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- From: ladytzu@aol.com (Ruth A. Grimaldi)
- Subject: rec.pets.dogs: Shih Tzus Breed-FAQ
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- =======
- There are nearly 100 FAQ's available for this group. For a complete
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- ==========
-
-
- Shih-Tzus
-
- Author
-
- Ruth A. Grimaldi, ladytzu@aol.com
- Copyright 1995.
-
- Table Of Contents
-
- * History
- * Personality and Temperament
- * Description
- * Health Issues
- * The American Kennel Club Standard
- * What the buyer should know
- * Puppy Care
- * Resources
-
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- History
-
- 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 ture 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 their Imperial background but also to their personality.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Personality and Temperament
-
- One of the strongest characteristics of the Shih-Tzu is its
- personality. The Shih-Tzu is a friendly, nonaggressive dog that is a
- good companion for children and other breeds of dogs. Shih-Tzus are
- known for their fun-loving play, romping around the apartment or in
- the country side.
-
- The Shih-Tzu is a people oriented dog, they cherish no more than the
- love of people. They will sit patiently, remaining still with their
- eyes gazing intently on your face waiting for you to call them over to
- be patted. The Shih-Tzu is not a one person dog. Shih-Tzus are happy
- to entertain any stranger, once accepted by the family. This is one
- reason that they are becoming popular. They make friends where ever
- they go.
-
- The Shih-Tzu has a lap dog personality. It is not high strung nor
- demanding. The pet Shih-Tzu is content during the day to lie in a
- corner with his legs stretched out behind him, snoring softly. If he
- has a choice he would prefer to be curled up in your lap.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Description
-
- The size of the Shih-Tzu is between 9 to 16 pounds. The appropriate
- weight is a matter of personal preference, with the breed standard
- allowing a wide range. They are sturdy dogs. In the city these little
- dogs become easily accustomed to noises and apartment living.
-
- The coat is one of the characteristics that exemplifies the truly
- regal nature of the Shih-Tzu. As with the size, the coat comes in a
- wide range of colors: from total black, to black & white, gray &
- white, red & white or pure gold. A white blaze on the forehead and a
- white tip on the tail are highly prized. The coat is not straight as
- in a Yorkshire Terrier, a slight wave is normal with a curl not
- appropriate. The coat has an under layer and when the dog is full
- grown this undercoat helps give an overall graceful appearance to the
- coat as it falls naturally to the ground. The coat however does
- require care and attention. Daily grooming is necessary, otherwise the
- coat can become matted and tangled which will require cutting the
- coat. As a puppy little work is needed except to get the dog used to
- lying still on a table or your lap for a couple of minutes to get
- brushed. If one cuts the coat down, this takes away the elegant
- aspects of the breed.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Health Issues
-
- Renal Dysplasia
-
- A kidney disease known as Renal Dysplasia is common in the Shih-Tzu
- breed. It bears some similarity to kidney disease in the Lhasa Apso.
- Whether the disease is inherited is not yet known but a good deal of
- evidence points in that direction.
-
- the occurrence of renal disease in young Shih-Tzu puppies and the fact
- that usually more than one puppy in a litter and in some instances,
- the entire litter is affected leads us to suspect it is inherited and
- that every effort should be made by Shih-Tzu breeders to avoid
- breeding any stock whose former offspring have been affected.
- Currently the disease is irreversible and death is inevitable.
-
- There are 3 stages of development. Unfortunately there are no clinical
- symptoms of early renal disease which may progress over a period of
- months or years to the second stage,when symptoms first become
- obvious. The affected dog will develop an excessive thirst and will
- pass greatly increased amounts of urine. The urine will appear to be
- very diluted or watery. Some dogs will be listless, poor eaters, and
- may suffer a weight loss. In the final stage, the symptoms of stage
- two are more pronounced and may be accompanied by severe depression,
- diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration -- all evidences of kidney
- dysfunction which will sooner or later result in coma and death.
-
- Renal disease runs high in all breeds of dogs. After the age of eight
- years, 85% of all dogs have some kidney degeneration or will have
- developed chronic nephritis. This is known to be a congenital,
- hereditary progressive kidney disease in certain breeds, whereby the
- kidneys do not maintain sufficient function to sustain life.
-
- Kidney and bladder stones
-
- Stones occur more in males than females because of the male anatomy:
- the urethra in the male is small and can easily become obstructed by a
- stone. The urethra in the female is larger and less prone to stone
- development. Phosphate stones are the most common and greater
- incidence of this type is found in the female than in the male. They
- are associated with alkaline urine and frequently with a bladder
- infection.
-
- Urate stones, composed of uric acid are more frequently found in the
- urinary system of males and in these cases the urine is acid. Cystine
- uroliths composed of the amino acid cystine makes about five percent
- of all stones and occur exclusively in males. It is an inherited
- defect wherein cystine is reabsorbed into the kidneys rather than
- excreted in the urine and it accumulates in the bladder where stones
- form. They must be removed by surgery.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- The American Kennel Club Standard
-
- The Standard is the physical "blueprint" of the breed. It describes
- the physical appearance and other desired qualities of the breed
- otherwise known as _type_. Some characteristics, such as size, coat
- quality, and movement, are based on the original (or current) function
- for the dog. Other characteristics are more cosmetic such as eye
- color; but taken together they set this breed apart from all others.
- The Standard describes an _ideal_ representive of the breed. No
- individual dog is perfect, but the Standard provides an ideal for the
- breeder to strive towards.
-
- Because of copyright concerns over the collection of all the Standards
- at any single site storing all the faqs, AKC Standards are not
- typically included in the Breed faqs. The reader is referred to the
- publications at the end of this document or to the National Breed Club
- for a copy of the Standard.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- What the buyer should know
-
- Breeders should be willing to let you see not only the quarters in
- which the puppies are housed, but all puppies, whether for sale or
- not. Be wary of the breeder who takes you into an anteroom and bring
- out one puppy for you to see. If a breeder is honest, he or she has
- nothing to hide and it is only by comparison that a buyer can judge
- the quality of a prospective pet. Watch the puppies play, do their
- eyes sparkle and are their coats clean. Their ears should be free of
- wax and inflammation. Their teeth should be white,their gums firm and
- pink. Evaluate the breeder too, you have every right to ask questions.
- It won't take long to distinguish between the true breeder and one
- interested only in making a sale. The breeder should be able to answer
- questions about the origin and history of the Shih-Tzu, and general
- care of the breed. The responsible breeder will urge you to have the
- puppy throughly examined by a vet of your choice within 48 hrs after
- the sale. The breeder should to willing to take the puppy back, if
- need be. The breeder should show you how to groom the Shih-Tzu.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Puppy Care
-
- Grooming
-
- There is a great selection of shampoo, conditioners and grooming
- equipment available to the dog owner. A small bath towel placed in
- bottom of sink prevents water from accumulating and gives puppy secure
- footing. Holding the puppy securely under its chest with one hand,
- soak its body with lukewarm running water, shampoo the body and rinse
- well. Leave the head for last. Carefully wet the head with a wet
- sponge and clean the hair with a no-tear baby shampoo.
-
- Still holding puppy securely, rinse thoroughly, being careful not to
- get water in its nose. A few minutes of cuddling in a towel reassures
- the puppy and soaks up excess water.
-
- Use a small hand dryer, low heat is normally all that is necessary. if
- puppy shivers,it is usually due to nerves rather than from being cold.
- Avoid blowing the warm air directly into the puppy's face. Use a
- toothbrush to clean the whiskers and ears---ears on drop-ears need
- special attention. Ears should be cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in
- mineral oil or panolog. To aviod accidental injury to the eardrums,
- fluff the cotton out from around the end of the swab with fingertips.
- Wipe the ear clean and dry with another swab, being careful not to
- probe too deeply into the ear.
-
- Eyes
-
- A Shih-Tzu's eyes are large and 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.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
- Resources
-
- Books
-
- _This Is the Shih-Tzu_ by Reverend Allen Easton and Joan McDonald
- Brearley.
-
- _The Joy of Owning a Shih-Tzu_ by Ann Seranne and Lisa Miller
-
- Clubs
-
- _American Shih-Tzu Club, Inc._
- 837 Auburn Ave.
- Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450
- Write for information and brochures.
- _________________________________________________________________
-
-
- Shih-Tzu FAQ
- Ruth A. Grimaldi, ladytzu@aol.com
-