Shih tzu dog and puppies information on training and grooming

The shih tzu dog has a very unique appearance and is widely regarded to be one of the oldest dog breeds around.



Originally from Tibet, these animals are abundantly covered by a double coat that of long hair and a wooly undercoat. The hair situated around the animal's nose tends to grow upwards, making its face resemble a ‘chrysanthemum'.



Its tail is usually very fluffy and curls over its back. The animals were introduced to Europe around the 1900's courtesy of a few travelling diplomats that had visited the Chinese Dowager empress that had a heightened obsession for this breed.



Rumor has it that the empress fed broken glass to the dogs that were gifted to these travelling diplomats to prevent the likelihood of them being bred outside the confines of her palace. After the death of the empress, the next monarch killed most of the palace dogs in fires, however, a few of the puppies were smuggled out of the palace and traded to Chinese noblemen as well as foreigners. Around the 1930's a large number of Shih Tzu dogs were brought into England and Scandinavia and their offspring then sent to Canada and the United Stated of America.

The shih tzu are very small dogs that feature a silky glossy coat and requires significant amount of grooming to prevent the tangling of their fine hair. The presence of a lot of hair around the nose results in some of the food sticking to the animals face just after it has finished a meal, therefore requiring the master to clean off the mess with the help of a wet towel. The owner will also need to regularly make sure that the moustache and beard remain free of any dirt or food particles in order to prevent the growing of yeast at these locations.

Shih Tzu training can be a little more complicated as compared to when dealing with other dogs. They require the owner to be strong minded and firm, but understanding as they are very sensitive creatures. If the dog starts to believe that the owner is not as strong minded as itself, it may start to develop some character flaws such as disobedience and destructiveness as it begins to believe that it is the leader of the pack. When the animal develops this mentality, it will regularly try to give out orders to its family members instead of acknowledging that it is the pet in the household. When trained effectively, however, these animals are very gentle, loving and courageous. They are extremely good with children and make adorable pets.