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About
the Shih Tzu
The Shih Tzu
is a sturdy, lively, alert toy dog with long flowing double coat.
Befitting his noble Chinese ancestry as a highly valued, prized companion
and palace pet, the Shih Tzu is proud of bearing, has a distinctly
arrogant carriage with head well up and tail curved over the back.
Although there has always been considerable size variation, the Shih Tzu
must be compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance.
The Shih Tzu, pronounced Sheed Zoo, whether referring to one or to
many, is a small, sturdy, heavily coated Toy dog of ancient origin.
An adult Shih Tzu should weigh about nine to sixteen pounds, although they
may be smaller or larger than this. Over the centuries, the Shih Tzu was
developed and bred strictly as a pet and companion. It is regal and
dignified, but at the same time playful, lovable, huggable and
self-assured.
Small dogs in assorted shapes and colors had been bred in China for
centuries, but it was not until Peking had been captured by the Manchus in
1644 that small dogs, which could have been the prototype of the early
Shih Tzu, were bred by the eunuchs in the Imperial Palaces. Prior to
this time we find references to short-headed, short-legged 'Pai' dogs as
early as the 11th Century, and in the 13th Century golden-coated dogs were
described and treasured in the courts. In 1850 several of the
Tibetan temple dogs were sent as tribute gifts to Manchu Emperors in the
palaces in
Peking
. The Chinese called them Tibetan Shih Tzu Kou or 'Lion
Dogs'. Shih Tzu means lion and Kou is the Chinese word
for dog.
~The
Shih Tzu Club of
Southeastern Wisconsin
~
History: http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/breed_astc_history
BREED
STANDARD
General
Appearance
The Shih Tzu is a sturdy, lively, alert toy dog with long flowing double
coat. Befitting his noble Chinese ancestry as a highly valued, prized
companion and palace pet, the Shih Tzu is proud of bearing, has a
distinctively arrogant carriage with head well up and tail curved over the
back. Although there has always been considerable size variation, the Shih
Tzu must be compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance.
Even though a toy dog, the Shih Tzu must be subject to the same
requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any
deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to
the extent of the deviation. Structural faults common to all breeds are as
undesirable in the Shih Tzu as in any other breed, regardless of whether
or not such faults are specifically mentioned in the standard.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size - Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10˝ inches;
but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of
mature dogs, 9 to 16 pounds. Proportion - Length between
withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The
Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low
stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Substance -
Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good
weight and substance.
Head
Head - Round, broad, wide between eyes, its size in
balance with the overall size of dog being neither too large nor too
small. Fault: Narrow head, close-set eyes. Expression
- Warm, sweet, wide-eyed, friendly and trusting. An overall well-balanced
and pleasant expression supersedes the importance of individual parts. Care
should be taken to look and examine well beyond the hair to determine if
what is seen is the actual head and expression rather than an image
created by grooming technique. Eyes - Large, round, not
prominent, placed well apart, looking straight ahead. Very dark.
Lighter on liver pigmented dogs and blue pigmented dogs. Fault:
Small, close-set or light eyes; excessive eye white. Ears
- Large, set slightly below crown of skull; heavily coated. Skull
- Domed. Stop - There is a definite stop. Muzzle
- Square, short, unwrinkled, with good cushioning, set no lower than
bottom eye rim; never downturned. Ideally, no longer than 1 inch from tip
of nose to stop, although length may vary slightly in relation to overall
size of dog. Front of muzzle should be flat; lower lip and chin not
protruding and definitely never receding. Fault: Snipiness,
lack of definite stop. Nose - Nostrils are broad, wide,
and open. Pigmentation - Nose, lips, eye rims are black on
all colors, except liver on liver pigmented dogs and blue on blue
pigmented dogs. Fault: Pink on nose, lips, or eye rims. Bite
- Undershot. Jaw is broad and wide. A missing tooth or slightly misaligned
teeth should not be too severely penalized. Teeth and tongue should not
show when mouth is closed. Fault: Overshot bite.
Neck, Topline, Body
Of utmost importance is an overall well-balanced dog with no
exaggerated features. Neck - Well set-on flowing
smoothly into shoulders; of sufficient length to permit natural high head
carriage and in balance with height and length of dog. Topline
- Level. Body -Short-coupled and sturdy with no waist or
tuck-up. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall. Fault:
Legginess. Chest -Broad and deep with good spring-of-rib,
however, not barrel-chested. Depth of ribcage should extend to just below
elbow. Distance from elbow to withers is a little greater than from elbow
to ground. Croup - Flat. Tail - Set on
high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back. Too loose, too
tight, too flat, or too low set a tail is undesirable and should be
penalized to extent of deviation.
Forequarters
Shoulders - Well-angulated, well laid-back, well laid-in,
fitting smoothly into body. Legs - Straight, well-boned,
muscular, set well-apart and under chest, with elbows set close to body. Pasterns
- Strong, perpendicular. Dewclaws - May be removed. Feet
- Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.
Hindquarters
Angulation of hindquarters should be in balance with forequarters.
Legs - Well-boned, muscular, and straight when viewed from
rear with well-bent stifles, not close set but in line with forequarters. Hocks
- Well let down, perpendicular. Fault: Hyperextension of
hocks. Dewclaws - May be removed. Feet -
Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.
Coat
Coat - Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing.
Slight wave permissible. Hair on top of head is tied up. Fault:
Sparse coat, single coat, curly coat. Trimming - Feet,
bottom of coat, and anus may be done for neatness and to facilitate
movement. Fault: Excessive trimming.
Color and Markings
All are permissible and to be considered equally.
Gait
The Shih Tzu moves straight and must be shown at its own natural speed, neither
raced nor strung-up, to evaluate its smooth, flowing, effortless
movement with good front reach and equally strong rear drive, level
topline, naturally high head carriage, and tail carried in gentle curve
over back.
Temperament
As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion and house pet,
it is essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate,
friendly and trusting towards all.
Approved May 9, 1989
Effective June 29, 1989
“Imperial”
or “Tea Cup” Shih Tzu: http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/imperial
Colors:
http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/colors
Eye Color:http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/blue_eyes_eye_white
Health:
http://americanshihtzuclub.org/health_related_articles
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