AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard

Are you planning to buy a Shih Tzu puppy but don't know what to look for in a Shih Tzu? This article is all about the breed standard for a Shih Tzu. So if you don’t have any idea on what a Shih Tzu should look like, this might help you.

The AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard was approved on May 9, 1989 and took effect on June 29, 1989. The following breed standard can be found at this link: http://www.shihtzu.org/Info/standard.asp?menu=Info but I will post it here for easy viewing:

AKC Shih Tzu 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: Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10½ inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dogs is 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: 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: 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.

This guidelines is basically for show people. But if you are thinking for a pet then any Shih Tzu will do good. Just buy from a reputable Shih Tzu breeder. Pets from reputable breeders are those that come from a Shih Tzu that conforms to the breed standard. It just so happened that the Shih Tzu has a disqualifying fault that prevents the breeder from showing the dog. Unlike those from backyard breeders that breed a pet quality to another pet quality Shih Tzu which I will discuss in my next article.

I hope you enjoy reading this article. Thank you for visiting Totally Shih Tzu.

History and Foundations of Shih Tzu

Since this is my first official post here in Totally Shih Tzu, let’s start my blog about the early development of Shih Tzu. Oh, before anything else, I would like you to know that the plural term for Shih Tzu is still Shih Tzu – not Shih Tzus.

“Lion dog” is the Chinese translation for Shih Tzu. It is also tagged as “chrysanthemum-faced dog” because of its chrysanthemum-like face. Many believed that Shih Tzu originated from Tibet. These dogs were exported as gifts to Chinese emperors. They were given by Grand Lamas as tributes to the Chinese Imperial Court. It was the eunuchs of the Dowager Empress Cixi who started selling some of the palace’s dog to wealthy Chinese and people from other countries. It was believed that these dogs were fed with broken glass to prevent the dogs from going out of the Imperial Palace. Due to the broken glass, these dogs died before reaching their destinations. Cixi’s death in 1908 ended an era for the Shih Tzu. But some private individuals were still breeding the said dog.

As of today, the origin of Shih Tzu can only be traced to seven dogs and seven bitches in which a Pekingese dog, Philadelphus Suti-T’su, was included. Philahelphus Suti-T’su was a black and white purebred Pekingese dog brought into England by Miss Elfreda Evans of Elfann Kennel in 1952. She mated the dog with a Shih Tzu bitch. During that time, only the fourth generation from this outcross can be registered as purebred.

Other foundation dogs consist of three Shih Tzu that were imported from China to England, six imported to Great Britain and three into Norway. Gen. Sir Douglas and Lady Brownrigg brought to England a black and white bitch (Shu-ssa) and dog (Hibou) in 1930. It was also during that same year when Ms. E.M. Hutchins imported a black and white dog (Lung-fu-ssu) to Ireland. While Mrs. Henrik Kauffman imported Aidzo, a black and white dog, into Norway in 1932. She also imported Leidza, a solid gold bitch, which was the only Shih Tzu from the Imperial Palace known to have contributed to today’s Shih Tzu. Another black and white bitch that was imported by Mrs. Kaufmann was Schauder. Walter Ekman, known as the first breeder of Shih Tzu in Sweden, imported a Shih Tzu (name unknown) in 1934. A liver bitch (Tashi of Chouette) was imported in 1938 from Canada into England by Rt. Hon. The Earl of Essex. Lt. Gen. Telfer-Smollett, Lord of Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire, imported Ming, a black and white bitch, from China into England. He also imported Ishuh Tzu, a gray brindle and white bitch, in 1948. A solid gold or fawn dog named Wuffles was brought into England in 1948 by Mr. and Mrs. Fraser Buchanan. Mai-ting, a black and white bitch, was brought into England in 1949 by Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Morris. In 1952, Mr. R.P. Dobson brought His-li-ya, a yellow and white bitch, from Hongkong into England.

Thank you so much to the fourteen foundations of Shih Tzu that are said to have contributed to the early development of Shih Tzu. Without them, we will never have this lovable breed which brings joy to our lives.

I hope you liked my first post about Shih Tzu. Do visit Totally Shih Tzu again.

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This site is dedicated to all shih tzu lovers. All articles will be totally about shih tzu. Here you will learn the basics in owning a shih tzu. Tips and advices will be provided for new shih tzu owners.

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