Plate 072 · East Asia
Shih Tzu
西施犬
“A palace 'lion dog' that stayed hidden until the 1930s.”
- Origin
- China
- Tibet and the Chinese imperial court
- Historical region — not an exact birthplace
- Ancestral dogs are linked to Tibet; the breed was developed at the Chinese imperial court.
- The point is a reference position for a historical region; it is not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Chinese court dog of the Ming and Qing dynasties; reached Europe in the 1920s and 1930s
- Today
- Companion · Toy breed
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Historical depiction not yet verified.
NowPets Adviser from Brooklyn, USA · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Tibet and the Chinese imperial court
Developed at the Chinese imperial court, probably from Tibetan dogs crossed with Chinese breeds such as the Pekingese.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
A palace lapdog; its name means 'lion', linking it to Buddhist lion imagery.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
The breed stayed behind palace walls, almost unknown to the outside world, until the 1930s. Breed clubs in Peking and then England shaped the modern breed; the first European standard was written in England in 1935 by the Shih Tzu Club.
04 · Today
Companion · Toy breed
An affectionate, outgoing companion.
Personality
- Affectionate
- Playful
- Outgoing
- Friendly
- Sweet
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Toy
- Lifespan
- 10–18 years
- Coat
- Long, flowing double coat
Field note
In England the first Shih Tzus were classified as Apsos, until a Kennel Club ruling made them a separate breed.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Toy Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI, The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- United States, United Kingdom
One of the most popular toy dogs in the United States and the United Kingdom. AKC registrations: ranked 21 among breeds in 2025.
- 中国本土 / 历史犬种 · China-native or historic
Sources2 references
- Shih Tzu — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/shih-tzu/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-06 · Used for registry status, AKC group and breed standard reference only.
- Shih Tzu (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shih_Tzu
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
Pets Adviser from Brooklyn, USA · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: Ancestral dogs are linked to Tibet; the breed was developed at the Chinese imperial court.
