Shih tzu Types

The difference between the American (AKC) and European (FCI) Shih Tzu

The Europian Shih Tzu

The European Shih Tzu is very similar to the original Shih Tzu originating in China

This is how he is built under the coat

The American Shih Tzu

This is how the American Shih Tzu looks

This is how he is built under the coat.

Shih Tzu
- In Iceland and scandinavia we follow the FCI standard
There is rightly only one type of Shih Tzu breed - the one that the Tibetan monks gave to the Chinese Emperors. This dog has a history of more than 3000 years. However, the first mention about the types of Shih Tzu dogs is some 1400 years ago when the history chronicled the Tibetan monks gifting these dogs to the Manchu Dynasty emperors. At that time, these dogs were left in charge of the palace eunuchs who competed against one another to get the best specimens for breeding them.