Appearance

The Shih Tzu is a sturdy and lively little dog with a round head, an abundant beard and mustache and a black nose. The hair above the nose grows uniquely upward, giving the Shih Tzu his distinctive “chrysanthemum” face. The round eyes are large and wide set, dark colored on most, but light on blue and liver dogs. The muzzle is short, squared and should have no wrinkles. The heavy under bite is a signature characteristic of the breed. The ears are pendant, but they are so profusely covered in hair, that they blend into the body. The high-set tail, which curls over the back, is also thickly plumed with hair. The long, thick coat covers the entire body and may be any color. The Shih Tzu is a little dog with a round head. They have an abundant beard and mustache and a black nose. The facial hair grows “upward,” which is a distinct feature in this breed and gives them “chrysanthemum-looking” face. For the eyes, most of them have a large, wide-set, rounded shape with dark color. They have a short, squared muzzle with no wrinkles. The ears are fully covered that it seemed to blend to their body. The tails are thickly plumb that curls over the back. Their long, thick coat, which can be of any color, covers the entire body

History

Recent studies show that the Shih Tzu breed is one of the oldest breed in the world. According to this study, this “ancient” breed is genetically close to the wolves. A scientist by the name of Ludvic von Schulmuth figured out that the dog’s skeletal remains found in human settlements are at least ten thousand years old. Numerous theories have emerged on how this breed came to be. One such theory is about a dog called Lhasa Apso, where it was a crossed between Pekingese and a Tibetan dog. Ancient Chinese paintings also depict this breed. Europe got its first breed in the 1930s, which the Kennel Club, at that time, classified them as Apsos. It was not until 1935 that they re-categorized it as Shih Tzu. This breed is now recognized globally by all major kennel clubs in the Enlish-speaking word.