A pet that looks like a carpet arrives at the home, the dog Shih Tzu characteristic for its beauty and particular way of being will steal the hearts of family members. We invite you to continue reading to learn a little more about the characteristics of this spectacular animal.
the shih tzu dog
As its name says, the shih tzu is a dog of Asian origin from China, it is also known as the Chinese lion dog, this dog has characteristics very similar to the Yorkshire Terrier and it is used more than anything in the Buddhist religion, since this dog is not noisy.
It is also known that this dog is born from the cross between a Lhasa Apso and a Pekingese, over the years they were exported from China and reached other countries, where they formed clubs, there is even a club in the United Kingdom that only accepts breeders of this breed of dog.
Etymology
Its name comes from the guardian lion of China, the most powerful in the entire region, for many years they called it with different names depending on the country where it was found, the Chinese culture adopted this dog as a member of its family, its origin comes from of two well-known dog breeds on the Asian continent.
When modern times arrived, the name of this dog was xi shi, some elders of the country comment that this happened in 1930 and they called it that because the daughters of the emperors were called this way due to its magnificent beauty.
There is a conjuncture for the dog between England and the Asian country, this is because England assures that the dog arrived first to its territory than to China, if that were the case the origin of the dog would change drastically. Some think that the real origin of this breed will never be known for sure.
History
Its history dates back to the 30th century, when the Dalai Lama gave the empress several dogs of this breed, when the empress died the dog lost popularity, for this reason it was not known until the early XNUMXs where it reappeared in the houses of some important people of China, this gave him a bit of popularity, however, at that time he was given different names and even one of them was Tibetan poodle, but this did not have any impact on the original name of the royal shih tzu.
In 1934 they created a club which was in charge of giving a more accurate position to the dog that was of Chinese origin and a national emblem, when the invasion of China happened, which is when the Japanese entered through the wall, this dog became extinct in the country for the massacre and war that originated.
Its existence was saved thanks to some Europeans who liked this breed and exported them to Europe, and in that country this dog replaced the Lhasa apso, which was one of the dogs that people with money and good position had.
Later, years later, this dog arrived in the United States causing a great impression due to its beauty, however, everything is being accepted and it quickly lost popularity in the American country and returned to China, where they are already considered a little more, their breed of original dog.
At that moment a letter is presented that is addressed to the empire, this letter was obtained among the Dalai Lama's belongings, where he explains the genetics of the shih tzu, according to him the taxonomic characteristics of the dog indicate that they come from seven breeds, in which can be recognized by the following
- the pekingese
- the lhasa apso
- the yorkshire terrier
However, the provenance of the other four dog breeds that the Dalai Lama mentions in his letter is not known.
physical characteristics of the shih tzu
Its height is a bit strange compared to other dogs, it is a little longer than it is tall, its actual size is XNUMX centimeters in height, which makes this breed one of the smallest in China.
The weight of this dog does not exceed seven kilograms in males and generally the female is smaller in size and weight, its height is twenty five centimeters and its weight is four kilograms.
Its big eyes and its head are similar to the Pekingese, small in size surrounded by a lot of hair that hangs to the floor, that's why its resemblance to stuffed animals, its fur is such that everything comes together without leaving a small part of the animal's skin. visible. Its coat is double layered, protects it from the cold and in turn can adapt to any type of climate.
Its tail falls over its back thus giving rise to more fur hanging from it. His walk is quite arrogant just like the daughters of the Chinese emperor walked where it seemed that no one could overcome them, this is what motivates this dog his air of greatness and his particular disinterest in things that are not important to him.
The pedigree associations only do a single test on this breed of dog to check its lineage and it is the prognathic bite, this bite is uniquely characteristic of this breed. His lifespan is approximately sixteen years, as long as he himself lives a life worthy of royalty.
coat colors
The shih tzu has characteristic colors of its coat, this thanks to the lineage it presents, where it can inherit the colors of each of the dogs that were involved in its creation, the most common colors in this breed are:
- Gold
- Blanco
- Brown
- Black
- Copper
In some cases they can have different coat colors and these are:
- Golden with the edge of the eyes in black creating a kind of mask.
- White with black spots or vice versa.
- Coppery with white spots or the opposite.
- Black with gold, like the fur of tigers, although this color is not very common and its origin is not known, since none of its descendants have these colors.
- White with gray spots or vice versa.
- Cinnamon with white spots or the opposite.
There are some specimens that have a petroleum blue color, very difficult to get and whoever has them sells them for triple their real value.
shih tzu temperament
Although he is a bit conceited, the shih tzu is not an aggressive dog, his behavior is affectionate with his owners and he even likes children, with whom he is usually a little aggressive, it is with strangers, however, he is not a dog guardian its size does not allow such a thing, the shih tzu, is more of a household pet, totally sedentary, it does not like exercise or games where it has to run, long distances, it is a relaxation pet, such is the case that as The story goes that the empress had this breed of dog in the palace and they were her company.
His character really shows when he feels threatened, that is, at home he can only be the pet, they do not like other animals, for them that is an offense.
Care
As his eyes are similar to those of the really big Pekingese, the hairs that fall on his face should be cut frequently, his coat should be combed frequently since its abundance gives rise to knots if possible three times a week dedicate a time alone to his fur, he has respiratory problems and this is the reason why this dog does not like to have any kind of physical activity.
Food
A rather complicated issue regarding this breed is its diet, because it is a fairly sedentary dog it can suffer from diseases as it obeys, this is hypothetical, because it also has a fairly delicate stomach where it must follow a low-fat diet, the food for dogs that shih tzu should eat must be based on vegetables, their diet is based on the prohibition of foods based on meat, chicken, fats, sugars, among others.
Once a month this dog can eat fish, which is a food that will provide this dog with all the vitamins its small body needs, all its food must be accompanied by grated carrots, whether it is a dog, fish or common human food.
To maintain the shine of its fur, it is necessary for the shis tzu to eat lettuce once a week, this will also help its stomach problems.
