Neck length is not mentioned in the standard, but a Shih Tzu should have enough neck to balance with the arch of the tail. Color (parti-colored, any solid color, black and white, or having a dark face) is of no importance, as all colors and marking are equal. Movement in Shih Tzu should be the same as for any soundly moving dog. The head should be carried high. The standard refers to a “distinctly arro- gant carriage.” There is absolutely no mention in the standard about length of neck. The standard requires that the Shih Tzu have an arrogant car- riage. In order for a Shih Tzu to carry its head high (without being “strung up”), it must have good shoulder lay- back. Moving away from you, you should see two black pads. The Shih Tzu should cover ground, but is not to be raced. Per the standard, “the Shih Tzu moves straight and must be shown at its own natural speed, nei- ther raced nor strung-up.” Enough tension on the lead to guide the Shih Tzu is appropriate. Temperament in judging a Shih Tzu should never be an issue. This is a happy breed that would rather kiss you than have you examine it. A bit of happy “naughtiness” should be ex- pected. Please do not expect the Shih Tzu to be a robot. Please judge the ShihTzu by the Stan- dard and not the Group it is placed in. Frequently, judges ask me if Shih Tzu are getting too big. I always ask what they mean by “big?” Shih Tzu are frequently tall and leggy (a fault), BUT many, many of them have little or no body and are too fine-boned. Breeders and judges should remem- ber that most everywhere else in the world, the Shih Tzu is NOT in the Toy Group. The Shih Tzu has not been bred down from some other combina- tion of breeds. The Shih Tzu should be the third heaviest breed in the Toy Group, right behind the Pug and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Many years ago, we always talked about the Shih Tzu being “surprisingly heavy for its size.” The standard says that the ideal weight for a Shih Tzu should be 9 to 16 lbs. The majority of dogs
being shown today are between 8 and 11 pounds. My answer to those ask- ing if they are getting too big is NO. Most old-time breeders would like to see Shih Tzu, regardless of sex, in the 12- to 15-pound range. In reality, most Shih Tzu today are too small, lacking bone and substance. A nine- pound male “special” is just too small. Recently, a breeder-judge told me about showing a nine-pound male champion special. There is nothing “special” about a nine-pound female, let alone a nine-poundMALE. A Shih Tzu can be small in stature (height) and still carry good substance and bone. Many years ago, Elfreda Evans in England did the very controversial “Peke Cross.” She bred a Ch. Peking- ese male to a Shih Tzu bitch. Why? Because the ShihTzuwere getting too leggy, too slab-sided, too fine-boned, and were losing head size. After three generations of breeding the progeny back to Shih Tzu, the Kennel Club recognized them as purebred Shih Tzu again. Maybe that is where we are today. The brachycephalic head shape is the hardest shape to maintain. The tendency is for canine heads to be- come smaller and to lengthen, with longer muzzles. The standard is a good standard, ex- plicit and easy to understand. It is very frustrating as a breeder-judge to attempt to judge by the standard and not be able to do so because of so much divergence from the stan- dard. Judges cannot change breed- ing programs—only breeders can. It appears that many breeders either do not understand the standard or they disregard the standard in favor of what they prefer or think they can win with. Breeders can only choose “preferences” within the parameters of the standard. If breeders don’t like the standard, they have two choices; one, to change the standard (not a choice, in my estimation) or two, go to a different breed. Just as with any other breed standard, judges do not have the right to say, “I don’t care what the standard says, I like…” It is very frustrating and confusing when prospective judges are told one thing
in seminars and study groups, and through tutoring, and then cannot apply what they have learned when in the ring. Judges, and especially breeders, MUST judge and breed by the standard. Here are five quotes from the standard: GENERAL APPEARANCE – The Shih TzuMUST be “compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance.” SUBSTANCE – Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always “compact, solid and carries good weight and substance.” BODY – “Short-coupled and sturdy
with no waist or tuck-up.” CHEST – “Broad and deep with good spring-of-rib,” but “not barrel-chested.” FOREQUARTERS, HINDQUARTERS, LEGS – “Straight, well-boned.”
I have heard others say that a Shih Tzu cannot have straight legs if it has proper rib spring. Tell me why then can a Pug have straight legs? Further, if a Shih Tzu does not have much rib spring, then it should be even easier for it to have straight front legs. This has, undoubtedly, been a lot for you to absorb at one time, but do not worry. With time and practice, you will be able to quickly and efficiently perform a thorough examination without messing a hair, and the ex- hibitor will very quickly be able to tell that you do understand the essence of the breed. This article was first published in the April 2008 issue of Top Notch Toys. Joe Walton and his wife, Bobbi, began exhibiting Shih Tzu under the Shen Wah prefix in the early 1970s. To date, they have finished more than 78 champions, including two all- breed BIS winners. Joe began judging in 1987 and is licensed to judge the AKCHound, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting Groups. The past president of the ASTC, he has held many offices in the parent club. He was the first chair of the ASTC Judges Education Committee, served on the 1989 Breed Standard Revision Committee, and was a member of the committee that produced the Illustrated Guide to the Shih Tzu Standard. Joe has judged and presented seminars throughout the world and served as annual seminar chair for the Dog Judges Association of America. Past president of the Toy Dog Fanciers of Southern California, he was for many years Show Chairman of the Santa Ana Valley Kennel Club, and served as Toy and Non-Sporting Group Education Coordinator of the Los Angeles Area Dog Judges Educational Association.
60 • T op N otch T oys , N ovember 2021
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