Shih Tzu Info

Shih Tzu History

The exact date of origin of the Shih Tzu is not known, but evidence of its existence has come to us from documents, paintings and objets d'art dating from A. D. 624. During the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.), the King of Viqur gave the Chinese court a pair of dogs said to have come from the Fu Lin (assumed to be the Byzantine Empire). Another theory of their introduction to China was recorded in the mid-17th century when dogs were brought from Tibet to the Chinese court. These dogs were bred in the Forbidden City of Peking. The smallest of these dogs resembled a lion, as represented in Oriental art. "Shih Tzu" means "lion". The Shih Tzu is reported to be the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs, the lion being associated with the Buddhist deity. These dogs were bred by the Chinese court and from them the dog we know today as the Shih Tzu developed. They are also called "the chrysanthemum-faced dog" because the hair grows about the face in all directions.

It is known that the Shih Tzu was a house pet during most of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 A.D.) and that they were highly favored by the royal family. Dowager Empress Cixi (T'zu Hsi) kept an important kennel of Pugs, Pekingese, and Shih Tzu. After her death in 1908 the dogs were dispersed and breeding mostly ceased. When the Communist Revolution occurred in China the breed became almost extinct. Every Shih Tzu today can be traced to fourteen dogs - seven bitches and seven dogs - some of which were imported to England where breeding of the Shih Tzu began in 1930. There the breed was first classified as "Apsos" but after a ruling by the Kennel Club (England) that Lhasa Apsos and Shih Tzus were separate breeds, the Shih Tzu Club of England was formed in 1935.

From England members of the breed were exported to other countries in Europe and Australia. American soldiers stationed in these countries brought the breed back to the United States thus introducing them to this country. The Shih Tzu was admitted to registration in the American Kennel Club Stud Book in March, 1969 and to regular show classification in the Toy Group at AKC shows beginning September 1, 1969.

Surgical Procedures (October 1993 AKC Board meeting)
The Board approved the publication of a list of procedures that, undertaken to restore the health of a dog, would not in and of themselves affect a dog's show eligibility. Such procedures would include but not be limited to:

1. The repair of broken legs, even if such procedures involve the insertion of pins, plates or wires.
2. The removal of damaged cartilage.
3. The repair of ligaments that have ruptured or been torn.
4. Caesarean sections.
5. The repair of umbilical hernias.
6. The removal of tumors or cysts.
7. Gastric torsion/bloat surgery.
8. Splenic torsion surgery.
9. Tonsillectomy.
10. Correction of "Cherry Eye" (which involves the gland of the nictitating membrane).
11. Debarking.
12. The removal of dewclaws if a regular practice in the breed.

Courtesy of American Kennel Club, Dog Show Policies, http://www.akc.org/rules/policymanual.cfm?page=5, 2007