Shih Tzu, the little lions of the East

Small dogs are appropriate when we want to have an ideal partner and live in small places or with difficult areas to walk large dogs. If this is your case, or if you simply feel great love for small canines, Shih Tzu They will make you happy with their tender appearance and their mischief. Shih Tzu dogs stand out for being tiny loyal, tender and affectionate friends. Next you will know more about this race.

• Size: Little.
• Weight: Between 4 and 7kg.
• Hair type: Smooth and long.
• Character: Playful, ready, affectionate, intelligent, reckless
• Health: Healthy
• Life expectancy: Between 10 and 16 years.

Let's learn a little about the Shih Tzu

The little Shih Tzu are A race that comes from Tibet, where they were extremely careful and held as guardians and protectors of the families that cared for them. In Chino, the name Shih Tzu means "Lion dog”, What identifies this breed because the intention of the Tibetans was to give them the appearance of a Chinese guardian lion, with the aim of taking care of them and keeping them safe from any evil.  

This breed of dogs was quite dear to Tibet and its fame spread throughout Europe and America when they began to explore the Asian continent, knowing not only their culture but these little dogs that attracted their attention.

Characteristics of the Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu are a breed of small dogs that are usually longer than high. The maximum that they can measure are between 25 to 30 centimeters high and, their ideal weight, is between 4 and 7 kg, depending on sex, although many can reach 10kg. Although they are small dogs, they are still vigorous, so they can feel comfortable both in long walks, as in short but fun walks.  

The head of the Shih Tzu is round, with quite expressive and splendid black eyes that attract the attention of anyone around them. The face of these magnificent dogs is a bit flattened and with a little elongated snout, giving that unique touch to the head of the Shih Tzu that usually compare with the chrysanthemum flower, that thanks to the amount of fur and the shape that it takes. For its part, the tail is also of long and smooth fur, like your entire body, so you need a lot of attention and care to keep it beautiful. Being long, it can become a reason for disasters, because when the Shih Tzu is very excited, it moves it vigorously, getting some objects down. However, it is important to keep it from the same length and not cut it, as in all dogs, it is a very sensitive part not only from the aesthetic point of view, but also for the development of our little friend. 

Shih Tzu's fur is what makes it so famous and splendid. We have undoubtedly seen these little canines with their long and smooth fur waving with the wind while walking or running down the street. It is a double layer of hair that can grow immensely, which means that maintaining this type of fur demands a lot from the owner of the Shih Tzu.

Its fur can be of different colors, they range from white, reddish to dark and black gray. The best known and most beloved are those whites with dark brown, with small black circles around the eyes that resemble a "mask." There are also many owners who prefer to have their Shih Tzu with short fur, which does not subtract the beauty, charisma and loyalty of these beautiful dogs with their owners.

What can we expect from the personality of our Shih Tzu?

There is no more proactive race than that of the Shih Tzu, it will undoubtedly always wait for new activities and new challenges. It is one Recognized breed for having active and intelligent specimens, Without leaving behind his great loyalty, charisma and friendship with his owners and any other dog around him. The Shih Tzu walk with an incredible majesty, so that there is no doubt that they come from Chinese royalty. But that does not mean that they do not have a way of being friendly and playful with those around him. The Shih Tzu have great intelligence, even going through manipulators, since they are very insistent and ingenious to obtain what they want. It is good to have them busy in games and tricks that have fun both and their owners.  

Something very important, especially if we live in an urbanization or residential area, is that The Shih Tzu are very little noisy; Although they can relate to all the dogs around them, it is very strange to bark any person or animal in their surroundings. On the contrary, they are highly affectionate and love to be surrounded by people who want to give them a lot of love, as well as other dogs with whom they can share and play. Being a small breed, they are not as energetic as dogs of large or more robust breeds. Although They can adapt to different types of training of medium demand or long walks. The best thing for the Shih Tzu is not to take them to the limit and give them some exercise to keep them fit but also maintain their energy and vitality to the maximum to continue sharing with everyone around them.

Shih Tzu care

Shih Tzu dogs are lightweight and dense, soft and long fur. Despite being a race that does not usually have serious diseases until reaching old age, their specimens need essential care to keep them healthy. The Shih Tzu breed is usually not lover of games in open spaces, they prefer to enjoy their owners in small spaces and do it daily. They also enjoy short walks, especially in the stations in which the temperature is higher. 

Reproduction

This issue is of vital importance for this race, so it should not be taken lightly. Shih Tzu females can have a litadas of between 1 and 8 puppies, although cases are known in which they have had up to 10 puppies in a litter. However, due to its small size the gestations of several puppies can be risky for the health of the dog. It is also important that both the male and the female are of adequate size, that is, that they are not very small, since this can cause the puppies to nad with malformations. Both the mother and the newborn puppies must remain in a dry, comfortable and warm place to ensure their healthy evolution. 

Feeding

Since it is a small breed, it has an excessively fast metabolism and a small stomach, so the space for storing food is not very wide, consequently it usually burns the energy at a very high pace. Motivated to this, they must receive small meals, but with a higher frequency compared to other races. The best way to ensure that our Shih Tzu maintain their energy levels is to distribute their intake at different times throughout the day, for example about 2 or 3 times in the adult stage.  

It is also important to guarantee them a type of food that contains all the nutrients they need, through croquettes that adapt to the size of their mouths. A mini dog feed will serve. There are specific cases where some digestive sensitivity is presented related to food intake that does not correspond to their diet such as some vegetables or fruits. In conclusion, Food is a determining factor to maintain the well -being of our shih tzu.

Bathroom and brushing

As we have commented, the characteristics of your fur condition that it is easily entangled, so it is important to perform the daily brushing. Together with this, they have psaltone eyes that also They need daily care and cleaning To avoid infections. The bangs usually fall over his eyes, causing them discomfort. For this reason, some owners choose to let the bangs grow and comb it daily, or collect it back in a small bun. However, others prefer to regularly go to canine hairdressing in order to keep their growth under control. The daily cleaning of our pet's eyes to avoid possible eye pathologies is a fundamental task, since in the Shih Tzu race the development of eye diseases is common.  

An ocular ulcer can be given by scratching or some blow that has gone unnoticed, so that the first symptom of anxiety in the eye must contact the veterinarian. A time treatment increases the possibilities of a recovery without sequelae. Eye problems, even those that do not seem so severe, could result in a condition in their vision or even the loss of this, so it is very important to pay the necessary attention to the eyes of our canines. The bathroom and nail cut are care that must be started from the puppy phase. A bath frequency of 1 time per month is recommended, taking the opportunity to perform a higher level of brushing and subsequently a complete drying. Since they are indoor dogs and do not usually wear their nails through the game in the spaces enabled for dogs, the most recommended thing is to make the nail cut regularly to prevent it from hurting, that unintentionally hurts their owners in the moments of play or spoils an object at home.

Dental health

On the other hand, it is essential to devote the necessary time to care for your teeth. Dogs of small breeds are usually more exposed to the presence of bacteria in the gums By accumulation of plaque, since they have the same definitive dental structure as the rest of the dogs (42 teeth), however, their jaw is smaller. Because of this, their teeth usually pass much of the time embedded in a spike pattern that causes bacteria to have more opportunity to accumulate and produce dental diseases.  

In order to prevent this, it is advised that, from the 7th month of life, the daily cleaning of your teeth is carried out, with the use of a dog brush and cream for dogs. Once our Shih Tzu turns the year, this routine could be combined with the supply of a daily dental snack that promotes the chewed and encourages physical "brushing" on the surface of the teeth. Even in their posterior teeth, which are usually the most difficult to reach, and where the plate and tartar are usually accumulated more frequently. It is also recommended that the veterinarian review the dental health of our Shih Tzu during periodic control visits. This breed does not usually have serious hereditary diseases, however, they could present some potential problems such as small nostrils, back problems, snorted (due to its short and snout shorts), and heart disease with some frequency. These problems can be observed in the first months of life or already towards old age. Regardless of the case, evaluation with the veterinarian is necessary to rule out chronic pathologies or give the necessary treatment for our Shih Tzu.

Conclusion

Happy, happy, playful and nice are some of the characteristics that lead us to decide to take a Shih Tzu to our homes. We must not forget that they are a race that requires very personal attention and socialization. More than a pet, he is one more member of the family, and because he feels so comfortable with the human company, they will not be able to resist and will make us very easy to end up consenting them. [embed] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z299vemufaa[/embed]