he Shih Tzu is a breed of dog that is originally a cross of the Lhasa Apso and small Chinese dogs from Tibet. This dog’s name is often attributed to the term royal and imperial, as they were the palace dogs of the Emperor of China.

The Shih Tzu was first exported to Great Britain at the turn of the century around 1908, and then made its appearance in England in 1930. In this article, experts are going to discuss the most popular types of Shih Tzu found in different parts of the world.

History of the breed

Most sources agree that the first Shih Tzu puppies were born in Tibet during the early middle ages, and there is ample documented evidence of this. Another version completely contradicts the official legend, mentioning that descriptions of similar dogs were found in the Byzantine chronicles of the 7th century, and they were brought to the “roof of the world” by European traders who walked along the Great Silk Road.

The turning point in the history of the breed was the year 1653 when the Dalai Lama donated several doggies to the Chinese emperor, whose faces, due to the location of the wool, looked like a blooming chrysanthemum.

This is exactly how the name Shih Tzu is translated, and in another sense, the hieroglyph is read in Chinese as “beauty”, after the name of the legendary princess Xi Shi, who entered the traditional culture of the Celestial Empire, as a symbol of eternal youth.

The ruler of China was so fond of the furry four-legged animals that he immediately signed a decree – anyone who steals his dog, or at least takes it outside the Forbidden City, will be executed, and his name will be cursed in disgrace.

So for the first time in the history of mankind, an elite decorative breed appeared, the cultivation of which was exclusively carried out by servants close to his imperial majesty. The law was cancelled only at the beginning of the 20th century.

The coming of the communists to power was accompanied by the rejection of everything that connected modern China with the exploitative past, and the Shih Tzu was threatened with complete extermination, as one of the symbols of a bygone era.

The possibility of destroying the entire species was discussed in all seriousness, but it was too late – the Europeans working in the country were already actively exporting puppies, and in 1932 in England and Norway, the way to the United States took a little longer – only after World War II.

The breed was officially approved and entered into the Kennel Club register in 1957. Today, funny and friendly creatures can be bought in any region – they have won the love of thousands of fans.

8 most popular Shih Tzu types:

1. Black Shih Tzu

While black is a so-called “dominant” colour, a solid black Shih Tzu is very unusual.
To be considered solid black with the AKC, a black Shih Tzu must not have any other coat colour at all, indeed even if it has a small amount of another colour, the coat colour will be considered as a combination and the dog will be registered as a hybrid.

Solid black amazing Shih Tzu puppies will also always have a black nose, eye rim, and paw pads. All Shih Tzus look gorgeous when groomed, but most Shih Tzu enthusiasts agree that the sheen of a plain black Shih Tzu is especially splendid.

When it comes to personality, he has the same personality as a classic Shih Tzu dog. Like any dog, certain elements can alter his personality, such as sleep or education. It is therefore up to you to properly educate your black Shih Tzu.
The black Shih Tzu is a particularly magnificent breed, but it remains very rare because it has quite unusual genetics. In addition, a black Shih Tzu meets very strict standards set by the AKC.

2. American Shih Tzu

Visually, this type of Shih Tzu is very clearly different from the European type dogs. Primarily due to other body volumes. They are characterized by smaller heads, often shorter muzzles, insufficiently voluminous, shallow flat chest, and long necks with a completely different angle of exit, not high enough, short and flat tail, very short body and rather long limbs.

Very often Shi Tzu of this type has a body format close to a square. Therefore, dogs of this type do not move at all the way the Shih Tzu is supposed to move. Quite often, they are more dynamic in movement and seem to look very beautiful during a fast trot, but still, these movements are completely uncharacteristic of correct Shi Tzu.

3. European

Shih Tzu of this type is common in Europe, Russia, and Australia. Also, dogs of a similar type are found quite often in Canada. They are characterized by rather voluminous heads, a well-defined for burst, a voluminous, fairly deep chest, a rather high tail, a good length of limbs, BUT a slightly shortened format (usually due to an increase in the length of the legs).

4. Imperial

Imperial Shih Tzu breeders deliberately mention this name to their dogs, thereby emphasizing that their dogs are different in appearance from the Shih Tzu we are used to. They describe their dogs as “a super-small version of the Shih Tzu.” The main difference between them, first of all, is in size – they are smaller than the standard Shih Tzu.

Their average weight ranges from 2.5 to 4 kg, while the Shi Tzu you are used to having a weight in the range from 4.5 to 8 kg. In addition, in the lines of the Imperial Shih Tzu, you can find a huge number of colours that you will not find at the show Shih Tzu. Blue, Isabella, chocolate, liver, white and amber.

Imperial Shih Tzu dogs for sale in Pune remain high in demand always as they are perfect companions for the elderly and children as well.

5. Blue eyes

Blue eyes in Shih Tzu are extremely rare and their appearance in a particular dog is due to the presence of lightening genes in it, which interfere with the synthesis of black pigment in a dog. Such an external change in the colour of the iris of the dog’s eye is usually inherent in blue-coloured dogs, as well as variations in the blue colour – “Isabella”, which are really extremely rare. The blue tint of the eye remains in these colours throughout life.

The eyes of Shih Tzu Puppies for Sale in Mumbai have a kind of blue tint. This is very common in puppies that have just opened their eyes and their iris has not yet adapted. A little later, the eyes darken and acquire the colour of the iris inherent in this colour. Puppies of “liver” colour can also have blue eyes, but a little later the iris of their eyes acquires a green, or more often an amber tint.

6. Teacup

The Shih Tzu teacup is not a separate breed or a variety of the breed. With his large black eyes, long flowing coat, and playful, affectionate demeanour, Shih Tzus has been the quintessential companion dog for thousands of years. People have a natural attraction to small dogs.

• A smaller dog is often more desirable.
• You can take them anywhere and they are sure to get a lot of attention.
• There is no doubt that miniature Shih Tzu dogs are incredibly adorable.
• There is a certain appeal in having a dog that retains the appearance of a puppy forever.
• Shih Tzu price in Pune is affordable at Premium Pet House.

7. Brindle

Those dogs that the owners proudly called “brindle” actually turned out to be ordinary “sable” (Sable) and their brindle appearance was due to the increased content of melanin in the animal’s coat. And nothing more!
Genetically, any of the colours based on “gold” is “sable” (Sable) and is due to the presence of the dominant gene A-. It is his dominance that explains the predominance of this colour in the breed.

8. Brown Colour

The next group of Shih Tzu textures is Brown which includes “Chocolate” and “Liver”. Both of these colours are a consequence of the influence of lightning genes, as a result of which dogs of these colours have not only a lighter coat, but also a changed colour of the nose.

“Chocolate” colour – the dog has a chocolate coat colour and the same or close to its colour of the nose. The paw pads and rim of the eyes are lighter in texture. The eyes also have a lighter shade than the eyes of the main colour dogs. There is no black hair in the colour of dogs at all since the black pigment is lightened by genes-Clarifiers to a chocolate (brown) hue.

The Liver colour of the Shih Tzu is an even lighter colour than the chocolate one. Thus, a liver-Shih Tzu dog has a milk chocolate (light brown, cinnamon-coloured) coat and a nose of the same shade. The eyes of these Shih Tzu puppies are lightened – from the colour of cinnamon to almost yellow (usually the Shih Tzu has a dark brown eye colour).
The paw pads are also similar in shade to the main colour. Sometimes you can find a lighter coat in dogs of “liver” colour due to the action of additional genes-Clarifiers. There is no black hair in the colour of dogs at all since the black pigment is also clarified by genes-Clarifiers.