Shih Tzu

Alexa Ienna

Accounting 202-001

Ever since I was 8 years old I wanted a puppy. My father was always completely against the idea of dogs. I was allowed to have a hamster, a guinea pig and even ducks! But, no puppy was allowed. It took me 5 long years of begging and crying before my parents gave in. I remember walking into the pet store and seeing an adorable ball of white fluff that could fit in the palm of my hand. As soon as I held her, I knew she was the one. She was a one month-old miniature Shih Tzu, and perfect in everyway. Doing some research, I have come to learn that the Shih Tzu breed has a very interesting history. But before I get into that, I would like to talk about the Shih Tzu breed itself.

The Shih Tzu is a small dog with large dark eyes and a short muzzle. They almost look like they ran into a wall. With a soft and long double coat, it stands at a whopping ten and a half centimeters. Unlike my miniature Shih Tzu, Bella, who maxed at an obese twenty pounds, the ideal weight for a Shih Tzu ranges from ten to twenty pounds. They have drop ears covered in fur, with a heavily furred tail. Shih Tzus are known for there long mane, but I groom Bella to have short, puffy hair. I personally think it looks better. A Shih Tzu’s coat can come in any color, though a streak of white on the forehead and on the tip of the tail is quite common. A feature that they are actually known for is their prominent under-bite. Bella has a horrible set of teeth. Her upper lip constantly gets stuck behind her bottom row of teeth and it is absolutely hilarious. Shih Tzus have a very silky coat and if kept long often require brushing. Their coat also grows very fast which requires regular grooming and can end up being costly.

Like any other breed, a Shih Tzus temperament varies from dog to dog. But as a whole they are known to be extremely “loyal, affectionate, outgoing and alert.” Even though we have trained my dog Bella to stay on our...