Famous shih tzus: real dogs behind the palace lapdog legend

Part 1

Shih tzus in the imperial Chinese court

How the breed was kept by Ming and Qing dynasty rulers

Shih tzus lived with Chinese royalty throughout the Ming Dynasty, from 1368 to 1644. Dogs resembling shih tzus stayed connected to Chinese courts for centuries afterward, into the Qing period. By the late 1800s, the Dowager Empress Cixi kept a kennel of pugs and Pekingese and received dogs resembling shih tzus from the Dalai Lama. Today, court eunuchs are said to have vied to breed dogs that pleased the Emperor.

The role of eunuchs and palace staff in breeding them

Breeding of the shih tzu was delegated to court eunuchs, who competed with each other to produce dogs that pleased the Emperor. Dogs selected as fine examples had their pictures painted on palace hangings and drapes, and the eunuchs responsible for them received gifts, including income from rice land, as a reward. No one alive today knows exactly what the eunuchs combined to create the breed, though historians believe the Pekingese and Lhasa Apso were both involved.

Why the breed was kept secret from the West for so long

For most of its history, the shih tzu stayed behind palace doors and out of Western hands. No shih tzu left China until the twentieth century, even though other Chinese toy breeds had already been sent abroad. No shih tzu left China until the twentieth century, even though other Chinese toy breeds had already been sent abroad.

Part 2

The dogs that saved the breed from extinction

How the breed nearly disappeared after the fall of the Qing dynasty

After Empress Cixi died in 1908, the palace breeding program that had sustained the shih tzu ended and the breed's future became uncertain. After the 1949 Communist revolution, shih tzus in China were killed off because they were linked to wealth and the old imperial class. If you think about how close your own dog's breed came to vanishing entirely, that history feels more urgent than a simple timeline suggests.

The small founding stock that rebuilt the breed

Lady Brownrigg, an Englishwoman living in China, found a few surviving shih tzus and imported them to England around 1928. A few more dogs were salvaged by an English officer stationed in China at the time, and additional dogs went to Ireland and Scandinavia through other breeders. From England and Scandinavia, the breed was later sent to other European countries and to Australia.

Why so few dogs shaped every shih tzu alive today

Modern shih tzus descend from just 13 dogs imported into England and Scandinavia between 1928 and 1952. A black and white Pekingese was also introduced into the breed in England in 1952, a controversial cross at the time, bringing the total foundation to 14 dogs. Because the founding gene pool was so small, breeders had to allow close breeding between relatives to establish a uniform type. This narrow ancestry is one reason responsible breeders today value health testing in the dogs they choose to breed.

Part 3

Famous shih tzus owned by public figures

After the breed reached the United Kingdom and the United States, it attracted well-known owners. Queen Elizabeth II and Miley Cyrus have both owned shih tzus. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II's father, also kept the breed. Bill Gates and Nicole Richie have been named among other shih tzu owners.

Part 4

What these famous dogs reveal about the breed today

Traits that keep showing up: temperament, size, coat

Across this history, certain traits keep appearing in the shih tzu, whether the dog belonged to an emperor or a modern owner. The breed has a long, flowing double coat, dark eyes, and a confident, sometimes arrogant attitude. Shih tzus are typically outgoing, affectionate, and friendly toward people. Adult shih tzus generally weigh about 9 to 16 pounds and stand roughly 9 to 10 and a half inches tall.

How the breed's palace past still shows up in modern standards

The name shih tzu comes from the Mandarin word for lion, and the breed was nicknamed the chrysanthemum dog in England in the 1930s because its facial hair grows outward in all directions. Today the shih tzu's purpose is simply to be a companion, much as it was in the Chinese royal court long ago.