General Appearance
The Shih Tzu is a sturdy, lively, alert toy dog with long flowing double coat. Befitting his noble Chinese ancestry as a highly valued, prized companion and palace pet, the Shih Tzu is proud of bearing, has a distinctively arrogant carriage with head well up and tail curved over the back. Although there has always been considerable size variation, the Shih Tzu must be compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance. Even though a toy dog, the Shih Tzu must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Shih Tzu as in any other breed, regardless of whether or not such faults are specifically mentioned in the standard.
Size, Proportion, Substance
Size-Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 101/2 inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dogs, 9 to 16 pounds. Proportion-Length between withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Substance-Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good weight and substance.
Head
Head-Round, broad, wide between eyes, its size in balance with the overall size of dog being neither too large nor too small. Fault: Narrow head, close-set eyes. Expression-Warm, sweet, wide-eyed, friendly and trusting. An overall well-balanced and pleasant expression supersedes the importance of individual parts. Care should be taken to look and examine well beyond the hair to determine if what is seen is the actual head and expression rather than an image created by grooming technique. Eyes-Large, round, not prominent, placed well apart, looking straight ahead. Very dark. Lighter on liver pigmented dogs and blue pigmented dogs. Fault: Small, close-set or light eyes; excessive eye white. Ears-Large, set slightly below crown of skull; heavily coated. Skull-Domed. Stop-There is a definite stop. Muzzle-Square, short, unwrinkled, with good cushioning, set no lower than bottom eye rim; never downturned. Ideally, no longer than 1 inch from tip of nose to stop, although length may vary slightly in relation to overall size of dog. Front of muzzle should be flat; lower lip and chin not protruding and definitely never receding. Fault: Snipiness, lack of definite stop. Nose-Nostrils are broad, wide, and open. Pigmentation-Nose, lips, eye rims are black on all colors, except liver on liver pigmented dogs and blue on blue pigmented dogs. Fault: Pink on nose, lips, or eye rims. Bite-Undershot. Jaw is broad and wide. A missing tooth or slightly misaligned teeth should not be too severely penalized. Teeth and tongue should not show when mouth is closed. Fault: Overshot bite.
Neck, Topline, Body
Of utmost importance is an overall well-balanced dog with no exaggerated features. Neck-Well set-on flowing smoothly into shoulders; of sufficient length to permit natural high head carriage and in balance with height and length of dog. Topline-Level. Body-Short-coupled and sturdy with no waist or tuck-up. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall. Fault: Legginess. Chest-Broad and deep with good spring-of-rib, however, not barrel-chested. Depth of ribcage should extend to just below elbow. Distance from elbow to withers is a little greater than from elbow to ground. Croup-Flat. Tail-Set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back. Too loose, too tight, too flat, or too low set a tail is undesirable and should be penalized to extent of deviation.
Forequarters
Shoulders-Well-angulated, well laid-back, well laid-in, fitting smoothly into body. Legs-Straight, well-boned, muscular, set well-apart and under chest, with elbows set close to body. Pasterns-Strong, perpendicular. Dewclaws-May be removed. Feet-Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.
Hindquarters
Angulation of hindquarters should be in balance with forequarters. Legs-Well-boned, muscular, and straight when viewed from rear with well-bent stifles, not close set but in line with forequarters. Hocks-Well let down, perpendicular. Fault: Hyperextension of hocks. Dewclaws-May be removed. Feet-Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.
Coat
Coat-Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing. Slight wave permissible. Hair on top of head is tied up. Fault: Sparse coat, single coat, curly coat. Trimming-Feet, bottom of coat, and anus may be done for neatness and to facilitate movement. Fault: Excessive trimming.
Color and Markings
All are permissible and to be considered equally.
Gait
The Shih Tzu moves straight and must be shown at its own natural speed, neither raced nor strung-up, to evaluate its smooth, flowing, effortless movement with good front reach and equally strong rear drive, level topline, naturally high head carriage, and tail carried in gentle curve over back.
Temperament
As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion and house pet, it is essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting towards all.
Approved May 9, 1989
Effective June 29, 1989
Cleaning the face
These dogs have a lot of hair near there eyes. This causes a regular discharge. This is true even of trimmed Shih Tzus. It is a good habit to just wipe his/her little face with a wet rag nightly to keep the hair from becoming hard and stinky (Shih Tzu are very cute, but they can be very stinky).
Topknot
Position the dog facing you and remove the rubber band. Comb the hair away from the eyes parting the hair about the center of each eye. Make another part parallel to the others in the middle of the head forming a square. Fasten it with a rubber band and brush the hair to the sides.
Brushing
Never use a brush on a Shih Tzu coat...use a comb. A horse hair brush causes static, and a pin brush can get stuck and that is not pleasant for either the brusher or the brushee. Shih Tzu have a double coat. The under layer being very fine and wooly, originally for protection from the cold. This layer is very tricky though, it is the one that causes all the problems. If the coat gets matted, it is almost always near the skin in that wooly undercoat. This makes it next to impossible to remove them without inlisting the help of an expert...who sometimes also has to cut it. Have the dog lay on its side and comb the hair back exposing the undercoat. Comb through the undercoat bit by bit, then move on to the topcoat. Do not tug or pull. Use long, sweeping strokes that extend beyond the length of the hair. A spray-on coat conditioner may make the job easier.
Nail clipping
Keep an eye on the nails. They should be trimmed no less than every other week. I usually take Umi to the vet to have his done. He has some black nails, and some white ones. This is tricky because on the black ones it is really hard to tell where the quick is, but the white ones are just like ours. On puppy nails you can use a pair of nail clippers like you would use on yourself. For older dogs you will have to purchase a special guillotine type nail trimmer. It is especially important for your puppy to get accustomed to nail clipping. It can be a dreadful experience with a dog that does not sit for having his/her nails done. I used to work during the summer at a dog groomer, and we always got in the dogs that were adamant about not having their nails done. One dog in particular stands out in my mind...she was a black lab, and it took four of us to hold her down...her nails had started to curl under because her owner dreaded having to do it. At this stage it was probably pretty painful for her. No one wants this to happen...so start young, I urge you.
Bathing
Most Shih Tzu are too big for the sink. The exceptions are what are often referred to as "teacup" Shih Tzu that are bred to be very small. Beware of these dogs though because they are very often frail with poor health. Use a baby shampoo or one made specifically for dogs. The pH of their skin is different from ours and using regular shampoo can dry it out. Be sure that you brush the coat thoroughly before you bathe it. Wetting matts can make them even more difficult. Lather and rinse the whole dog and dry. It is good to try to blow the dog dry so he/she doesn't catch cold and so the hair is more managable. For a Shih Tzu that is kept trimmed, a bi-weekly bath and a weekly combing is generally sufficient.
Ear cleaning
It is very important to keep a Shi Tzu's ears clean. Since they have heavily covered openings (like a Cocker Spaniel), they can be succeptable to infection, mites and dampness. The first Shih Tzu that I had was a rescue, and he was kept terribly. He suffered from Hot Spots (itchy skin) and ear infection after ear infection. His ears bothered him all the time, and it was painful for him to have his drops put in. That was a really hard way for me to learn, but it has to be done. Even with just a damp cotton ball, wipe out the ear good. Some people recommend using rubbing alcohol. Either way make sure it gets done...weekly.
Housebreaking
My first Shih Tzu was housebroken when I aquired him. My second, Umi, housebroke in three days. Considering the fact that he was given run of the joint in a flat housing ten girls, this was quite amazing. I have had better luck with boys over girls. It could also be though, the differences in the nature of the breeds. I have housbroken a female Cocker Spaniel, and a Jack Russell Terrier (that I still wouldn't consider completely houebroken), both were very difficult, also both breeds and females in general are prone to submissive urination. Dogs can't talk though, so this is all speculation. It seems to me that the crate is the best option available this day and time. I, like everyone else, fought it, thinking it to be cruel. Turns out there is nothing wrong with it if it's done properly. My little Jack Russell, Emma, uses a crate at night and if we're gone for a little while. We tried absolutely everything and came to one conclusion...consistency is key. We've had her for four months and she's still not completely housetrained. We first tried shutting her in an easily cleanable room with newpaper...didn't get any sleep that night. The next morning we spent an hour cleaning the room. Next option was the crate. Didn't get any sleep that night either. We ended up giving her run of the house that night so we could get some sleep. Spent two hours cleaning the house the next day. Next night we tried the crate again...ended up taking her out and putting her in bed with us. Slept good that night but had lots of nice surprises that morning. Keeping in mind a six week old Jack Russell can jump on and of the bed...a six week old Shih Tzu (I found out) cannot and will pee on the bed if necessary. We were making some headway with the newpaper and sleeping with us thing when one night we woke up to a soggy blanket. Needless to say we tried the crate again. We put her in Umi's crate because it was bigger than hers. We slept really good until about three o'clock when she urinated in the crate and decided to fuss until it was removed. We removed her access to water and the next few nights were pretty good except she learned that screaming got her what she wanted...attention. I didn't sleep for four nights and finally at whits end she was given run of the house again to shut her up...with no access to the bed this time. My rug had suffered much but my state was much improved. My husband was no good at all because he slept through the screaming. We consulted the vet, and he said to put her in her crate (because she couldn't soil one end and sleep in the other) and ignore her. This was no easy task, but I fought it and I did it. About a month into the ordeal I began to be able to sleep through the night. It's just like bringing home a baby. Be prepared to get little sleep. With Umi I had an advantage. I was a college kid that could sleep onthe floor. And I did. I made us a bed on the floor that he could reach. We slept there cuddled up and he slept through the night there and went potty when we woke up. Most dog trainers would not condone my saying all this, but it really is the best method for Shih Tzus. They're very much people dogs and try as you might...do not get one if you don't like cuddling with doggies. That's what they were bred for. That's why they can cuddle all night and wait to potty for the morning. All newly seperated puppies are going to cry...especially if you put them in a crate. Umi never had to cry though because he just accepted me as his new mommy. Should you realize that this is not the best for you, a crate is the only other option. Be prepared to not sleep though for the first few nights. Shih Tzu do not bark very much also. Correction...good tempered Shih Tzu do not bark very much. It is commonly held that if a Shih Tzu barks, you should probably find out why. Our first Shih Tzu frightened off a would-be intruder one time. Also, their bark is not typically high pitched and/or yappy. If you heard only the bark, you would assume the dog to be bigger than it actually is. So, either way, some whinning froma Shih Tzu pup is to be expected, but constant barking or screaming (which I never heard until my Jack Russell) shouldn't be tolerated. Make the crate cozy, and make it a pleasant experience...do not use it as a punishment. Offer a small snack, and make sure they have something to chew on. And as I mentioned, don't be tricked into thinking that the bigger the crate the better. This will defeat your purpose because the pup will soil one side and sleep in the other. Dogs are actually very clean animals, they will not tolerate lying in their own bodily functions. Use this to your advantage. If the pup is continually soiling the crate though, make sure there is not a biological problem. Also, do not feed your pup after six. Allow enough time for a full digestive process to occur before crating the pup for the night. Feed it a couple times a day, and take it out to relieve itself direct after. With these things in mind...Bon Chance!(I am also a francophile...that means Good Luck!)