Where did the Shih Tzu come from, what was the Shih Tzu like in ancient times, and who were the ancestors of this dog? The Shih Tzu breed originates from Tibet. These dogs were considered royal and lived in incredible temples. Occasionally, the ancestor of the dog we know today would be given to a Chinese emperor.
Over time, China became more recognized as the creator of this breed than the original Tibet.Shih Tzu is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Scientists have found fossils dating back over 10,000 years, showing that dogs from that time were closely related to the now recognized breed.
Tibetan dogs, like the Shih Tzu, had their early ancestors in the Gobi Desert Kitchen Midden Dog, which dates back over 10,000 years. This dog was quite wild, and most were untamed. Eventually, a new breed evolved from the Gobi Desert Kitchen Midden Dog, called the small hunting dog with drooping ears.
From the small hunting dog with soft fur and drooping ears, it evolved into the Kitchen Midden Dog. Ultimately, the Kitchen Midden Dog, through distinct breeding programs, was used to develop the Tibetan Spaniel, the Pekingese, the Japanese Chin, the Papillon, the Pug, and the Shih Tzu.
This breed moved from Tibet to China probably during the Qing Dynasty, between 1644 and 1662. The Shih Tzu was known as the Lion Dog. The Lion symbol played a significant role in Buddhism. Since the real lion was not native to China, the Chinese bred their dogs to resemble a lion as much as possible.
It was the Chinese Empress Cixi who carefully bred the dogs to arrive at the breed we know today. However, after the Communist Revolution, her large kennels were destroyed, along with most of the dogs. Only a few Shih Tzu dogs were saved and imported to England, where they were bred with Pekingese.
The breed was perfected from 1930 to 1950. Shih Tzu Dog History Only then did the Shih Tzu breed move to the United States. In the year 1955, the American Kennel Club accepted the dog, but only as a Miscellaneous class. This happened because there were few Shih Tzu dogs.
Unless a breed becomes popular, the AKC may decide to ban it from the Miscellaneous class; therefore, a group of people decided to form the Shih Tzu Club of America in 1957. Other clubs began to follow suit, in Texas and Florida. Still, in 1961 there were only 100 registered dogs in the USA. In an attempt to keep the breed recognized, in 1963 the Texas Shih Tzu Society merged with the Shih Tzu Club of America. This move was successful.
A year later, the number of registered dogs tripled to over 300. By 1965 there were almost 700! In 1969, the AKC recognized the Shih Tzu as an official breed in the Toy Dog class, a big win for Shih Tzu owners! Once this dog was recognized as its own, fully recognized and official breed, over 3,000 dogs were registered.
Currently, the Shih Tzu is among the top 20 most popular toy dog breeds in the world. Known for their elegance, incredible personality, and unique beauty, we can thank ancient Tibet for the long but rewarding journey this breed has survived.