Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is a small companion dog originally bred in ancient Tibet and refined within the royal palaces of imperial China. Monks sent these lapdogs to Chinese emperors as sacred gifts, where palace eunuchs bred them alongside the Pekingese.

The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom established a breed standard in 1935, and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale places it in Group 9 as Companion and Toy Dogs. Adult height at the withers does not exceed 27 cm (10.5 in), while weight ranges between 4.5-8 kg (10-18 lb). The body is sturdy, slightly longer than tall, featuring short muscular legs and a heavily plumed tail carried proudly over the back.

The official breed standard depicts its temperament as affectionate, intelligent, playful, and independent, carrying an arrogant gait that matches its regal history. Hair on the bridge of the muzzle grows upward, forming a distinctive chrysanthemum-like face around large, dark, widely spaced eyes. The coat is long and dense with a moderate undercoat that comes in almost all shades, including gold, liver, black, and white markings.

Coat maintenance demands daily brushing down to the roots to prevent severe matting, along with securing facial hair away from ocular surfaces. Its brachycephalic skull makes the dog sensitive to heat stress and susceptible to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. Additional clinical conditions commonly reported in veterinary literature include keratitis, dry eye, corneal ulceration, patellar luxation, and intervertebral disc disease.