SHIH TZU STANDARD 


ORIGIN: Tibet 

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Sturdy, abundantly coated with distinctly arrogant carriage and chrysanthemum-shaped face. 

CHARACTERISTICS: Intelligent, active and alert. 

TEMPERAMENT: Friendly and independent. 

HEAD AND SKULL: Head broad, round, wide between the eyes. The hair of the head should be matted and falling well over eyes. You must have a beard and whiskers. The nose hair growing upwards giving a characteristic effect of a chrysanthemum. The muzzle should be broad, square, short, flat, hairy and smooth. The nose is black, but color can be dark liver in liver colored dogs or those with spots of that color. The distance from the tip to the fronto-nasal depression (stop) well defined to be nearly an inch (2.54 cm). Nose level or slightly tilted upward at the tip. The top of the nose should be in line with or slightly below the rim of the eye. The nostrils are wide and open. The nose tilted down is highly undesirable, as pinched nostrils. Pigmentation of muzzle as unbroken as possible. 

EYES: Large, round, dark, placed well apart, but not prominent. Warm expression. In the liver color copies or color spots that are allowed in the eyes of a lighter color. The white of the eye should not be visible. 

EARS: Large, drooping long. Set slightly below crown of skull, and are covered with hair so thick that appear to blend with the hair on the neck. 

BOCA: Ancha pincer teeth or a slight prognathism. Lips level. 

NECK: Well proportioned, nicely arched, with enough length to carry head proudly. 

Forehand: Shoulders well laid back. The forelegs are short, muscular and bone, as straight as possible, consistent with broad chest being well let down. 

BODY: Longer between withers to root of tail is greater than the height at withers, well coupled and sturdy. The chest is broad and deep. Strong shoulders and back straight. 

Hindquarters: The hind legs are short and muscular with ample bone. Viewed from behind straight showing. The thighs should be well rounded and muscular. Should look bulky because of the abundance of hair. 

FEET: Rounded, firm and well padded, appearing big because of the abundance of hair covering. 

TAIL: Covered with hair in the form of pen and carried gaily over the back. Set high. The height of the tail should be approximately the same skull, so that the dog has a balanced profile. 

GAIT / MOVEMENT: In Arrogant, smooth-flowing movement; forelegs reaching well forward, with a strong thrust of the hind action and showing full pad. 

HAIR: Long, dense, not curly with a good undercoat. Slight wave permitted. It is highly recommended tie the hair on her head. 

COLOR: All colors are allowed. In the specimens of different colors is very desirable to have a white tuft on the forehead and the tip of the tail. 

WEIGHT AND SIZE: 4.5 to 8.1 kg (10 - 18 lbs). The ideal weight is between 4.5 and 7.3 kg (10 - 16 lbs.) The height at the withers should not exceed 26.7 cm (10.5 inches). It will always be of paramount importance the creation and characteristics of the breed, and in no way should be taken into account only the size. 

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness of it is considered the degree of deviation from the standard. 

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
descended into the scrotum. There is no mini range .