Dogs are considered to be man’s best friend. On a sad and depressing day, having a dog around can cheer you up. They are enthusiastic and never shy away from showing their love for their masters. Having a dog as a pet can be rewarding which is why most people want to have one at home.

The Shih Tzu dogs are one of the top ten dogs that are kept as pets in the United States. The dog has a lot of fur around its face, beady eyes and a round shaped face. It looks very lovable and is jovial and good to have around. Most people want to own a Shih-Tzu because of its cuteness. There are several breeds of the Shih Tzu dog such as Maltese, Imperial etc.

The Shih Tzu has an interesting background and should not be dismissed to be one of those breeds that find sudden popularity.

• Shih Tzu is a dog of Chinese origin and its name means Lion in Mandarin Chinese. According to Buddhist beliefs, there is a relationship between a lion and its respective deity, which lead to its breeding among the Chinese royalty.

• Shih Tzu dogs had been a part of the Chinese Royal Court and Nobility for centuries. Documents, artefacts and paintingsdating as far back to AD 634 have been unearthed to show this breed of dog. It is common knowledge that the dog was a part of the Ming dynasty of China and was kept as a royal pet.

• The Shih Tzu dog has been used as a gift between different royal courts. The King of the Tang Dynasty was gifted a pair of this breed by the King of Viqur, K’iuT’ai, who said that they came from Fu Lin.

The breed was sent by citizens of Ho Chou as a tribute to the Tang Dynasty back in AD 990-994.

• Shih Tzu is often referred to as the dog with the chrysanthemum face. It is so called because of the unkempt way its fur grows around its face.

• This breed with a high cuteness quotient became a part of the English Kennel Club in 1935 and the AKC Stud Club in 1969. It was earlier classified as Apsos but a later ruling determined that it was a separate breed and hence needed its own identity.

• The species of Shih Tzu dogs made a foray into the United States post World War II, after war veterans brought them back from countries in the Far East.

• The process of birthing for a Shih Tzu is excruciatingly painful. The birthing period for a pregnant Shih Tzu can go up to 130 hours almost! At this time, the bitch requires a lot of care and attention from her owner.

• The newly born puppies need to be fed every 2 hours by hand if they cannot feed from their mother. Hence, the puppies born are no less demanding than their mother!

• Shih Tzus are fiercely independent and hence may be difficult to train. They are very stubborn and may not immediately respond to commands such as roll over, stand and sit. Even after repeating the same instruction 80 to 100 times, the Shih Tzu may listen only 25% of the time.

• Unlike other dogs, the Shih Tzu is quiet and doesn’t make much noise when strangers visit. At best, they would bark once or twice if they see someone at the door.