A teacup Shih Tzu
is a breed of dog. In any kennel association, the Shih Tzu is
recognized as a breed of dog that is under the category of toy.
In spite of this already small size, many breeders like to breed
smaller Shih Tzus which they call teacup Shih Tzu
to make it known that this particular dog is smaller than the
average Shih Tzu. The reality of the teacup Shih Tzu
is that it is basically the same as any other Shih Tzu. There
are no guarantees that the teacup Shih Tzu
might not grow to be smaller than the average Shih Tzu when it
matures. In other words, breeders who claim to breed teacup Shih Tzus
just pick the smallest of each litter and pair it with another
smaller Shih Tzu from another litter in the hopes that the union
will produce smaller than average dogs.
Many people who belong to
renowned kennel associations discourage the discriminate breeding of
teacup Shih Tzus.
This is due mainly to the fact that most of the teacup Shih Tzu
breeders may be discriminate when it comes to size but not when it
comes to health and other factors. Some irresponsible breeders might
overlook some health problems that may arise from breeding dogs that
are so small. Others might overlook recessive genes traits that may
contribute to strain of dogs that are prone to sickness and other
condition just for the sake of breeding smaller dogs. While not all
teacup Shih Tzu
breeders are irresponsible, it goes against the grain to try and
bring out dogs that are below the standard size of what is
supposedly acceptable for most kennel clubs.
Characteristics Of A Teacup Shih Tzu
Basically, the teacup Shih Tzu
should have the same characteristics as any other Shih Tzu. Many
breeders dupe unsuspecting inexperienced buyers into believing that
the Shih Tzu is a teacup
Shih Tzu because
these dogs are born small and are really small even when matured.
Ideally, show Shih Tzus
should not be more than ten inches at the withers. A teacup Shih Tzu
may stand at less when matured because of careful breeding to get
smaller dogs than the average Shih Tzu. It is wise to note that dogs
that measuring about seven inches at the withers are still accepted
at many other kennel clubs. Most of the teacup Shih Tzus
flaunted to be teacups or miniatures actually mature to be more than
seven inches in height or close to the minimum height for average
Shih Tzus.
The weight of the average
Shih Tzu is about ten to sixteen pounds. Most of the so called
teacup Shih Tzus
are close to this weight range or even in this weight range when
they mature. Since the Shih Tzu is a small dog when matured, teacups
only look smaller than the average Shih Tzus when they are puppies
but it is difficult to spot the difference in height and weight when
the dogs have matured.
Physical features of the
Shih Tzu are the same whatever its size or weight. The dog breed has
hanging ears which are covered with long hair. Typically, a Shih Tzu
has long hair which should be brushed daily to prevent snarls and
tangles which will develop to matted hair. Many Shih Tzu owners opt
to have the hair cut short for better maintenance while most show
dogs retain their long hair for show purposes. Teacup Shih Tzus
also have the same hair characteristics as the average Shih Tzus.
The tail is curled on its back and flowing with hair.
Temperament
A teacup Shih Tzu
has the same general temperament as the average ones. This breed of
dog appears haughty due mainly t the fact that it was bred
specifically as companion dogs for the royal imperial Chinese court.
These lapdogs were considered small enough to tuck into the ladies
clothes when necessary. Shih Tzus are basically even tempered and
quite playful. They can be fierce when confronted with danger and
will protect their master when necessary although they are friendly
dogs to begin with. The
teacup Shih Tzu and
the average ones do not need much exercise since they are small dogs
that can be contained in smaller houses or apartments. In spite of
this, they do need to be walked daily.
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