Origin of the Shih-Tzu
The
origin of the Shih-Tzu is obscure. The Shih-Tzu originated in Tibet where it
was kept in temples as a sacred dog. It is known that they were occasionally
given to the Emperors of China during the Manchu dynasty (17th century) as a
tribute of great honor and that is how they came to be established in China. In
that country, the dogs became little temple dogs and were kept in the palace
and carefully guarded and cared for by the court eunuchs. When the Peking
Kennel Club was formed in 1934 there was much confusion as to the difference
between certain small breeds. In 1938 an individual standard was set for the
Shih-Tzu and it was recognized as a separate breed from certain other Tibetan
breeds.
With
the war and the takeover of Peking in 1949 there were no more exported from
China. In 1952 there was a strong fear that the breed was developing poor
structure and it was decided to cross a Pekingese into the line in England. The
purpose was to obtain a less leggy dog with a better coat and shorter muzzle.
This was accomplished, however the bowed front legs of the Pekingese are
something that still can be seen on some Shih-Tzu today. There was also a
faction in England called the Manchu Club that believed a smaller dog better
represented the true heritage of the temple dogs. The Kennel Club recognized
this in their 1938 standard by stating the ideal weight was between 9 to 16
pounds which is what the current standard recognizes. In the United States,
fanciers obtained the first Shih-Tzus in the late 1930s. The breed gained in
popularity in 1960, with many imports coming from England and Europe. The breed
was shown in the Miscellaneous class at AKC dog shows. It was not until 1969
that the Shih-Tzu were permitted to be shown as a separate breed in the Toy
Group. In 1969, 2,811 Shih-Tzu were registered which increased to 14,894 in
1978. Within that nine year period over 85,000 Shih-Tzu were registered with
the American Kennel Club, placing the Shih-Tzu in the top 25 most popular
breeds according to the AKC. It is no surprise that the temple dog had come
into the homes of many owners -- this is due not only to their Imperial
background but also to their personality
GROOMING
YOUR SHIH-TZU
Shih-Tzus,
if kept in full coat, should be brushed daily with a pin brush. Here are a few
websites where you can purchase products for grooming your
Shih-Tzus.
The
first website is a grooming video which I purchased and found to be extremely
helpful in show or pet grooming.
http://www.istaprofessionalhandling.com/videos.html
Here
are a few websites where you can purchase the grooming supplies needed for
proper Shih-Tzu care.
http://www.showdogstore.com/
EYE
CARE
A
Shih-Tzus eyes are large, vulnerable and prone to ulceration. Special attention
should be given to them daily. Living close to the ground it is easy for dust
or dirt or a stray hair to get into the eye and cause irritation. Use human eye
wash daily, such as collyrium. This is a gentle eye wash, remove any matter
from eye corners. A flea comb may be used to remove any dried food in the
beard or moustache.
COMMON
SHIH-TZU DISORDERS
Overshot
mouth and umbilical hernias-- the hernias are usually caused by the mother
chewing the umbilical cord to closely. They are very common in the Shih-Tzu
breed and shouldn't discourage you from purchasing a Shih-Tzu. Most hernias
will close up on their own by 8 months old. If they don't it isn't serious,
but an issue you could discuss with a vet. The undershot mouth is standard in
this breed and you can see the AKC standard. If the overshot mouth is extreme
then that is a fault. Also the Shih-Tzus are flat faced dogs and some will
have snorting which is due to their flat faces. It can also be caused by
stenotic nares which most puppies grow out of by 4 - 6 months.
IF
A PUPPY HAS AN UMBILICAL HERNIA OR STENOTIC NARE CONDITION IT IS
NOT
COVERED
UNDER OUR HEALTH WARRANTY. HOWEVER, WE WILL DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IF ANY
OF THE PUPS HAVE THESE CONDITIONS.
RECOMMENDED
SITES TO VISIT
FOR
OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHIH-TZUS PLEASE VISIT www.doggonegoodstuff.com AND http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/ WHERE YOU WILL FIND ADDITIONAL
VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREED PRIOR TO PURCHASING YOUR
PET.
The
origin of the Shih-Tzu is obscure. The Shih-Tzu originated in Tibet where it
was kept in temples as a sacred dog. It is known that they were occasionally
given to the Emperors of China during the Manchu dynasty (17th century) as a
tribute of great honor and that is how they came to be established in China. In
that country, the dogs became little temple dogs and were kept in the palace
and carefully guarded and cared for by the court eunuchs. When the Peking
Kennel Club was formed in 1934 there was much confusion as to the difference
between certain small breeds. In 1938 an individual standard was set for the
Shih-Tzu and it was recognized as a separate breed from certain other Tibetan
breeds.
With
the war and the takeover of Peking in 1949 there were no more exported from
China. In 1952 there was a strong fear that the breed was developing poor
structure and it was decided to cross a Pekingese into the line in England. The
purpose was to obtain a less leggy dog with a better coat and shorter muzzle.
This was accomplished, however the bowed front legs of the Pekingese are
something that still can be seen on some Shih-Tzu today. There was also a
faction in England called the Manchu Club that believed a smaller dog better
represented the true heritage of the temple dogs. The Kennel Club recognized
this in their 1938 standard by stating the ideal weight was between 9 to 16
pounds which is what the current standard recognizes. In the United States,
fanciers obtained the first Shih-Tzus in the late 1930s. The breed gained in
popularity in 1960, with many imports coming from England and Europe. The breed
was shown in the Miscellaneous class at AKC dog shows. It was not until 1969
that the Shih-Tzu were permitted to be shown as a separate breed in the Toy
Group. In 1969, 2,811 Shih-Tzu were registered which increased to 14,894 in
1978. Within that nine year period over 85,000 Shih-Tzu were registered with
the American Kennel Club, placing the Shih-Tzu in the top 25 most popular
breeds according to the AKC. It is no surprise that the temple dog had come
into the homes of many owners -- this is due not only to their Imperial
background but also to their personality
GROOMING
YOUR SHIH-TZU
Shih-Tzus,
if kept in full coat, should be brushed daily with a pin brush. Here are a few
websites where you can purchase products for grooming your
Shih-Tzus.
The
first website is a grooming video which I purchased and found to be extremely
helpful in show or pet grooming.
http://www.istaprofessionalhandling.com/videos.html
Here
are a few websites where you can purchase the grooming supplies needed for
proper Shih-Tzu care.
http://www.showdogstore.com/
EYE
CARE
A
Shih-Tzus eyes are large, vulnerable and prone to ulceration. Special attention
should be given to them daily. Living close to the ground it is easy for dust
or dirt or a stray hair to get into the eye and cause irritation. Use human eye
wash daily, such as collyrium. This is a gentle eye wash, remove any matter
from eye corners. A flea comb may be used to remove any dried food in the
beard or moustache.
COMMON
SHIH-TZU DISORDERS
Overshot
mouth and umbilical hernias-- the hernias are usually caused by the mother
chewing the umbilical cord to closely. They are very common in the Shih-Tzu
breed and shouldn't discourage you from purchasing a Shih-Tzu. Most hernias
will close up on their own by 8 months old. If they don't it isn't serious,
but an issue you could discuss with a vet. The undershot mouth is standard in
this breed and you can see the AKC standard. If the overshot mouth is extreme
then that is a fault. Also the Shih-Tzus are flat faced dogs and some will
have snorting which is due to their flat faces. It can also be caused by
stenotic nares which most puppies grow out of by 4 - 6 months.
IF
A PUPPY HAS AN UMBILICAL HERNIA OR STENOTIC NARE CONDITION IT IS
NOT
COVERED
UNDER OUR HEALTH WARRANTY. HOWEVER, WE WILL DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION IF ANY
OF THE PUPS HAVE THESE CONDITIONS.
RECOMMENDED
SITES TO VISIT
FOR
OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHIH-TZUS PLEASE VISIT www.doggonegoodstuff.com AND http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/ WHERE YOU WILL FIND ADDITIONAL
VALUABLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREED PRIOR TO PURCHASING YOUR
PET.
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