Chinese "Lion Dog"

Country of Origin: The Shih Tzu, also known as the ‘Chinese Lion Dog’, ‘Chrysanthemum Dog’ (because its face resembles a flower), or ‘Shih Tzu Kou’ (which translates to ‘Lion Dog’, designating its revered status in Buddhism) originates in Tibet as far back as the 1600’s. The Shih Tzu in its current form was primarily developed in China during the reign of Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi in the late 1800’s, likely from crosses of the Pekingese with the Lhasa Apso. The Shih Tzu was a favored pet of royalty, but fell into decline when British troops raided the Forbidden City in 1860. The breed survived, but was generally not distinguished from the Lhasa Apso until 1934, when the smaller, shorter nosed variety was reassigned its original Chinese name, ‘Shih Tzu’. The Shih Tzu was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969 and has continued to climb in popularity to this day. Crossbreeds between Shih Tzu and other toy breeds are also increasing in popularity, particularly crosses with the Poodle and Bichon Frise

WHERE WE ARE LOCATED

We are located in north central Texas, just on the Texas, Oklahoma line. We reside on Fm 902 between Burns City and Lake Kiowa. There is lots of space to roam. You can sit on the back porch and watch the cows graze or ocassionally squirrels romping in the trees or you can see a beautiful early morning sun rise. We are proud of our heritage. Our family has been on this land for many years and hope to continue the tradition for years to come.

ALL ABOUT WAGZ N WIGGLEZ

Wagz n Wigglez came about because my sister, my mom, and I decided to breed Yorkies. Then we got a couple shih-tzu and everything blossomed from there.
We now have 4 female shih-tzu,1 male shih-tzu, 3 male Yorkies, 2 female Yorkies, 4 poodles and a pom a poo.
They are all part of our respective families and we love them very much.
We will be posting more photos and info in the near future. In you have comments or information please feel free to post to our blog. Everyone is welcome and appreciated.

WELCOME to our Blog!

Our goal is to keep our blog interesting. It is dedicated to the upkeep and well being of the Shih Tzu. We have four Shih Tzu and they are each and every one unique in their own way. They are loving and loyal pets but there is a certain amount of attention they need to retain their beauty and keep them healthy. We hope you stay in touch with us and if you have information or comments to add, they are welcome and appreciated.

SHIH TZU COLOR: Livers and Blues

Blue and liver are about skin pigment, and not hair color, but they are on different genes. The dog is basically black or liver (the B series), and blue (the D series) modifies either one when present. In Blues, you have to look really close- they can produce VERY dark gunmetal- to the point that it looks black until you get them up against a true black or out in the sun. They don't explain that on the registration. When you see a lavender cast to the lips, it's a trigger to look very closely at the color of the nose and eye rims.
Normal Pigment, Livers & Blues in Shih Tzu
There is a lot of confusion regarding dogs of normal pigment, livers, and blues. For the purpose of this discussion, we are going to concentrate on two gene series- B and D. We are discussing skin pigment, not coat color. The genes in this discussion have minimal impact on coat color, though there definitely is some.
B Series
In Shih Tzu, the points (eye rims, nose, lips) are always first controlled by the B series gene. The B series has two color possibilities- Black (B) or no black (b- liver). BB (the homozygous state for black, homozygous meaning two of the same gene) is black points and can only produce black pointed offspring because B is dominant, and all offspring will carry a B (the other side of the gene pair will carry a gene from the other parent). Bb (the heterozygous state) will be black pointed, but can produce either black or liver pointed offspring. bb (again homozygous, but this time for liver) is always liver pointed. The offspring can be liver or black, but ALL will carry b (liver) and be able to produce it.
The skin of the bb, or liver, dog cannot support black pigment. This dog will have a liver nose, varying in intensity from red-tan to chocolate, and there will be no black on either the skin or coat.
D Series
The Maltese Dilute (D series) gene modifies the base color- black or liver- with a grayish blue like you see in Maltese and Russian Blue cats. The dominant side of the gene (D) is actually non-blue-dilute, and does not affect pigment. DD will not have blue-dilute pigment, nor will any of the offspring be blue-dilute. Dd does not affect pigment, but a blue-dilute offspring may be produced. dd is blue-dilute pigmented, and will always pass a blue-dilute gene to offspring, so they will either be blue-dilute or carry it.