What Were Shih Tzus Bred For

Short daily walks with their owner and indoor playtime will satisfy the activity needs of this small short.

What were shih tzus bred for. No one disputes that these charming little dogs were intended as companion dogs. While the shih tzu is an excellent watchdog because of its alert and active nature it was not specifically bred for this purpose. They were favorites of the empress t zu hsi in the late 1800s. Unlike the lhasa apso which was bred to be a sentinel dog that enjoys high perches and is wary of strangers the shih tzu prefers to be close to its companions and will often offer strangers its affection.

The chinese royalty kept and bred shih tzu and when the british arrived the breed made its way to england and then on to the united states. From the small soft coated drop eared hunting dog then evolved into the kitchen midden dog. At first it was believed that the small dogs were used to warn of the approach of unwanted visitors but the little lion dogs soon became a favorite of the imperial chinese court and were considered mainly as companion pups. The shih tzu has always been a house pet and lap dog never having been bred for any other known purposes.

They kept large fierce dogs that were used for guarding then there were small shaggy dogs used as companions and as watchdogs to alert the larger dogs ancestors of or near to modern shih tzu. The shih tzu was bred to be a house companion. Tibet probably sent dogs to the chinese. While many associate the breed with dowager empress tzu hsi who ruled in china from 1861 through 1908 and considered the dogs sacred shih tzu appear in tapestries dating as far back as 2000 years.

People commonly associate the shih tzu with china but they actually came from china s western neighbor tibet which was a sovereign nation until the 1950s. The breed became known as a noble dog of china notably as a royal house pet to the ming dynasty from the 14th to 17th century. Shih tzus were bred to be companions and pets to chinese royalties and they have been lapdogs to kings emperors rulers and noblemen for centuries. These shih tzu were bred primarily to be lap dogs to chinese royalty.

While its origins are not fully clear there is evidence that the breed distinct from the lhasa apso pug and pekingese was developed by tibetan monks who offered the temple dogs as gifts to the emperors of china. Shih tzus are noble dogs and are noted to have been pets to the ming dynasty of china between the 14th and 17th centuries.