Shih Tzu Breed

The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest companion dog breeds in the world, refined over centuries in Tibetan monasteries and the imperial courts of China to serve a single purpose: to be the perfect indoor companion for human beings.

The breed's name translates from Mandarin as "lion dog", a reference to its resemblance, when kept in full show coat with the hair on the face swept upward, to the stylised Buddhist lions (foo dogs) that guard temple entrances across East Asia.

Everything about the Shih Tzu, its temperament, its coat, its robust adaptability to indoor living, reflects centuries of careful selection for companionship above all other functions.

The breed reached Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and the United States after World War II, and it became one of the most popular dog breeds.

Today, the Shih Tzu consistently ranks among the top 20 most registered breeds with the American Kennel Club and commands a devoted following among apartment dwellers, single owners, families with gentle children and anyone seeking a compact, personable and long-lived companion.

This guide covers the Shih Tzu completely: its ancient origins, physical characteristics, temperament, health profile with documented data, grooming requirements, training, exercise and feeding.

Origins and History

The Shih Tzu's ancestry is rooted in Tibet, where Tibetan monks maintained a line of small, lion-like dogs in the monasteries of the Himalayan plateau for centuries. These dogs are believed to be related to the Lhasa Apso.

The breed is also thought to have been developed with Pekingese blood in China.

The dogs were favourites of the Chinese royals during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and Empress Dowager Cixi developed a program dedicated to breeding them.

These dogs were so prized that, for years, the Chinese refused to sell, trade, or give any away and many court eunuchs also bred them to win favour with the Emperor.

Lady Brownrigg, an Englishwoman living in China, first brought two Shih Tzu to England in 1928.

The dogs were initially classified by The Kennel Club as Apsos, the breed was officially recognised by the Kennel Club on 7 May 1940.

American servicemen and servicewomen stationed in Europe after World War II brought Shih Tzu back to the United States, establishing the breed in North America. The American Kennel Club recognised the Shih Tzu in 1969.

Physical Characteristics

The Shih Tzu is a small, sturdy toy breed with a compact body and the distinctive double coat that is its most recognised feature.

Measurement	Standard
Height at withers	20-28 cm (8-11 in)
Weight	4-7.5 kg (9-17 lb)
Body	Compact, slightly longer than tall
Build	Sturdy and solid for a toy breed
Head	Round, broad, with large, wide-set dark eyes

The head is distinctive: large and round with a short, square muzzle and a pronounced stop (the angle between the muzzle and the skull). The eyes are large, dark and wide-set, a characteristic that contributes to the breed's appeal but also creates vulnerability to corneal injury and ulceration, as the prominent eyes are exposed and easily damaged. The bite is typically undershot (lower jaw projecting slightly beyond the upper), which is a breed standard feature.

The Shih Tzu's coat is a long, flowing double coat, a soft, dense undercoat beneath a longer, silky outer coat. The coat grows continuously and, if left untrimmed, will reach floor length. The hair on the top of the head is typically tied up in a topknot (a breed-characteristic feature seen in both show dogs and well-groomed pets).

Colour is highly variable: the breed occurs in virtually all colours and combinations, including gold, silver, black, white, liver, blue and combinations thereof. No colour preference is specified in the breed standard.

Homeowners of pets tend to maintain the coat in a "puppy cut" trim, keeping it even at about 2 to 5 centimetres across the body. This styling reduces grooming time substantially while maintaining the breed's distinctive rounded look.

Temperament

The Shih Tzu's temperament reflects its centuries-long selection for companionship. The breed is outgoing, affectionate, trusting and socially confident, characteristics that make it unusually adaptable and consistently good-natured across a wide range of owners and households.

Unlike many toy breeds that struggle with anxiety, high energy or intense single-person bonding, Shih Tzus tend toward wide social warmth. Meeting strangers brings them pleasure, they integrate well with other dogs and cats when introductions are handled appropriately, and they fit naturally into the pace of various household types, whether that is a quiet solo flat or a lively family with kids.

They are not working dogs, have no prey drive to speak of and are not naturally territorial or alert-barking in the way of many small breeds.

The Shih Tzu can be playful and has a spark of mischief that owners find charming. But the play style is gentle, brief bursts of running and toy engagement rather than the sustained high-energy play of working breeds, and the breed is equally content to spend hours on a comfortable sofa beside its owner.

The breed's stubbornness is a recognised trait: Shih Tzu are not as automatically responsive to commands as retriever breeds, and housetraining in particular can require patience and consistency beyond what some owners expect. But the stubbornness is mild, more an expression of independent thinking than defiance, and responds well to positive reinforcement.

Health: Key Conditions and Statistics

The Shih Tzu's health profile reflects its brachycephalic (short-faced) structure and the specific vulnerabilities associated with its prominent eyes, compact body and the physiology of a small breed. Studies of life expectancy have found figures of about 11 to 12.8 years in the UK and 15 years in Japan.

Health Condition	Prevalence / Notes	Source
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)	Present to varying degree in all brachycephalic breeds	RCVS / Veterinary surgical literature
Patellar luxation	Common in toy breeds	OFA small breed statistics
Corneal ulceration / eye injuries	Elevated risk from prominent eyes	Veterinary ophthalmology literature
Hypothyroidism	Elevated breed prevalence	Multiple veterinary surveys
Renal dysplasia	Present in some lines	Breed-specific health surveys
Dental disease	Very common, small jaw crowding	American Veterinary Dental College

Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS): The Shih Tzu's compressed facial structure can cause narrowed nostrils (stenotic nares), an elongated soft palate that extends into the airway, and a narrowed trachea.

The combined effect restricts airflow, causing the characteristic snoring and snuffling sounds associated with the breed, and in more severely affected dogs, causing exercise intolerance, sleep apnea and cyanosis (blue-tinged gums from lack of oxygen) in hot weather or during exertion.

The Shih Tzu is less severely brachycephalic than the English Bulldog or Pekingese, and many individual Shih Tzu live their entire lives with brachycephalic anatomy as a cosmetic concern rather than a medical one. However, severely affected dogs; those with very narrow nostrils, obvious laboured breathing at rest, or exercise intolerance, benefit significantly from surgical correction.

BOAS surgery (widening the nostrils, shortening the soft palate and removing laryngeal saccules if everted) is most effective when performed on young dogs before secondary airway changes develop.

Eye conditions: The prominent, wide-set eyes of the Shih Tzu are vulnerable to corneal exposure and injury. Corneal ulcers, scratches or erosions of the corneal surface, are a common veterinary presentation in the breed.

They can result from hair contact (particularly from the topknot if tied too tightly or left with hair touching the eye surface), environmental debris, self-trauma, or dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Corneal ulcers are painful, visible to the owner as cloudiness or the dog pawing at the eye, and require prompt veterinary treatment. Untreated corneal ulcers can progress to deep ulceration and risk permanent vision loss.

Renal dysplasia, malformation of kidney tissue, leading to progressive renal failure, has been identified in some breeding lines. Prospective buyers should ask breeders about kidney disease history in their lines.

Grooming

The Shih Tzu is a high-maintenance grooming breed, and this is the most significant commitment for prospective owners to assess honestly before acquiring one. The long, flowing double coat requires either daily care (if kept long) or regular professional trimming (if kept in a puppy cut).

Puppy cut (pet trim): The coat is trimmed to a uniform 2 to 5 centimetres across the body. This style requires professional grooming every 6 to 8 weeks and daily brushing with a soft slicker brush between grooms to prevent matting in the undercoat. Even at this length, the fine coat tangles quickly if not brushed regularly.

Full coat (show trim): The coat is maintained at its natural grown-out length, which reaches the floor on a properly maintained adult Shih Tzu. This requires daily brushing and combing of the full length, application of coat conditioner, careful topknot management, and wrapping of the coat in tissue to prevent mechanical damage. This level of maintenance is a major time commitment appropriate only for owners who have specifically chosen it.

Bathing: Every 2 to 4 weeks. The double coat requires complete drying after each bath; incomplete drying creates moisture trapped against the skin that leads to skin fold dermatitis and hotspot formation.

Face and eye area: Daily cleaning of the area around the eyes is important to remove accumulated discharge and prevent tear staining. The skin folds around the muzzle should be cleaned and dried to prevent skin fold dermatitis.

Topknot: The traditional topknot should be tied gently and positioned so that hair does not contact the eye surface. Hair contacting the eye is a leading cause of corneal ulcers in the breed.

Ear care. Check and clean weekly. Pendant ear flaps reduce airflow and promote conditions that lead to otitis externa.

Dental care: Daily brushing is essential. The small jaw creates the same tooth-crowding dental disease risk seen in Yorkshire Terriers. See the Dog Dental Care guide for detailed protocol, and Grooming Your Dog at Home for step-by-step technique.

Training

Shih Tzu are intelligent but have a mild stubborn streak that can make training feel inconsistent. They are not as naturally motivated by social approval as retriever breeds, and their small size sometimes encourages owners to excuse behaviours they would not permit in a larger dog, which is a training approach that reliably produces a poorly behaved adult dog regardless of breed.

Positive reinforcement training with food rewards is effective. Training sessions should be kept short (5 to 10 minutes) and positive. The Shih Tzu's intelligence means it learns quickly, both the behaviours the owner wants and the approaches that successfully achieve the dog's own objectives.

Housetraining: Shih Tzu can take longer to fully housetrain than some breeds, and they are somewhat prone to regression during changes in routine. A consistent schedule, outside every 2 to 3 hours for puppies, with generous positive reinforcement for outdoor elimination, achieves reliable housetraining over time. Indoor toileting solutions (grass pads, training pads) are sometimes used successfully with this breed by owners who cannot always access outdoor spaces promptly.

Key commands: Sit, stay, come, down, and off are the practical foundations. The Shih Tzu's tolerance for strangers and lack of territorial drive means recall typically develops more reliably than in scent hound or sighthound breeds.

See also: Best Dogs for First-Time Dog Owners and Best Dogs for Apartment Living for how the Shih Tzu compares to other suitable breeds.

Exercise

Shih Tzu have low to moderate exercise requirements, making them well-suited to apartment living and owners with limited mobility or time for extended outdoor activities. An adult Shih Tzu typically needs 20 to 30 minutes of active exercise daily, which can be accomplished through two short walks and indoor play.

The Shih Tzu's brachycephalic airway structure makes heat and humidity significant exercise limiters. In warm weather, outdoor exercise should be scheduled during cooler parts of the day. Signs of respiratory distress during exercise, heavy laboured breathing, open-mouth breathing in a dog not exercising strenuously, cyanotic gums, require immediate cessation of activity, cooling and veterinary assessment.

Intelligent Shih Tzus require mental stimulation alongside physical activity. Brief training sessions, puzzle feeders and interactive toys give dogs the engagement that a walk alone cannot provide. When Shih Tzus get adequate mental engagement along with their moderate physical exercise needs, they tend to be calm, satisfied and well-mannered.

Feeding

The Shih Tzu should be fed a diet formulated for small breeds, with kibble sized appropriately for the small mouth and jaw.

Life Stage	Approximate Daily Calories
Puppy (8-16 weeks)	250-350 kcal/day in 3-4 meals
Adult Shih Tzu (5.5 kg, moderate activity)	300-400 kcal/day
Senior Shih Tzu (reduced activity)	250-330 kcal/day

Shih Tzu can be prone to weight gain in older age or in sedentary households. Obesity in a brachycephalic breed creates compounding problems: excess weight increases the respiratory effort already present in BOAS-affected dogs, worsens the work of the heart in dogs with underlying cardiac conditions, and accelerates hip and joint deterioration. Body condition scoring and portion discipline are important throughout the dog's life.

The breed's documented predisposition to hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid, which typically presents as weight gain, lethargy and coat changes) should be considered if weight management becomes persistently difficult despite appropriate feeding.

Illustration.