along with the lion, the little dog was greatly revered, even worshiped, within the Buddhist religion of its homeland. The Shih Tzu and lion were considered sacred animals in that land. The United States got its first Shih Tzu in the late 1930's. But in England and Europe due to the war and rarity fo the breed, there were only a little over 300 dogs in 1963.The dog gained in popularity during the 1960’s with many imports from England and Europe. The breed was shown in the miscellaneous class at dog shows; it was not until September 1969 that the Shih Tzu were permitted to be shown as a separate breed in the Toy Group.

Description

The Shih Tzu is a very active, alert, and lively dog with a distinctly arrogant carriage. Neither a terrier nor a toy dog, the Shih Tzu walks with his broad, round head well up and heavily plumed back. It is a proud dog, befitting of his noble ancestry. The coat is luxurious, long, and dense but not curly. It is customary to tie the hair on the top of the head up. Its undercoat is full and woolly. The ears are large with long feathers and carried drooping, often blending in with the hair of the neck.

 

               
The Shih Tzu is a friendly, non-aggressive dog that is a good companion for both children and other breeds of dogs. The Shih Tzu is a people-oriented dog. They cherish nothing more than the love and affection of people. The size of the Shih Tzu normally is between 9 to 16 pounds. The Shih Tzus size makes it an ideal breed for both city and country living.
                            

Grooming

Much of the elegance of the Shih Tzu is owed to its beautiful flowing coat. But in order to maintain this breeds elegant trademark, careful grooming is a must. The face and topknot should be done everyday with careful attention paid to eyes. Brushing, if done 10-15 minutes a day, will keep the coat in good condition. Your dog’s nails should be clipped on a weekly basis.

 

Allowing the nails to grow too long will make the feet spread, causing poor posture and eventual lameness. If the nails are too long it makes waling uncomfortable. Before giving your dog a bath you should brush him first. If you put a drop of mineral oil in each eye it will prevent soap from getting in your dogs eyes.

 

Feeding

Once again when your puppy comes home with you it will need to be fed. Ask the seller what food to give your puppy. If you choose to change your puppy’s food, each day begin to add small quantities to the usual food offering. From year to year, you may continue feeding the mature dog a single meal. Or you may split it in half and give half in he morning and half in the evening. Before you change your dogs diet check your dogs growth rate, activity level. And so on. Serve you puppy’s meals at the same time each day and in the same location so that he will get used to its daily routine.

 

                   
                     

Housebreaking

Your new puppy may have already had some training before it has come to live with you. Housebreaking is your first training concern and should begin the moment you bring the puppy home. Once again you must be patient with your puppy, make it feel loved not rejected. You should start to train your puppy as soon as he comes home with you. Have training sessions for 10-15 minutes a day. These are much more effective than long sessions. Your puppy should become used to a collar and leash as soon as possible. When you begin giving commands make them as short as possible and use the same word with the same meaning at all time, for example, “Heel,” “Sit,” and “Stay.” You must be consistent or else your puppy will become confused. 

 

 
Behavior


Once again one of the most frequent complaints about canine behavior is barking. Barking, is of course, a natural response for many dogs. They
have an inherited predisposition to bark as an alarm when other dogs or people approach their territory. Alarm barking makes many dogs valuable as household watchdogs and is not necessary undesirable behavior. With a
different vocal tone and pattern, dogs bark when they are playing with each other. On occasion dogs have a tendency to bark at other dogs or join in with other barking dogs.

                                 
Extinction, as a way of eliminating a behavioral problem, may be considered when it is clear that the behavior has been learned and when one can identify the specific rewarding or
reinforcing factors that maintain the behavior. For example, the dog that barks upon hearing the command  “speak” is periodically rewarded with food and praise. If a dog is never, ever given food or praise again when it barks after being told, “speak,” it will eventually stop this type of barking. This is the process of extinction and it implies that the behavior must be repeated but never again rewarded.
                                                                  
                 Home                            Golden Retriever                    Bichon Frise