From the first day of formal recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1969, the Shih Tzu catapulted from a relatively unknown breed to one of the most glamorous and popular of all canine companions. To preserve the characteristics of the Shih Tzu, it is important that prospective purchasers and novice breeders and exhibitors familiarize themselves with the standard for the breed.

A breed standard is a written description of the ideal dog of a recognized breed, which serves as a word pattern by which dogs of a particular breed are bred and judged at dog shows. Breed standards are used by all international canine bodies. The first written standard for our breed was that of the Peking Kennel Club, in 1938, which stated that the ideal weight for Shih Tzu was 10 to 15 pounds. Today, Shih Tzu breed standards around the world are very similar to the 1938 Peking Kennel Club standard in terms of color, head, coat, weight, height, temperament, and size.

The sole standard of excellence for judging and breeding Shih Tzu in the United States is the breed standard approved on May 9, 1989, by the American Kennel Club and the American Shih Tzu Club, Inc. It states that the Shih Tzu must be sturdy, compact, solid, and carrying good weight and substance. The ideal height at the withers is 9 inches to 10 1/2 inches but not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. The ideal weight of mature dogs is 9 to 16 pounds. The AKC standard for Shih Tzu, like others the world over, does not have separate divisions for weight, size, or color, as is true in some breeds. Nor does it recognize any descriptive refix such as "Imperial" of "Teacup" attached to the name Shih Tzu. Shih Tzu are not AKC registered with such prefixes.

In fact, the only Western Shih Tzu that could possibly be referred to as "Imperial" would have been Leidza, who was born in the Imperial Palace in Peking in May 1928. This gold and white bitch, who weighed about 10 pounds, was purchased by Mrs. Charlotte Kauffman from a palace eunuch and imported into Denmark in 1932 with two other Shih Tzu. Leidza is the only known Shih Tzu born in the Imperial Palace to reach the Western world.

The various kinds of dogs recognized today as purebreds have been created throughout history by crossbreeding, the Shih Tzu being no exception. The origin of the Shih Tzu is shrouded in nearly 40 centuries of Chinese history and secrecy. It is not known whether the Shih Tzu originated as an ancient breed or was created by crossings with the smallest of the indigenous Tibetan breed¾the Tibetan Spaniel, who weighed 9 to 15 pounds. There is no documentation, only speculation, that the Shih Tzu is derived from crossing the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso. IShih Tzu conformation and temperament more closely approximates that of the Tibetan Spaniel than that of the Lhasa Apso, as the latter has a narrow and flatter skull, a straight foreface of fair length, and eyes that are neither very large nor full. The square muzzle of the Shih Tzu is objectionable in the Lhasa. Also, Lhasa coat texture is decidedly different from that of the Shih Tzu. In an article for La Vie Canine Paris, the Countess d' Anjou, a Shih Tzu breeder in China in the very early 1930s, wrote: "Regarding the assertion of rumors circulated that the Tibetan Shih Tzu are a Peke cross, this is utterly false. They are a pure breed originating from Tibet and were presented to the emperors of China two or three hundred years ago."

In any case, it is documented that in AD 624 the Chinese Emperor Kou Tzu received two small dogs (probably from Fu Lin, in Turkey) as tribute. Their measurements, given as 7 1/2 inches high and 12 1/2 inches long, are fairly consistent with those of modern Shih Tzu breed standards. It is quite likely that these dogs were the ancestors of some of the early toy dogs of China.

Although all manner of small dogs had been bred in China for centuries, historians agree that the development of the Shih Tzu as a distinct breed is most closely associated with Cixi (Tz'u-hsi), the Dowager Empress who was the de facto ruler of China from 1861 until her death in 1908, rather than to previous rulers. Fortunately, we have several first-hand accounts of the empress and her Shih Tzu that refer to size and color. Katherine Carl, in her book With the Dowager Empress in China, wrote: "The Dowager Empress did not care for the small sleeve dog," referring to the practice of breeding tiny sleeve Pekingese during the reign (1821-1850) of Tao-kuang. The Princess Der Ling, lady in waiting to the Empress, emphasized in her book Imperial Incense that the Empress "objected to stunting by artificial means or development of any abnormality of form in the Pekingese or any other breed." She also mentioned that the Empress "considered the Shih Tzu special, being gifts of the Dalai Lama, and kept them well apart from other dogs." An article by Sheila Mastoff in the AKC Gazette addressed the issue of size more forcefully. She wrote that the Dowager Empress "deplored the breeding of these freaks." The Countess d' Anjou, whose knowledge of Shih Tzu came directly from the Princess Der Ling, expressed a preference for dogs in the 5 to 10 kilo range (11 to 20 pounds), the 20 pound weight later lowered to 15 to 16 pounds. She also wrote that the Empress had dogs of 12 pounds in her kennel. Although there were hundreds of dogs in the palace, only a few were actually seen by the Empress. The only known photograph of the Empress with any of her dogs depicts a dog she called Tibetan. He appears to be a normal size animal, tending to dispute any claim that she only bred and preferred tiny dogs. Both Miss Carl and the Princess Der Ling wrote that the empress was primarily interested in breeding for color and markings.

The original imports into England and Denmark, although extremely difficult to obtain, were carefully selected by Miss Hutchins, Lady Brownrigg, and Mrs. Kauffman, as were the few additional dogs imported from China. These few imports are the original gene pool for all modern Shih Tzu, with the exception of the Peke cross carried out in England in 1952. All of these dogs weighed between 10 and 14 pounds, and the pioneer breeders who bred from these imports during the 1930s and 1940s also worked to stabilize size and weight. There is no documentation that these specimens were not of superior quality. Only members of the Chinese nobility were allowed to own these dogs. Although they were also bred by wealthy Chinese in their homes, all stock originally came from the royal kennel, stolen and sold by the eunuchs. The Countess d' Anjou wrote that she "bought puppies as young as 6 weeks old¾doubtless stolen¾some with their eyes still closed."

World renowned pioneer Shih Tzu breeders such as Astrid Jeppesen, Ruth Laasko, Erika Geusendam, and Etta Pauptit, whose foundation stock was only a few generations from the imports of Mrs. Kauffman, bred Shih Tzu in the 9 to 12 pound range. Before owning Shih Tzu, all of these ladies had highly successful kennels of other breeds and were very knowledgeable dog fanciers.

It has been said, quite often, that the nearest one can get to absolute perfection of type in any breed lies at the center of the recommended description in the breed standard, not at its extremes. Fortunately, there are many wise and loyal Shih Tzu breeders today who have the good of the breed at heart and refuse to sacrifice correct breed type and character to any passing fancy. Only through such dedicated breeders, with their genuine interest in and affection for true Shih Tzu type, have we been able to preserve the happy, affectionate little dog we love. Our thanks to Shih Tzu breeder-judge Victor Joris¾author of The Complete Shih Tzu, inheritor of the papers of late pioneer breeder Rev. D. Allen Easton, and dedicated student of breed history¾for this article, which places the issue of size in our breed into historical perspective. The article will appear in two parts in the Shih Tzu breed column in the March and June 1998 issues of the AKC Gazette. Back to the Bulletin Article page

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