Shih Tzu Triva

Did you Know!

In Tibet, where the "cult of the lion" may have
preceded that of china by several hundred years,
Dalai Lamas kept "holy dogs" in monasteries for
centuries. The Dalai Lama was believed to be a
reincarnation of Buddha and Tibetan monks were
devoted to breeding "holy dogs" to resemble lions
as much as possible.

Shih Tzu's were also known as the
"chrysanthemum-faced" dog because of the way
the hair grows out from the center of the flat,
round face, like petals on a flower.

It has been reported that around 1650 the Dalai
Lama visited China and brought along three
"holy dogs" from a temple in Tibet. Some researchers
believe that these three "holy dogs" may have been
interbred with Pekingese to create offspring with
shorter muzzles, broader heads, and shorter legs and
that these three animals are the foundation of todays
Shih Tzu breeds.

The History of the Mysterious Shih Tzu

The origin of Shih Tzu is not certain yet. They are believed to have been originated in Tibet, but there is still an uncertainty and myth attached to it. Different breeds of Shih Tzu are believed to be taken to China from Tibet, as royal tributes from the monks. Once the Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso were said to be of the same variety, but it has now been found that the Shih Tzu is a separate breed. Though the Shih Tzu originated in Tibet, but the high status attributed to them in China, makes everyone believe that they originated in China. It has been reported that in the 13 th century, the emperor Kubla Khan used small hunting dogs that accompanied the hunting lions and kept them calm, when they were not hunting.

Shih Tzu dogs were also favored by the royal families of Ming dynasty, in the middle of the 14 th century. The king used to keep eunuchs to breed the beautiful, royal pets. According to the records, the royal pets were small, extremely intelligent, obedient to the breeder, similar appearance with a lion, had “chrysanthemum” faces.

It is said that a concubine Dowager empress who governed China brutally and sarcastically, bestowed her exceptional love upon the Shih Tzu dog.

According to the books discussing lion dogs, the golden and gold white Shih Tzu were highly favored. The darker shades of brindle, silver, and black were introduced by the Dowager empress, in order to sustain pigmentation. The Dowager empress’s favorite pet was a black Sea Otter. Her only available photograph is that in which she is standing with a Shih Tzu dog at her feet. The Sea Otter is a breed of the Shih Tzu. There are different colors of Shih Tzu dogs available. The Shih Tzu was introduced to the diplomats, when the empress opened her palace to English diplomats, at the beginning of the 20 th century. The Empress introduced western people to her Shih Tzu and offered many dogs of the breed to them.

Today’s Shih Tzu are supposed to be originated from seven different dogs and bitches imported from China. The empress of China gave the dogs to foreign diplomats, who came in her court. Many varieties of Shih Tzu were also sold to the westerners, by the dog breeders of the Empress, after her death. Shih Tzu was brought to different countries of the world by the soldiers, when they returned from China to their homeland, after the Second World War. The actual pool of origin of Shih Tzu is from 14 different varieties of dogs that were found in China a few centuries ago. So, the origin of Shih Tzu may be cited in China, as far as their changing physical features go, though the ancient origin of the dog is in Tibet.