Imperial Shih Tzu: Cute and Loveable
In the mystery of legends of China and Tibet, the origin of Shih Tzu is entwined. In the study of anthropology, various theories have been proposed to determine the exact origin of Shih Tzu. When one theory expounds that contemporary Shih Tzu originated during Manchu dynasty, the other puts much emphasis on the origination of Shih Tzu in the Imperial Court of China through the silk trade routes.
Many contemporary theorists argue that the contemporary form of Imperial Shih Tzu was evolved from Tibetan sleeve dogs. American Kennel Club (AKC) classifies the standard type of Shih Tzu, while it is commonly referred to as ‘Imperial size’ or ‘Teacup size’.
The Chinese Empresses Dowager in the Imperial Palace of China got a hold of small Shih Tzu’s in the six, seven, and eight pound sizes. However, the larger sizes were discarded in these early days of breeding in the palace. Either the larger sized Shih Tzu dogs were sold out in the underground market or killed. The smaller ones, on the other hand, were kept with utmost care and were presented as a honor to the diplomats and considered as the most crucial bequest from the Empresses.
The tiny Imperial Shih Tzu is raised for quality, health and temperament. As defined by AKC, Imperial Shih Tzu features a short back, straight legs and baby doll face with tiny button nose on elegant head along with a cute and affectionate expression. The puppies may be available in different colors like chocolate, red, mahogany, liver, blue and other colors. Typically, the puppies may come in gorgeous coats, round eyes, soft little bodies and elegant heads. At the time of breeding, special care needs to be taken while selecting mating partners in order to properly breed the best personality, health and temperament in the offspring.
Typically, the temperament of an Imperial Shih Tzu is very nice and adorable. It is generally a happy, spunky and hardy type of dog. They are magnificently decorous, daring and occasionally bigheaded. The tender and temperate Shih Tzu makes friends without any difficulty and offers good response with lots of patient training. A very alert dog, the Shih Tzu prefers to bark outside, while inside the house it prefers to stay calm and quiet.
The commercial demand for an Imperial Shih Tzu is significantly high. Their cute loving size draws the attention of many individuals and families around the world. People can easily take them, even in a pocket, anywhere as they wish. They require additional nutritional supplements, care and affection. Due to their small size they need to be hand-fed. This is why the sellers of Imperial Shih Tzu ask such a higher price for these puppies.
Quite naturally you cannot purchase a Shih Tzu for the price of most other breeds. The price is settled depending on various factors like breeding pair, gender, color, markings and size. If you are ready to pay $2500, you might be able to buy a beautiful teacup Imperial Shih Tzu that tip the scales at a whopping full grown size of six pounds or less.
Typically, you can start bargaining for an Imperial Shih Tzu at a base price of $1000. The size of the standard Imperial Shih Tzu is typically between six to nine pounds. For a standard Shih Tzu, you may only need to spend $500 for a dog that weighs in at nine pounds full grown.