Shih Tzu Trivia
0Loading crowd target
0Loading crowd target
7correct to beat the crowd
47 free Shih Tzu trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Sep 2026.
This Shih Tzu trivia quiz covers the little lion dog from the Ming court to the AKC Toy Group. History questions run through the Pekingese and Lhasa Apso ancestry, the Chinese royals who refused to sell a single dog, Empress Dowager Cixi's breeding programme, Lady Brownrigg's two imports of 1928, the Crufts moment in 1933 when the Tibetan Terrier, Apso and Shih Tzu were finally told apart, Kennel Club recognition in 1940, Freda Evans's controversial Pekingese cross and AKC recognition in 1969. The breed section covers the name's Wade–Giles origins, the 'Xi Shi dog' and 'chrysanthemum dog' nicknames, the required underbite, the 'owl head' and 'frog mouth' descriptions, height and weight, coat colours, and the health issues of a flat-faced toy breed from brachycephalic airway syndrome to glaucoma and ear infections. Buddhist mythology gets its own set: Fu dogs, Manjushri's shape-shifting lion dog, and the white 'Star of Buddha' on the forehead. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a devoted Shih Tzu owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and Maltese quizzes.
30 of 47 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Shih Tzu is believed to have been bred from which two breeds?
Pekingese and Lhasa Apso
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.
Q 02The name Shih Tzu is a romanisation of the Mandarin word for which animal?
Lion
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.
Q 03How do English speakers usually say the name 'Shih Tzu'?
SHEET-soo
SHEET-soo. Some owners soften it to SHEED-zoo, but neither comes close to the Mandarin original, shizi, which sounds more like 'shur-dz'.
Q 04In modern China the Shih Tzu is usually called the 'Xi Shi dog', after a woman legendary for what?
Her beauty
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.
Q 05The way the hair fans out from a Shih Tzu's face like petals earned it which nickname?
Chrysanthemum dog
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.
Q 06Breed standards on both sides of the Atlantic use which unflattering word for the way a Shih Tzu carries itself?
Arrogant
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.
Q 07Which jaw feature does the American Kennel Club standard ask for in a Shih Tzu?
An underbite
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.
Q 08What name do sellers give undersized Shih Tzus, a label that vets warn buyers to steer clear of?
Teacup
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.
Q 09Many owners escape the daily brushing a Shih Tzu's long coat demands by having it clipped short in which style?
Puppy cut
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.
Q 10What did China's imperial court refuse to do with its Shih Tzus for years?
Sell or trade them
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.
Q 11Which Qing ruler ran a programme dedicated to breeding Shih Tzus?
Dowager Empress Cixi
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.
Q 12To which country were the first Shih Tzus taken when the breed finally left China around 1930?
England
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.
Q 13Miss Agnes, a pampered Shih Tzu, is a contender in which film comedy set at a dog show?
Best in Show
Q 21Daisy, a fearless Shih Tzu, sets out to free a circus tiger in which animated sequel?
The Secret Life of Pets 2
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.
Q 22Many Shih Tzus have a white spot on the forehead that owners fondly call what?
Star of Buddha
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.
Q 23Which coat colours does the American Kennel Club standard accept in a Shih Tzu?
Any colour at all
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.
Q 14What became of the Shih Tzu in its Chinese homeland during the twentieth century?
It died out there
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.
Q 15Owners have taken the Shih Tzu off the lap and into which dog sport?
Agility
Agility. Beneath the long coat is a quick, solid little dog, and Shih Tzus also turn out for obedience and rally trials.
Q 16When the American Kennel Club recognised the Shih Tzu in 1969, in which of its groups did it place the breed?
Toy
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.
Q 17A 'Shorkie' is a cross between a Shih Tzu and which other breed?
Yorkshire Terrier
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.
Q 18Marnie, 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.
Q 19Which exercise routine do pet-care guides suggest for an adult Shih Tzu?
A few short walks a day
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.
Q 20Isabelle, a cheerful Shih Tzu who works as the player's secretary, is a star of which Nintendo series?
Animal Crossing
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.
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.
Q 24The Shih Tzu's shortened jaw commonly causes which dental problem?
Overcrowded teeth
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.
Q 25Flat-faced breeds like the Shih Tzu often struggle for breath partly because of which inherited feature?
Pinched, narrow nostrils
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.
Q 26A Shih Tzu copes especially badly with which conditions?
Hot weather
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.
Q 27Why is a Shih Tzu more likely than most dogs to scratch its eye?
Its eyes are large and exposed
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.
Q 28The reddish-brown streaks often seen beneath a Shih Tzu's eyes are caused by what?
Tears spilling onto the fur
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.
Q 29Why are ear infections so common in Shih Tzus?
Hair grows inside the ears
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.
Q 30Shih Tzus are prone to a 'portosystemic shunt', a faulty blood vessel that lets blood bypass which organ?
The liver
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.