Collection: Personalised Shih Tzu Gifts

Shih Tzu means ‘Little Lion’ and is one of the world’s oldest dog breeds. Cuteness personified, they are in fact quite closely related to wolves! Referred to by the Chinese as ‘little lion dogs’ they are also described as ‘chrysanthemum-faced dogs’.

Dog bones found in China confirm that the Shih Tzu was present as far back as 8,000 BC. Some people suggest that they were bred by Tibetan monks crossing breeds like the Lhasa Apso or the Pekingese but their origins go so far back in time that no one really knows.

Popular for centuries in China, the Shih Tzu is clearly recorded in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in paintings and literature. In the 13th century, Marco Polo described dogs owned by the Mongolian Emperor used to keep trained hunting lions calm – these were Shih Tzus. It is a fact that the Royal Chinese family of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) kept Shih Tzus.

The Shih Tzu was hugely popular at the Imperial Court in China in 1861 with the then Empress of China who initiated many breeding programmes. Ironically, after the death of the Empress, breeding the best Shih Tzu became something of a competition and this discouraged the keeping of records so that lineage could not be copied.

The first Shih Tzus came to England in the 1920s and were originally classified by the Kennel Club as Lhasa Apsos. By 1940, the Shih Tzu had its own breed standard and was recognised by the Kennel Club as a distinct type. The Shih Tzu didn’t arrive in the States until after the Second World War when they were taken back by American serviceman.

Good-natured and adaptable, the Shih Tzu has an endearing and affectionate temperament and can slot into just about any family home regardless. Great with children and other animals, they are gentle and accepting of their environment.