by Meet a Sadie, a three-year old Shih Tzu. In this video, she displays her prowess in doing various tricks like sit, speak, turn, roll, play dead, stay, high five, shake and kiss. Just look at those lashes. They are so long and pretty!
Shih Tzus descended from royal Chinese dogs and were not bred to hunt, guard, herd or kill rodents. They were raised to be companion dogs meaning their primary interest in life (other than eating!) is being with their owners.
In 1861, the Shih Tzu became popular in the Imperial Court after a royal concubine – T’zu Hsi – became the Empress of China. Empress T’zu Hsi had great love for animals and she declared a law that anyone caught torturing palace dogs would be put to death.
During her reign, the Dalai Lama gave her a pair of magnificent Shih Tzus. The dogs – astonishingly – had their own palace and were trained to sit up and wave their front paws when the Empress visited. Due to their popularity, many royal families competed to produce Shih Tzus with the finest coats and colors.
In 1930, General Douglas and Lady Brownrigg imported a few of the dogs to the U.K. from Peking. The Brownriggs owned Shih Tzus named Ta Chi, Shu Ssa, Yangtse and Tzu Hsi. All modern Shih Tzus can be traced to the dogs brought to England in the ’30s.
After World War II, American soldiers returned from Europe bringing Shih Tzus back with them, and the breed quickly gained popularity among American dog lovers.
In 1969, the breed was finally recognized by the American Kennel Club as a member of the Toy Group.
image © http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK5d4KgQlrY
Do you want the easiest, fastest way to an obedient dog? Watch this video:
