Shih Tzu

Breed Description

The Shih Tzu is a small, sturdy toy dog with a big personality packed into a compact frame. According to the AKC standard, the ideal height at the withers is 9 to 10.5 inches (range: 8 to 11 inches), and mature dogs typically weigh 9 to 16 pounds. Despite being classified as a toy breed, the Shih Tzu must meet the same standards of soundness and structure as any other breed, and is described as compact, solid, and full of substance rather than delicate or fragile.
What really sets this breed apart is its face and coat. Big, round, dark eyes give it a warm and trusting expression, and a flowing double coat (often styled with a topknot) can come in almost any color combination. The breed’s nickname, Chrysanthemum Dog, comes from the way the hair grows out around the face, giving it a flower-like frame.
Underneath all that glamour is a genuinely easygoing companion. Bred for centuries with a single job description, being a devoted lap dog, the Shih Tzu is happiest when it’s near its people, whether that’s on the couch, on a walk, or just following you room to room.

Breed History

The Shih Tzu’s story starts far from any dog show ring, in the monasteries and mountains of Tibet. Small lion-like dogs were kept there and are believed to have been given to Chinese royalty as gifts, eventually being bred in the Imperial Chinese court, sometimes crossed with breeds like the Pekingese, to create the dog we know today. The Mandarin name means little lion, a nod to the breed’s ties to Buddhist lion imagery and its lion-like mane.
For centuries, the Shih Tzu was strictly a palace dog. The breed became highly valued in Chinese imperial courts during the Ming Dynasty, and Dowager Empress Cixi later ran her own dedicated breeding program. When she died in 1908, that carefully managed bloodline fell apart, and things got far worse decades later: after the 1949 Communist Revolution, the dogs’ association with wealth and royalty led to nearly all Shih Tzu in China being killed.
The breed survived only because a handful of dogs had already been exported to England in the 1930s by people like Lady Brownrigg, and modern Shih Tzu descend from a very small population of dogs preserved in Europe. After World War II, American servicemen returning from Europe brought the breed to the United States, and the AKC officially recognized the Shih Tzu in 1969, placing it in the Toy Group. From a near-vanished palace pet, it grew into one of the most beloved family dogs in the world.

Behavioral Characteristics

If there’s one word that sums up the Shih Tzu, it’s affectionate. The AKC breed standard is blunt about it: since the Shih Tzu’s sole purpose is being a companion and house pet, its temperament should be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting towards all. This isn’t a dog bred to guard, hunt, or herd; it was built purely to be good company.
That companionable streak makes Shih Tzus wonderful with families. They typically get along well with adults, children, and other pets, and they thrive on being included in daily life, whether that’s a car ride, a walk in the park, or just sitting in a lap for hours. Old instincts do occasionally show through, since the breed’s ancestors were kept as alert dogs, many Shih Tzu will still bark to let you know someone’s at the door, even if they have zero interest in actually guarding anything.
They’re generally easygoing and adaptable, doing just as well in an apartment as in a house, as long as they get plenty of time with their people. Because of their flat faces, they aren’t big chewers, but they can be diggers and occasionally stubborn about house-training, so patience and consistency go a long way. Physically, they don’t need much exercise, but they do need mental engagement and social contact to stay happy.

Fun Facts

• “Every Shih Tzu alive today can be traced back to just 14 dogs, seven males and seven females, that were saved outside of China before the breed was nearly wiped out after the 1949 Communist Revolution.”
• “The breed's name comes from the Mandarin phrase for "little lion," a reference to its Buddhist lion symbolism and its long, mane-like coat.”
• “The oldest known Shih Tzu on record, named Smokey, lived to be 23 years old.”
• “The AKC officially recognized the Shih Tzu in 1969, placing it in the Toy Group, after American servicemen helped bring the breed to the U.S. following World War II.”

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