Names and etymology
Shih Tzu traditional Chinese: 獅子狗; simplified Chinese: 狮子狗; pinyin: Shīzi Gǒu; Wade-Giles: Shih-tzu Kou; literally "Lion Dog"), is the Chinese name rendered according to the Wade-Giles system of romanization in use when the breed was first introduced in Europe; the Chinese pronunciation is very close to SHIRR-dzi. The name translates as Lion Dog, so named because the dog was bred to resemble "the lion as depicted in traditional oriental art,"[2] such as the Chinese guardian lions. The Shih Tzu is also often known as the "Xi Shi quan" (西施犬), based on the name of Xi Shi, regarded as the most beautiful woman of ancient China[3], and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, a nickname coined in England in the 1930s.[4] The dog may also be called the Tibetan Lion Dog, but whether or not the breed should be referred to as a Tibetan or Chinese breed is a source of argument, the absolute answer to which "may never be known".[5]
Appearance
A small dog with a short muzzle and large eyes, with a long, double coat, the Shih Tzu stands no more than 26.7 cm (10 1/2 ins) or less at the withers and with an ideal weight of 4.5 to 7.3 kg (10 to 16 lbs). Drop ears are covered with long fur, and the heavily furred tail is carried curled over the back. The coat may be of any colour, although a blaze of white on the forehead and tail-tip is frequently seen. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall, and dogs ideally should carry themselves "with distinctly arrogant carriage".[6]
The traditional long silky glossy coat that reaches the floor requires
daily brushing to avoid tangles. Although the long coat is beautiful,
often the coat is clipped short to simplify care, in a "puppy clip".
For conformation showing, the coat must be left in its natural state,
although trimming for neatness around the feet and anus is allowed.[7]
Because Shih Tzu noses are small and flat, owners often wipe the dog's
face with a damp paper towel to remove food remnants after the dog has
eaten a meal. Shih Tzu may be trained to drink out of a water bottle.
The water bottle keeps the face clean and dry preventing unsightly red
yeast from growing on the Shih Tzu beard and moustache. Owners often
tie strands of hair from the shih tzu's head into a pony tail that sticks up.
History
Recent DNA analysis confirms that the ancestors of today's Shih Tzu breed are among the most ancient of dog breeds.[8] Ludvic von Schulmuth studied the skeletal remains of dogs found in human settlements as long as ten thousand years ago. Von Schulmuth created a genealogical tree of Tibetan dogs that shows the "Gobi Desert Kitchen Midden Dog", a scavenger, evolved into the "Small Soft-Coated Drop-Eared Hunting Dog" which evolved into the Tibetan Spaniel, Pekingese, and Japanese Chin. Another branch coming down from the "Kitchen Midden Dog" gave rise to the Papillon and Long-haired Chihuahua and yet another "Kitchen Midden Dog" branch to the Pug and Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu was almost completely wiped out (when?), saved by 7 males and 7 females, the ancestors of all Shih Tzus living today. [9]
There are various theories of the origins of today's breed. Theories relate that it stemmed from a cross between Pekingese and a Tibetan dog; that the Chinese court received a pair as a gift during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD); and that they were introduced from Tibet to China in the mid-17th century (Qing Dynasty.[10] Dogs during that time were selectively bred and seen in Chinese paintings. The first dogs of the breed were imported into Europe (England and Norway) in 1930, and were classified by the Kennel Club as "Apsos".[10] The first European standard for the breed was written in England in 1935 by the Shih Tzu Club,[11] and the dogs were recatagorised as Shih Tzu. The breed spread throughout Europe, and was brought to the United States after World War II, when returning members of the US military brought back dogs from Europe. The Shih Tzu was recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1969 in the Toy Group.[10] The breed is now recognised by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world. It is also recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for international competition in Companion and Toy Dog Group, Section 5, Tibetan breeds.[6]
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