47 Fun Facts About Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is believed to have been bred from which two breeds?

Pekingese and Lhasa Apso. The usual story has shaggy Tibetan temple dogs reaching the Chinese court as gifts and being crossed with its flat-faced palace pets, though historians still argue the details.

The name Shih Tzu is a romanisation of the Mandarin word for which animal?

Lion. The full Chinese name, shizi gou, means 'lion dog', after the maned beasts of temple art that palace breeders are said to have tried to copy.

How do English speakers usually say the name 'Shih Tzu'?

SHEET-soo. Some owners soften it to SHEED-zoo, but neither comes close to the Mandarin original, shizi, which sounds more like 'shur-dz'.

In modern China the Shih Tzu is usually called the 'Xi Shi dog', after a woman legendary for what?

Her beauty. Xi Shi is counted among the Four Beauties of ancient China, and in legend her looks so distracted an enemy king that his kingdom fell.

The way the hair fans out from a Shih Tzu's face like petals earned it which nickname?

Chrysanthemum dog. The hair on the muzzle grows upwards and outwards in every direction, and one kennel club's standard actually asks for a 'chrysanthemum-like' face.

Breed standards on both sides of the Atlantic use which unflattering word for the way a Shih Tzu carries itself?

Arrogant. The American and British standards both ask for an 'arrogant carriage', which in practice means a head held well up, as befits a palace pet.

Which jaw feature does the American Kennel Club standard ask for in a Shih Tzu?

An underbite. The American standard wants an undershot jaw and lists an overshot one as a fault, while the British standard also accepts a level mouth.

What name do sellers give undersized Shih Tzus, a label that vets warn buyers to steer clear of?

Teacup. It is a sales label rather than a recognised size, and vets warn the dogs are bred to be as small as possible, often with no thought for their health.

Many owners escape the daily brushing a Shih Tzu's long coat demands by having it clipped short in which style?

Puppy cut. Left alone the double coat tangles into mats within days, so many pet owners swap the show-ring look for a short all-over trim.

What did China's imperial court refuse to do with its Shih Tzus for years?

Sell or trade them. Under the Ming dynasty of 1368 to 1644 the little dogs are said to have been such royal favourites that for years the court would not part with a single one.

Which Qing ruler ran a programme dedicated to breeding Shih Tzus?

Dowager Empress Cixi. The power behind China's throne for decades, she is said to have founded her kennel with a pair of dogs sent to her by the Dalai Lama.

To which country were the first Shih Tzus taken when the breed finally left China around 1930?

England. Lady Brownrigg, a general's wife posted to China, brought home a male and a female, and within a few years the breed had an English club of its own.

Miss Agnes, a pampered Shih Tzu, is a contender in which film comedy set at a dog show?

Best in Show. Christopher Guest's spoof documentary trails rival owners to the fictional Mayflower Dog Show, and Miss Agnes's doting couple never doubt she will win.

What became of the Shih Tzu in its Chinese homeland during the twentieth century?

It died out there. Every Shih Tzu alive today traces back to a founding stock of just 14 dogs abroad, seven males and seven females.

Owners have taken the Shih Tzu off the lap and into which dog sport?

Agility. Beneath the long coat is a quick, solid little dog, and Shih Tzus also turn out for obedience and rally trials.

When the American Kennel Club recognised the Shih Tzu in 1969, in which of its groups did it place the breed?

Toy. Britain's Kennel Club files the very same dog under Utility instead, a miscellaneous group it shares with the Bulldog, the Dalmatian and the Poodle.

A 'Shorkie' is a cross between a Shih Tzu and which other breed?

Yorkshire Terrier. The Shorkie is one of a string of designer crosses built on the breed; swap in a Poodle and the result is called a Shih-Poo.

Marnie, a rescued Shih Tzu with a tilted head and lolling tongue, became a celebrity on which platform?

Instagram. Adopted from a shelter at 11, Marnie had nearly two million followers by her death in 2020, and her fame moved fans to adopt older dogs of their own.

Which exercise routine do pet-care guides suggest for an adult Shih Tzu?

A few short walks a day. Twenty-minute strolls are plenty for such short legs, which is why guides rate the breed a good fit for apartment life.

Isabelle, a cheerful Shih Tzu who works as the player's secretary, is a star of which Nintendo series?

Animal Crossing. Isabelle joined the series in 2012 as a tireless town-hall secretary, and fans took to her so fast that she later became a fighter in Super Smash Bros.

Daisy, a fearless Shih Tzu, sets out to free a circus tiger in which animated sequel?

The Secret Life of Pets 2. Tiffany Haddish voices Daisy, who talks a pet rabbit with superhero delusions into helping her spring a white tiger from a cruel circus owner.

Many Shih Tzus have a white spot on the forehead that owners fondly call what?

Star of Buddha. In the best-known telling the little dog drives off a band of robbers and the Buddha kisses its forehead in thanks, leaving a white mark.

Which coat colours does the American Kennel Club standard accept in a Shih Tzu?

Any colour at all. The American standard says every colour and marking is permissible and must be judged equally, while Britain's bars only one pattern, merle.

The Shih Tzu's shortened jaw commonly causes which dental problem?

Overcrowded teeth. Breeding shortened the jaw but left the number and size of the teeth unchanged, so they jostle for room and trap plaque, which is why vets urge regular brushing.

Flat-faced breeds like the Shih Tzu often struggle for breath partly because of which inherited feature?

Pinched, narrow nostrils. Vets call them stenotic nares, and the breed standards push the other way, asking for a Shih Tzu's nostrils to be broad, wide and open.

A Shih Tzu copes especially badly with which conditions?

Hot weather. Its short muzzle makes it overheat fast, so guides say to walk a Shih Tzu in the cool of the day and never to exercise it when the sun is fierce.

Why is a Shih Tzu more likely than most dogs to scratch its eye?

Its eyes are large and exposed. A scratch on the surface can turn into a painful ulcer, so a Shih Tzu that squints or holds one eye half shut needs a vet promptly.

The reddish-brown streaks often seen beneath a Shih Tzu's eyes are caused by what?

Tears spilling onto the fur. The breed's flat face makes its eyes water, and the overflow leaves a reddish-brown pigment on the hair below, so owners wipe the corners clean regularly.

Why are ear infections so common in Shih Tzus?

Hair grows inside the ears. Under a heavy drop ear it holds warmth and moisture, which is why groomers thin it out and owners are told to check the ears every week.

Shih Tzus are prone to a 'portosystemic shunt', a faulty blood vessel that lets blood bypass which organ?

The liver. Blood that skips it is never filtered, so toxins build up and can cause stunted growth, a drunken-looking walk or seizures; surgery can often close the faulty vessel.

The Shih Tzu is well known for which night-time habit?

Snoring. The soft tissue packed into so short a muzzle narrows the airway, so the air rattles through as the dog sleeps; noisy, laboured breathing by day is one for the vet.

The Shih Tzu is often marketed under which label, one that vets say no dog can truly earn?

Hypoallergenic. The label comes from a coat reputed to shed little, but allergens also come from a dog's skin, saliva and urine, so no breed is safe for every sufferer.

Under the American Kennel Club standard, what shape should a Shih Tzu's head be?

Round and broad. The width sets the eyes well apart, and the American standard lists a narrow head with close-set eyes as a fault.

The American breed standard gives the Shih Tzu which 'sole purpose'?

Companion and house pet. Because the dog has no other job, the standard makes temperament essential: outgoing, happy, affectionate and trusting towards all.

America's Shih Tzu club jokes that the breed would give a burglar what?

A guided tour. Pet guides describe a dog that loves to meet and greet strangers and makes friends wherever it goes, though it may well bark at the doorbell first.

The stone guardian statues outside Chinese temples, long linked with the Shih Tzu, have what Western nickname?

Foo dogs. The carved pairs flank temple and palace gates across China, and some say the statues portray the breed while others say the breed was shaped to match them.

The Qing palace kennels that bred the Shih Tzu stood in which city?

Beijing. The kennels are said to have stood inside the Forbidden City, and the dogs stayed behind its walls so long that no Shih Tzu is known to have left China before the twentieth century.

In which 2012 crime comedy do two dog-nappers make the mistake of stealing a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu?

Seven Psychopaths. Woody Harrelson plays the mobster out for revenge, while Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken are the pair who return stolen pets for the reward money.

About how much does a fully grown Shih Tzu weigh?

About 6 kg (13 lb). The American standard sets 9 to 16 pounds on a frame no taller than 11 inches, and wants the dog compact, solid and carrying 'good weight and substance'.

How is the Shih Tzu's tail carried?

Curled over the back. The heavily plumed tail is there to balance the high-held head, and Britain's standard even asks for its arch to rise about level with the skull.

Show Shih Tzus wear the long hair above their eyes tied up in which style?

A topknot. It keeps the hair out of the dog's eyes, and while American owners like to finish it with a bright bow, Britain's standard asks for it to be tied up 'without adornment'.

Who carried many of the first Shih Tzus to the United States in the 1940s and 1950s?

Returning US military personnel. Servicemen stationed in Europe fell for the little dogs and carried them home, well before the AKC gave the breed full recognition.

Which palace servants competed to breed the Shih Tzu that would most please China's emperor?

Eunuchs. They ran the palace kennels and vied to produce the dog that took the ruler's fancy, and nobody now knows exactly which breeds they stirred into the mix.

The American Shih Tzu standard lists too much of which grooming step as a fault?

Scissoring. Handlers may neaten the feet and the bottom edge of the long, flowing coat so the dog can move freely, but the American and United Kennel Club standards both list excessive trimming as a fault.

When Shih Tzus first reached Western show rings in the early 1930s, how were they classified?

As Apsos. The newcomers shared a ring with that shaggy Tibetan breed at a 1933 show, where seeing the two side by side made it plain that these were different dogs.

Which early lesson are Shih Tzus known for finding especially hard?

House-training. Vets call it more challenging than with many other breeds, and some owners teach their Shih Tzu to use an indoor litter box, much as a cat would.

Vets describe the Shih Tzu as a quick learner with which drawback?

A stubborn streak. Force and harsh corrections get nowhere with the breed, while rewards of food and games bring out a dog that is keen to learn.