McKnight's Majestic
Shih-Tzus
ORIGIN OF SHIH-TZU
The origin of the Shih-Tzu is obscure. The Shih-Tzu originated in Tibet where it was kept in temples as a sacred dog. It is known that they were occasionally given to the Emperors of China during the Manchu dynasty (17th century) as a tribute of great honor and that is how they came to be established in China. In that country, the dogs became little temple dogs and were kept in the palace and carefully guarded and cared for by the court eunuchs. When the Peking Kennel Club was formed in 1934 there was much confusion as to the difference between certain small breeds. In 1938 an individual standard was set for the Shih-Tzu and it was recognized as a separate breed from certain other Tibetan breeds.
With the war and the takeover of Peking in 1949 there were no more exported from China. In 1952 there was a strong fear that the breed was developing poor structure and it was decided to cross a Pekingese into the line in England. The purpose was to obtain a less leggy dog with a better coat and shorter muzzle. This was accomplished, however the bowed front legs of the Pekingese are something that still can be seen on some Shih-Tzu today. There was also a faction in England called the Manchu Club that believed a smaller dog better represented the true heritage of the temple dogs. The Kennel Club recognized this in their 1938 standard by stating the ideal weight was between 9 to 16 pounds which is what the current standard recognizes. In the United States, fanciers obtained the first Shih-Tzus in the late 1930s. The breed gained in popularity in 1960, with many imports coming from England and Europe. The breed was shown in the Miscellaneous class at AKC dog shows. It was not until 1969 that the Shih-Tzu were permitted to be shown as a separate breed in the Toy Group. In 1969, 2,811 Shih-Tzu were registered which increased to 14,894 in 1978. Within that nine year period over 85,000 Shih-Tzu were registered with the American Kennel Club, placing the Shih-Tzu in the top 25 most popular breeds according to the AKC. It is no surprise that the temple dog had come into the homes of many owners -- this is due not only to their Imperial background but also to their personality
GROOMING YOUR SHIH-TZU
Shih-Tzus, if kept in full coat, should be brushed daily with a pin brush. Here are a few websites where you can purchase products for grooming your Shih-Tzus.
The first website is a grooming video which I purchased and found to be extremely helpful in show or pet grooming.
Here are a few websites where you can purchase the grooming supplies needed for proper Shih-Tzu care.
EYE CARE
A Shih-Tzus eyes are large, vulnerable and prone to ulceration. Special attention should be given to them daily. Living close to the ground it is easy for dust or dirt or a stray hair to get into the eye and cause irritation. Use human eye wash daily, such as collyrium. This is a gentle eye wash, remove any matter from eye corners. A flea comb may be used to remove any dried food in the beard or moustache.
COMMON SHIH-TZU DISORDERS
Overshot mouth and umbilical hernias-- the hernias are usually caused by the mother chewing the umbilical cord to closely. They are very common in the Shih-Tzu breed and shouldn't discourage you from purchasing a Shih-Tzu. Most hernias will close up on their own by 8 months old. If they don't it isn't serious, but an issue you could discuss with a vet. The undershot mouth is standard in this breed and you can see the AKC standard. If the overshot mouth is extreme then that is a fault. Also the Shih-Tzus are flat faced dogs and some will have snorting which is due to their flat faces. It can also be caused by stenotic nares which most puppies grow out of by 4 - 6 months.
IF A PUPPY HAS AN UMBILICAL HERNIA OR STENOTIC NARE CONDITION IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER OUR HEALTH WARRANTY. HOWEVER, WE WILL DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IF ANY OF THE PUPS HAVE THESE CONDITIONS.
RECOMMENDED SITES TO VISIT
FOR OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHIH-TZUS PLEASE VISIT www.doggonegoodstuff.com AND http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/ WHERE YOU WILL FIND ADDITIONAL VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREED PRIOR TO PURCHASING YOUR PET.
General Shih-Tzu information
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This page was last updated: March 6, 2011
