Shih tzus are bred to be house pets.
The shih tzu was bred as a house pet and companion, so it must be a happy, outgoing and friendly dog. Since this breed was bred specifically for a house pet, it should not be reserved toward strangers, nor should it ever be aggressive. The long double coat--the shih tzu's distinctive feature--needs daily grooming. Even though this is a toy breed, it packs soundness in its small body.
Instructions
1. Look at the general appearance of the shih tzu. It should be solid and should carry its weight and substance properly. Males and females measure 9 to 10 1/2 inches at the shoulders and weigh 9 to 16 lbs. It is a rectangular shaped breed, with the length from the shoulders to the rear a bit longer than the measurement at the withers.
2. Make sure the round, broad head is proportionately balanced with the rest of the dog. It has a warm, sweet expression, helped along by large, round eyes. They are not prominent and are place quite far apart on the skull. They are very dark, but may be a bit lighter on liver-colored dogs. The ears are large and set just below the top of the skull. The nose, eye rims and lips are fully pigmented--black on all colors, except for liver dogs. Liver dogs have a liver pigmentation on the nose, eye rims and lips. Blue pigmented dogs will have blue-pigmented eye rims, nose and lips.
3. Check that the shih tzu is completely balanced. The neck is long enough to hold the head proudly and sits on well-angulated shoulders and a broad chest. The feet are frim and well-padded. The rear angulation should match the front angulation, giving the dog perfect balance. The hocks are quite low and the feet are well-padded and firm. The hair on the tail is heavy and the tail is held in a curve over the top of the back.
4. Pet the long, flowing coat. It is a dense coat and should be straight or almost straight, but never curly. The shih tzu can be of any color and may have a number of different markings, but no markings are set in the breed standard.
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