The Imperial Shih Tzu

The Imperial Shih Tzu

The imperial, or “tea cup”, Shih Tzu is a smaller than average Shih Tzu that does not fit into either the American Kennel Club or Canadian Kennel Club Standards. In fact, it will not fit into any registry’s standards other than those created specifically for imperial Shih Tzus, and those registries are not recognized or sanctioned by either the AKC or the CKC.

The AKC’s breed standard for the Shih Tzu states that it should be no less than 8 inches, and no more than 11 inches tall. It should also be no smaller than 9 pounds and no more than 16 pounds in weight. The CKC breed standard states that the Shih Tzu should be no less than 9 inches and no more than 10 ½ inches tall. There is no description in weight under the CKC standard.

Standards in any kennel club are there for a very good reason. Breeding out of the standard can, and will, create a whole new breed of dog (though one that is not recognized by any kennel club). Breed standards give breeders a guideline of what their breed of choice should look and act like to be considered part of the breed. Reputable breeders don’t just breed for looks, but they also breed for temperament and health. A reputable breeder will breed to better the breed, but will not break out of the breed standard. They are breeding for a dog that is well proportioned according to the standard, has a good temperament and one that reflects the attitude of that breed, and is in good health with relatively no hereditary health problems (the goal being no hereditary health problems).

This is the purpose of conformation shows. Your dog is judged based on how well it will fit into the breed standard. Those dogs that fit the closest are the winners and prove to be worthy of passing on their good genes.

Any breeder who claims to be breeding imperial or tea cup Shih Tzus is not a reputable breeder. They do not care about the health of the breed or their individual dogs. Breeding smaller can and does create health problems, rather than dismiss them.

The fastest way to produce a smaller dog is through inbreeding. To help differentiate between a reputable breeder’s inbreeding and a non reputable breeders inbreeding we will call one “inbreeding” and the other “line breeding”. Inbreeding is when you breed dogs within the same gene pool (same family). Line breeding doesn’t often warp genes to this extreme, whereas inbreeding can. The difference between line breeding and inbreeding is the amount of dogs in the same gene pool being bred together. In line breeding you can find some father to daughter, some grandfather to granddaughter etc. with more dogs from other gene pools added in. Whereas in inbreeding, you will find dogs that are consistently bred together that are in the same gene pool with little other genes being added in from dogs outside of that gene pool. In order to produce genes that will dramatically make a difference in a faster amount of time regarding size, inbreeding is the way to accomplish this. However, inbreeding can cause serious genetic health problems that may have otherwise not shown up in that specific line. Therefore, breeders who are using this method to quickly change the size of the dogs in their lines are creating more health problems than they are preventing. Only those breeders who are experienced in the genetics of their dogs and know their lines very well should line breed, and the only reason for line breeding is to try and remove an unwanted health problem. It should not be used to deliberately cause dogs with genetic defects (which is what smaller/dwarf Shih Tzus are; dogs with genetic defects!).

Those who are breeding imperial Shih Tzus and aren’t inbreeding to do it are choosing the runts of the litter to add into their breeding plan. These are dogs with weaker genes (they don’t fit the breed standard and have inherited traits that are not welcomed in a reputable breeders breeding plan). It takes much longer to breed smaller dogs using this method because breeding small to small doesn’t necessarily guarantee the puppies of that litter will be small as well. When breeding small is someone’s main goal they will overlook other health and temperament concerns and only select those smaller dogs. These smaller dogs do not have health or temperament tests done and problems are likely to occur as the dog gets older.

Imperial, or tea cup, Shih Tzus is a fad and nothing more. There is no such thing as an “imperial gene” and those who claim their dogs have it are either lying or seriously misguided. Breeding for genetically weak dogs is unethical and unsuspecting buyers are purchasing these dogs for a higher price and the result is an unsound dog in temperament and health. The cost of the dog itself as well as vet bills that are sure to follow is much higher than the price you will find for a sound dog of a larger size by a reputable breeder.

Buying a dog should never be done on a whim and should never be done just because the dog is “cute”. You need to take into account that this dog will be in your household for 7-15 years (depending on breed, care and other factors). Finding a dog that will have the best possible health and temperament should be a huge factor when purchasing your new family member. It will create a much happier dog, a much easier household to live in, and will be less costly because vet bills will be much lower with a dog in good health than one that is in poor health.

So if you’re considering buying an imperial or tea cup Shih Tzu, please think again. You should want the best possible outcome for your new dog and you should not want to support a scammer who is only looking for your money and has little to no care about the health and well being of the puppies they are creating.



Sources:
American Shih Tzu Club – Imperial Shih Tzu

Canadian Kennel Club Shih Tzu Breed Standard

American Kennel Club Shih Tzu Breed Standard

Italian Greyhounds – Breeding for Proper Size