The Imperial Shih Tzu

If you’re looking for a dog breed that is cuter rather than being an aggressive guard dog, you might want to look at the Shih Tzu.  This small and adorable little dog has the nickname of a Tibetan Temple Dog, but also its name in Chinese means ‘Lion Dog.’  This is easy to see in its appearance, though not in the personalities of these dogs.  With Shih Tzus, you can expect a calm and loving companion who will be at your side loyally for years to come.

While the name of the Shih Tzu might have its roots in the lion features of the dog, others call this breed a Chrysanthemum dog as the face is much more like the flower than a lion.  With long hair and lots of it around the face and mouth, this is a show dog with bright possibilities in the breeding world as well.  However, just because the looks of this dog are lovely, this dog doesn’t have to be a part of the dog show experience.  These dogs are just as well suited to family life.

Something many people don’t realize about little dogs like the Shih Tzu is that they are very temperature sensitive – in both directions.  Since the dog is so small, they can not necessarily stand very hot or cold temperatures.  This dog breed specifically is known as a snub nosed dog, which makes them even more sensitive to higher temperatures. In fact, many transportation methods will not take these dogs on board unless the environment they are put into is a certain temperature.

That said, the overall health of the Shih Tzu is good.  These dogs will live up to 15 years in generally good health.  They can be susceptible to renal displasia and some liver problems, but these are rare.  Other dogs may have troubles with eye troubles, such as cataracts and clogged tear ducts.  It is always important to schedule regular veterinarian visits with smaller dogs as their problems and illnesses can become severe in a shorter period of time than in larger dogs.

Since the hair of Shi Tzus is so long, it will require more care than with a typical short haired dog.  You will need to brush the hair regularly to avoid matting and clumping, but you will also want to wash the dog’s hair regularly to ensure they aren’t getting dirt from the outside stuck on the tendrils as well.  If your Shi Tzu is an outside dog, you will also need to check for ticks if you live in wooded areas.  With hair this long, it can be difficult to easily see the ticks at the surface of their skin.

Since the face of Shih Tzus is so flat, they can often become quite dirty when they eat.  Thankfully, they are not afraid baths and of regular water wipe downs to keep them from looking unkempt.  It can help to pull the longer hair out of their face during the day to help avoid a sticky mess when they eat.