Shih Tzu

Last updated on September 11th, 2021

What is a Shih Tzu?

Shih Tzu is a loving, cheerful, active, house lively and friendly dogs. The word “Shih Tzu” means small lion. They tend to induce along well with people of all ages and with other dogs.

Shih Tzu is popular for brief nose and huge round eyes, short and stout postur, and, as well as their ever growing coat. It could be a lively, cleverly, and loving dog breed. This is often the perfect companion for each dog lovers.

If you’d like to know a lot of regarding this pooch then during this article we include all the topic related to shih tzu.

Content Overview

• History
• Others names
• Appearance
• Characteristics
• Coat & colors
• Friendliness with Kids, Family & Other Pets
• Temperament
• Personality
• How to take care shih tzu?
• Grooming needs
• How to keep Shih tzu healthy during winter and summer?
• How to train Shih tzu Puppy?
• Puppy price
• Health & Problems
• Things to consider adopting a Shih Tzu
• Can we left Shih Tzu alone at home?
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Shih-tzu Pictures

History

The Shih Tzu origianally originated in Tibet. People ordinarily associate the Shih Tzu with China, however they really came from China’s western neighbor, Tibet, that was a sovereign nation till the 1950s.

Tibet most likely sent dogs to the Chinese royalty as gifts. The Chinese then bred them with Pekingese to make the modern Shih Tzu. Shih Tzu was developed in China by crossing alternative breeds with the Lhasa apso or Pekingnese.

In 1861, the Shih Tzu got to be standard inside the Imperial Court once a royal concubine got to be the Sovereign of China. The trendy Shih Tzu created in China inside the late 19th Century, once the lady sovereign Cixi ruled the kingdom.

In 1935 the breed was appeared since the Lhassa Lion Puppy, and it absolutely was then that it started to realize popularity on a more extensive scale. The american Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1969 and nowadays it’s standard for a delicate, loyal and cheerful perspective.

Others names

• Lion Dog
• Chinese Lion Dog
• Chrysanthemum Dog

Appearance

Weight 

Male: 4 – 7.2 kg

Female: 4 – 7.2 kg

Height

Male: 20 – 28 cm

Female: 20 – 28 cm

Body: Shih tzu is slightly longer than tall. They have sturdy body

Tail: The tail is carried gaily curled up over the back

Hair: They have luxuriant, long, straight hair

Head: The head is medium in size and round in shape

Eyes: Eyes are round, very dark, large and are quite prominent

Gait: The gait is long and swift for such a small dog

Ears: Shih tzu ears are large and heavily coated. It is rest at the sides of the dog’s head

Chest: The chest is broad and deep

Teeth: They have a scissors bite

Legs: Golden Retriever legs are short in length

Characteristics

Breed basic Characteristics

Grooming requirements: Medium grooming
Litter Size: 2–9 puppies
Coat Color: Black, White, Brindle, Liver, Liver & White, Light Brown, Black & White, Dark Brown, Blue, Gold
Lifespan: 10 – 16 years
Suitable For: Other dogs, older people, pets, and children
Purpose: Guard dogs
Barking level: It is not typically a barker
Breed Type: Toy dog
Hypoallergenic: Yes
Energy Level: Active
Space Requirements: House with Yard
Shedding: Moderate to high
Protective Ability: Good

Coat & colors

Shih Tzu have a double coat that consists of soft undercoat and hard overcoat. it’s long, glossy and beautiful coat. Coats comes in a very several colours like black, black and white, gray and white, or red and white.

Friendliness with children, Family & different Pets

This is a beautiful family pet. Shih tzu make good companion for youngsters and others dog. Once you go to work and leave them with another Shih Tzu around to stay each other company may help with any anxiety they will feel.

If you have more than one shih tzu then they live with each other terribly friendly. Male Shih Tzus are proved to be a lot of reliable, a lot of accepting of children and different pets than females. Male Shih Tzu are a lot of lovesome and attentive.

Personality

They are nice with kids, and tend to induce along well with alternative pets and strangers. This dog has several qualities that make them an ideal family pet. Shih Tzu do enjoy walks and will be kept fit.

They thrive on human company and may easily become spoiled. Shih Tzu don’t need lot’s of exercise. They’re terribly close to humans they will suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for extended periods of your time.

If you’ve more than one Shih Tzu, they’re likely to become best friends. Create them wonderful watch dogs. Shih Tzu can bark once hear or see one thing that approaches their “territory” and then someone comes to the door.

Temperament

The Lion dog is playful, intelligent, caring, clever, and friendly dog breed. They’re adoring and charming with all members of the family. Shih Tzu need a large amount of private attention every day. It has high energy level.

They enjoy coaching and learning tricks. Shih Tzu likes to pay time with people of all ages. Very young kids can need to be supervised closely as most of the dogs in this breed are relatively little and may be hurt quickly by but respectful kids. These dogs are always additional active inside than outside.

How to take care shih tzu?

How to feed?

It’s prescribed that you feed your Shih Tzu at least three times a day when they are of adult age. Adult Shih Tzu required 1/2 to 1 cups of high quality dry food per day. If they are still a puppy, they may require 4-6 meals per day. Give them high quality pooch food.

Good food

• Fresh chicken
• Duck
• Egg
• Pea flour
• Oats
• Rice
• Lamb
• Blueberries
• Sweet potato

Bad food

• Cereals Propylene glycol
• Corn
• Animal fat
• Chocolate
• Grapes and Raisins
• Onions

How much exercise Shih Tzu need

Healthy puppies more than 6 months or grown-up Shih Tzu have to be have 1 walk per day for a term of 20 minutes, done at a pace considered brisk for your puppy.

In the starting, exercise your puppy in your house or your own yard. When they are older than 4 months, begin working out them. After 6 month allow Shih Tzu one outside walk per day for a length of 20 minutes.

Shih Tzu ought to wear a harness, not a collar, when on a leash. A collar is constricting to the windpipe which can increment breathing issues. Continuously keep concentrate on your pup during work out time.

Exercise benefits

1. Shih tzu need exercise for his physical and emotional health.
2. Exercise gives strengthens a dog’s heart and improves blood circulation.
3. It will keep the immune system strong and manage glucose levels.
4. It helps keep the metabolism functioning properly and helps stimulate the appetite.
5. Exercise release pent-up energy.
6. Exercise plays most important part in training

Regular vet visits

Take your puppy for a schedule check-up at least 6 month. This may be done at vaccination time to guarantee early detection of issues. Inquire your breeder or vet about vaccine schedule.

Check the due date of future vaccinations and arrange along with your vet. Make sure never provide a dog human medication such as Panadol or Aspirin as these can be hurtful or indeed fatal.

Grooming needs

Why bathing is important?

Shih tzu has thick, and twisted coat. Allow them bath for keep its skin and hair healthy and to maintain a strategic distance from bad smells from developing.

You ought to be given a shower them once each 3 weeks. Bathing keep hair healthy and properly moisturized to avoid split ends and poor surface.

Bathing can treat any existing issues such as allergy-related issues and expel soil and little particles from the coat.

Make bathing time interesting for your pup.

Bathing supplies:

Pre-bath instructions:

Before bathing check for any tangles, remove any dead hairs, and partitioned hairs to create shampooing more successful. Brush your pup with comb.

Put small pieces of cotton into the external ear canals to avoid water from entering the ears. Put a little shower tangle or a towel at the base to help prevent your Shih Tzu from slipping.

In case you use bath tub then make sure fill the tub with a few inches of warm water. Don’t use cold or hot water. Your quality items will work exceptionally effectively with warm water.

Step by step instructions:

1. Put your pup within the tub and once they are settled, wet the complete body.
2. Scrub and massage shih tzu with shampoo.
3. After utilizing cleanser it is important that use conditioner for great coat health.
4. Then after rinse out the conditioner from the coat.
5. Make sure don’t rub the coat.
6. Place them down into the center of a towel, allow them to shake, and after that tenderly wrap them up.
7. You must conjointly use a dryer.

How to make ear clean and healthy?

Shih tzu ears are huge and heavily coated. You ought to clean your dog’s ears at slightest once a week. Utilize standard dog’s ear cleaner. Apply few drops of cleaner into the ears.

Dip the cotton ball into the ear arrangement, and the press the cotton ball that’s soaked with the arrangement into the dog’s ear. Massage the base of your dog’s ear. Utilize a dry cotton ball to clean the rest in case the dirt.

Take a softly damp cotton with the ear cleaner solution and utilize it to wipe out the ear canal. Repeat this process and wait till all the dirt has been cleared. Final, take a cotton ball and dry out your dog’s ear.

Clean teeth

Regular brushing can help avoid serious pet dental issues, infections, and other health issues. They create tooth related issues like tartar and plaque since of the food they eat. Healthy oral life gives you long and upbeat life. Utilize finger brush. Clean your dog’s teeth and gums.

Toe-nail cutting

The dog’s overall health can endure if its nails are neglected. In case it develops long sufficient, it can mat between the cushions and become painful. Walking on the nails can cause your Shih Tzu’s toes to spread separated, making an unnatural way of walking.

Cut their nail each 3 to 4 weeks. Give them correct length. As well long nail will cause injuries to you and your pooch. Utilize a standard dog nail trimmer. In case you chop as well deep, your puppy may get out of action and bleed. Apply styptic powder on the harmed space.

How to keep Shih tzu healthy during winter and summer?

Summer:

During the summer provide them outside exercise some time recently 10 AM and after 5 PM. Provide them much water amid summer. Bring your Shih Tzu into an air-conditioned room and offer little tastes of water.

Cool your Shih Tzu down by dousing towels with cool water. Tenderly lay the towels all over the body. Make sure shih tzu spends most of her time inside in a cool environment. Always provide them cold and new water. Never leave your shih tzu in a hot car.

Shih tzu has short noses and heavy coats so hot and humid climate can be dangerous to them. In case you must keep your pooch outside for a few days, please give him or her with a doghouse that can give warmth on cold days and evenings. Amid the long walk give them a cool shaded zone.

Winter:

Low temperatures can bring on sicknesses speedier and affect an existing medical condition in shih tzu. Make sure to check your pup health during the winter season. Purchace a water-proof and wind-proof coat for your Shih Tzu that secures a dog’s hide and body.

Paws can easily get dried out, be bothered by road salt or sand. So apply paw wax on your Shih Tzu. Amid winter keep the coat a bit longer. Provide blankets and bedsheet to keep them warmer. Make sure don’t let them get too warm as this will also have a negative impact. Don’t feed them over during winter time.

Don’t allow them as well much cold water. Water that’s as well cold can make pooches sick. A cold car can be a killer so don’t leave your pup in it. Don’t let them rest too near to a radiator or warm source. Within the winter, noses regularly get chapped due to cold, dry air. Utilize a quality nose balm. A great balm secure the nose and heal any issues.

How to train Shih tzu Puppy?

The Shih Tzu could be a highly cleverly breed and are exceptionally trainable. Shih Tzu adore learning new things, but they can get ready their owners distant speedier than their owners can get ready them.

Their little puppy need lots of love, kisses and treats. You wish much time for get ready them. It’s training take time and patience. Training is the leading time to bring the owner and shih tzu as well closer.

When should I begin puppy training?

Experts prescribed that begin to give them training after completed their full serious of vaccinations and after they had completed 6 month.

Obedience training

Shih Tzu also eager to please their house owners so that they need to learn and reply commands comparatively quickly.

In case you carry on with them exceptionally calmly, they answer to you the same; in any case, if you behave forcefully and aggressively, they answer same. Hence, allow your puppy lots of adore and warmth.

Crate training

Pick a little pooch crate for your shih tzu which crate have ventilation on all four sides. They require sufficient room for sit, stand, and turn around. Going in the crate ought to be thought of as a treat instead of a punishment.

Keep the crate some place in your domestic where you hang out habitually. This way, your pup can sometimes go in her crate whereas still feeling like portion of the family. Keep a water dish and food within the crate.

Deliver them toys. Make sure that toys will not swallow and hurt them. Keep your pup within the crate after you go out or rest. You’ll keep an eye on him and take him outside.

Socialization

Shih tzu is respectful with everybody and peaceful with diverse mutts. Socialize can make your canine recognizable steady, charming, and intrepid grown-up. Bring Shih tzu with you to a variety of places.

Socialization is the as it were way to teach is by driving them with certainty and quality. Teach them essential commands like come back, sit, remain, heel, down.

Stop bitting:

Shih tzu dog pup bite when they see people, which they sense powerless. And at that time, as soon as their teeth return, and they feel pain. In the event that the biting come to be excessive, you’ll ought to be compelled to need activity.

Commands like come back, sit, stay, heel, down. Once your pup nibbles you, pull once more your hand and say out loud, “Ouch” or “No”. Offer pooches any soft toys to chew.

Potty Training:

Provide your shih tzu puppy own puppy washroom. Educates and trains your shih tzu to forever go potty in their own indoor pooch bathroom. A few puppies may take up to a year for this preparing.

Let choose them in dog washroom at slightest each two hours. Keep mind that puppies need to take off 5 to a half-hour when they eat. The only strategy is to need it move into the morning and before bed at midnight.

Puppy price

Shih tzu puppy price is between $500 and $2000 per puppy.

Health & Problems

1. Retinal dysplasia

Retinal dysplasia is inherited health issue includes an anomaly within the retina. The retina may be a parcel of tissue within the eye that’s dependable for vision. The result is folded tissue layers within the retina as opposed to typical flat retinal tissue, which can lead to gentle disability in vision or indeed total blindness.

Retinal Atrophy seem create, and their eyes will go cloudy or whitish. A develop cataract appears like a white disk behind your dog’s iris. A pooch creates a cataract once the focal point of the eye clouds, that’s caused by changes inside the water adjust inside the lens or changes to the proteins interior the lens.

Symptoms:

• Bluish, gray, or white layer on eye
• Clumsiness
• Irritation, redness, discharge or blinking

2. Luxating Patella

This is hereditary condition appeared in Shih Tzus. This issue comprises on irregular development or disengagement of the kneecap. It can happen on one of the rear legs or on both of them.

Luxating Patella can incline your canine to joint pain and other orthopedic conditions if left untreated.

Symptoms:

• Crying
• Licking at the knee
• Limping
• Unwillingness

3. Otitis Externa (Ear infections)

This could be a result of ear bug invasion or yeast or bacterial excess. Otitis Externa are regularly appeared in shih tzu, due to their floppy ears and hair-filled ear canals.

Clean your pooch ear frequently. In case you take note any symptomes ask your vet immediatly.

Symptoms:

• Ear pain.
• Itching and irritation in and around your ear canal
• Redness
• Swelling of your outer ear and ear canal

4. Breathing Problems

Shih tzu has short face. Shih tzu face Breathing Issues during very hot and humid days. These conditions make breathing much more troublesome for short-faced canine breeds.

On the off chance that you take note your puppy has trouble breathing, you ought to contact your vet immediately.

Symptoms:

• Cough
• Chest pain
• Feels uncomfortable during exercise

5. Neck and Back problems

This issues are very common in Shih Tzus. In case not treated appropriately, intervertebral disk infection seem lead to chronical weakness and loss of motion.

Neck and Back issues takes put when the intervertebral disks that pad the spine uproot, bulge, causing serious pain and potential nerve issues.

Symptoms:

• Neck pain
• Low head carriage

Things to consider adopting a Shih Tzu

• Adopting a dog is additionally a large responsibility. It’s a variety you would like to make carefully. It’d facilitate if you detected a puppy.
• Find the quality breeders. never purchase a puppy from an irresponsible and less intelligent breeder.
• Observe the health of the puppies and their condition. Examine the knowledge of the stock breeder by asking them some queries on the breed.
• Shih tzu need high maintenance therefore you wish to have the necessary time to care for your new pup.
• They likes to pay time with the family therefore if you’ve got not enough time then never adope this pup.

Ask your breeder the following questions:

1. How old is the dog?
2. Is the dog a good match for your house or family?
3. Does the dog get along well with kids, other animals, other dogs?
4. How much does the dog eat daily?
5. How much exercise does the dog require?
6. Does this type dogs have any health problems?
7. How much they need grooming?

• If your family have both children and adults than shih tzu is the best choice.
• Behave with them calmly. Tell your friend or family to treat them well.

Can we left Shih Tzu alone at home?

Yes you’ll be able left shih tzu alone at home but for short time. Shih Tzu could be a companion dog that needs companionship to be really happy. Try to spend much time with them. Long time loneliness change your dog behaviour.

These are the symptoms of loneliness:

• Destructive behavior
• Scratching doors
• Self-harm
• Howling
• Barking
• Crying
• Toileting issue

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

• They are very loyal and Protective
• Golden retriever is good active families/owners
• It can be trained as guard dogs.
• Golden retriever is loving, playful, good with kids
• They excellent for first-time dog owner.

Disadvantages

• They sheds constantly
• Golden retriever needs at least an hour of daily outdoor exercise
• They may suffer separation anxiety if left alone for long periods of time
• It may be aggressive towards pets and strangers

Also read:

Mcnab Dog : All about McNab Shepherd

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