Shih Tzu

This magnificent little lion dog (literal translation of Shih Tzu) belongs to the category of Tibetan dogs with the Tibetan Spaniel, the Tibetan Terrier, the Lhasa Apso and the Tibetan Mastiff.

The latter belongs to the group of molosses while the other four belong to the group of companion dogs. Known since the dawn of time, the origins of the Shih Tzu are very ancient. However, the breed as we know it today is a little more recent.

In Tibet, the Shih Tzu is the symbol of well-being and, according to legend, has very close ties with the snow lion. Its name of lion dog comes from this legend.

According to another Tibetan legend, the snow lion is an animal embodying cheerfulness, courage and liveliness which corresponds very well to the very nature of Shih Tzu. Due to these legends, the first Shih Tzu were introduced in China to ensure the prestige of the Chinese emperors to whom the dogs were offered as gifts.

It was in the 19th century that Cixi, dowager empress and former concubine of Xianfeng, fell in love with these adorable hairballs. They were given the nickname "Empress' Pearls". The Shih Tzu would have been born in the Forbidden City following the crossing between small Chinese dogs and Lhasa Apso.

Dogs were so venerated at the time by the Chinese that the latter refused for a long time to sell them to foreign countries. After the death of the Empress followed by the fall of the empire in 1908, the dogs left the Forbidden City where the export of the "Empress' Pearls" began.

It was around 1930 that England welcomed its first Tibetan specimens. The difference between the Shih Tzu and the Lhasa Apso was established in 1934 and the Shih Tzu breed was officially recognized in 1940 by the English Kennel Club. It was introduced in France in 1953 by the Countess of Anjou and then received by the American Kennel Club in 1955.

This small animal, sacred in the Buddhist religion, is exclusively a pet dog.