by Judy and Fran Calverese
Let's start with something that does not belong in the Encyclopedia - facts! The Shih Tzu Standard has specific language regarding size, proportion and substance: "Size Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10 inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dog - 9 to 16 pounds...Substance - regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid, and carries good weight and substance."We quoted this excerpt because, unless a breeder shows the breed, they tend to forget the standard--or worse, they choose to ignore it. If they show and forget or ignore it, you simply won't win with any frequency. However, if they don't show, or if they breed simply to sell pets, it becomes easier to follow breeding fads.
On the large end of the Standard, you are not likely to encounter problems--either with competition or with health. First, there isn't much of a market for large Shih Tzu. Second, large is in the direction that Mother Nature intended for dogs. For proof of the latter, go to inner-city Philadelphia, and, if you are lucky enough to see a wild dog before you get mugged, you will observe that, unless the dog is a first or second generation stray, they all have common features: all are about 35-40 pounds; have short hair; tails curling over their backs; pointed muzzles and erect but bent-tipped ears, a modest stop and eyes in the front of their face rather than to the sides. Travel the world and you will find wild dogs generally follow this pattern no matter where they are. This is Mother Nature at work, returning dogs to the form she intended. So, a larger Shih Tzu is simply moving in the size direction of its ancient forebears.
Breeders find much greater pressure to move toward smaller Shih Tzu. The reasons are simple: Space is limited for most owners or potential owners of pets; many people, particularly the elderly, are looking for a companion dog who is truly a lap dog; smaller dogs are "cuter" and more baby-like; it's easier to clean up after smaller dogs; it's easier to handle and carry a smaller dog; and myriad other reasons.
So, for the breeder the decision is simple--go for small because it sells. If you succumb, you are asking for trouble.
Basically there are two ways to achieve small--by inbreeding and by breeding runts. Each approach has its problems.
Biologists and geneticists have known for decades that inbreeding tends to reduce size. If larger size is important, then it's critical to introduce new "blood" by outcrossing. Ask any breeder of beef cattle. So, many breeders inbreed without outcrosses to keep diminishing size. The problem? Reinforcement of recessives. Recessives are not particularly bad. After all, we wouldn't have all the various breeds if it weren't for recessives. Dominant traits always return to Mother Nature's "ideal dog" described earlier in this article. Fundamentally, recessive traits do not add to a creature's survivability unless they produce some clear advantage. But we breeders interfere with the process of natural selection which would decide whether a trait is advantageous. We "help" puppies to live when their mothers would allow them to die. After all, each surviving puppy represents a sale of several hundred dollars.
And, to modify an old saying,"If it looks like a Shih Tzu, barks like a Shih Tzu, and walks like a Shih Tzu, then it must be a Shih Tzu." Not necessarily so.
If it's a Shih Tzu, it should be able to reproduce itself. And, reproduction problems increase dramatically with reduced size. They range from males who must be bred by artificial insemination, to females who can only give birth by Cesarean, to puppies with congenital defects, some apparent, some not. Remember, in nature, change takes place slowly. A Neanderthal brought to the present from 30,000 years ago would recognize a wolf--but he wouldn't know what to make of a Shih Tzu, except as a hood or scarf, and only if it were in full coat. We force changes in dogs at an astronomical pace. A breeder can, in a few generations, produce a whole new breed of dog. However, it may not be sound. Reduced size brings about profound changes in soundness--such as the need for Cesareans--because of the rapidity of the change from large to small. The dog's genetic code does not necessarily change in proportion to the reduction in size.
For example, if you've seen "miniature" Shih Tzu, you may have noticed that they are often wall-eyed. The reduction in head size occurred faster than the reduction in eye size, thereby moving the eyes around to the sides of the head. This is not a problem for the survival of a pet, but other, less visible problems are. Dogs bred for small size often have nervous system difficulties such as epilepsy. Ask your vet. She will certainly have a horror list of internal defects resulting from miniaturization.
OK. How about runts? Although runts occur naturally, and are not as likely to have genetic faults aggravated by inbreeding, they have problems, too. Anything smaller than Mom Nature's ideal is headed for survivability challenges. The farther from that ideal, the more the problems. The challenge begins in the nest. Runts get picked on by their larger siblings. As a result, they are generally more aggressive because their survival depends on a nuclear response. They often carry that attitude into their dealings with humans--especially small ones, who, though small as humans go, are still at least 8 times larger than a 4-pound Shih Tzu. This entirely defeats the original intent of the breed.
The Standard has this to say about temperament--in bold type, yet, "As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion house pet, it's essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting towards all."
The Old Wives will be quick to point out:"It is possible to reduce the impact of recessives surfacing in inbreeding programs by vigorous culling." True to some extent, but how do you cull a problem which doesn't surface until months or years after a dog has been sold? Also, as mentioned earlier, each cull represents several hundred dollars in income. I'm sure there is a small dog which was a marvelous producer of small lovable pets which had no health problems." Sure. There are bound to be a few out there. But how many of the offspring have you followed throughout their lives? Have they been used in breeding programs? What kind of success have they had? What is the mortality rate of the puppies? Unless you can show a study, as comprehensive as those published by Cornell and other research institutions, which contradicts the findings they have already published, stating in technical terms what this article says in layman's language, we should remain skeptical.
What it comes down to is this: It has taken generations of careful breeding to produce consistency in the Shih Tzu. The American Shih Tzu Standard has been developed with the intent of maintaining that consistency to avoid the development of the inevitable problems which arise when breeders jump on fad bandwagons.
So, if someone wants a smaller dog, tell them to look for a Yorky, Papillon, or Chihuahua. If they want great temperament, durability and lapability, tell them it comes in a package weighing at least 9 pounds.