cross into their breeding programs seems to prove that it was indeed necessary. Considering that there un- doubtedly are Pekingese somewhere in the dark recesses of Shih Tzu his- tory, it wasn’t really that much of an outcross. Some European breeders who opposed this cross went to great lengths to maintain a line of Shih Tzu without it; today, it would take a very determined pedigree research to find if any are left. The issue of size continued well into the 1960s. Since Shih Tzu coming to the United States were from both England and the continent, American breeders soon began mixing blood- lines to get what they thought was the perfect Shih Tzu. With the exploding popularity of the breed, once AKC granted recognition in 1969, produc- ing puppies to satisfy the demand meant even more crossing of lines with little regard to whether or not they were English or Scandinavian. Nowadays it would be hard to find an “English” or a “Scandinavian” style Shih Tzu, although a Shih Tzu that is low on leg, a little long in the back, and with a big head is often referred to as “old-fashioned.” And, there are those today who insist the breed should be quite small, entitling them “Imperial” in an effort to make it seem that that
was the size they were in China. How- ever, anyone who has been breeding Shih Tzu for any length of time knows you cannot reliably produce Shih Tzu that mature at less than eight pounds, and when trying, are usually reward- ed with unhealthy, disfigured dogs no one would expect to find in a palace. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, size certainly follows. Without pick- ing up a dog, it is impossible to deter- mine if it really is a small, sturdy dog as called for in the Standard, or just a bit of fluff. Being small does not al- ways mean lightweight. Many Shih Tzu breeders and judges today would do well to remember the Pug descrip- tion when it comes to our breed. From Europe, Shih Tzu spread around the world and today it is dif- ficult to find a country without them. While they appear in both the Toy Group and the Non-Sporting Group, depending upon the country, their ancestors did come from inhospitable lands where it was necessary to be sturdy and adaptable. Being small also made it necessary to be very friend- ly to the larger humans, who could protect them, and being treasured meant being self-confident. Having reviewed many histories of the breed to remind myself of the facts, I have realized that the Scandinavian ideal
has won out. American Shih Tzu of today are rarely the rugged, outgoing dogs the English preferred. They are quite definitely much more elegant, with longer legs and necks, which can lead to a decline in the quality of the headpiece, a real detriment in a breed where head and expression are so im- portant. Too often they are also timid, refusing to keep their tails up or to al- low a judge to examine them when being shown, hiding under the bed when visitors come to call, or worse yet, snapping at strangers. This dis- position is often excused as reserved befitting royalty, but it does not befit a Shih Tzu. Adding a Shih Tzu to a breeding program that is gorgeous to look at, structurally sound but tem- peramentally weak, does not ben- efit the breed or the owner. Shih Tzu may not have “real jobs” but they are capable of doing whatever is asked of them. Regardless of their short faces and undershot bites, they can pick up sticks with the best of them, and seeing them in action at Obedience, Rally and Agility Trials is a wonder to behold. They must be of sound mind as well as body so that they continue to be the perfect pet they were always meant to be.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Madonna Holko bought her first Shih Tzu in 1964 and joined the American Shih Tzu Club (ASTC) then. She showed Shih Tzu in the Miscellaneous Class, and later, regular AKC classes until 1973, after which she took a twenty-year hiatus from showing and breeding—but not from owning Shih Tzu. In 1992, she rejoined the ASTC, bought a show prospect, and in the years since has owned fifteen AKC champions, 14 of which she bred; was Editor of the Shih Tzu Bulletin for eight years; judged a National Specialty Sweepstakes entry of 83 in 2000; served as a Director of the ASTC; and compiled the last eight volumes of the ASTC Historical Record Books (1996-2011). She was honored with Life Membership in the American Shih Tzu Club in 2011.
48 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2024
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