The True Beauty of a Shih Tzu is in the Eyes of the Beholder

Dog breed standards come and go. Beauty of a Shih Tzu is in the
eyes of the beholder. To try and measure your Shih Tzu against
an imaginary yardstick such as a “breed standard,” does little
for you or your dog. Your Shih Tzu may not be a show dog
champion. This does not mean your Shih Tzu is any less of a
family member, any less than a Shih Tzu, or that the breeder who
bred your Shih Tzu is some horrible person for not producing
Shih Tzu to exact breed standard measurements.

On the other hand, if your Shih Tzu is a champion show dog, this
does not mean he is not a genetic time bomb waiting to explode.
The Shih Tzu may be a perfect show dog specimen and be a
champion in all regards. However, the health of that Shih Tzu
may turn out to be something less than desirable and the
lifespan may not be as long as you as a pet owner would like it
to be. The status of a perfect show dog champion does not mean
the Shih Tzu is in perfect health or will live any longer than
the Shih Tzu who does not meet any of the breed standards for
the show ring. In fact, you may find it to be just the opposite.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Good health starts with
genetics. Good and/or bad health is hidden from the eyes of a
show ring audience and judge. Good health has nothing whatsoever
to do with an AKC breed standard or an AKC registration
certificate.

A pet owner trying to choose a pet for their family needs to
look further than beauty and a breed standard. Pet owners want
good health and long life with their pets. It is wonderful when
you find this all in one package, and horrifyingly disappointing
when your beautiful show dog champion Shih Tzu is laid to rest
before the age of five when the lifespan of a Shih Tzu is
expected to be 15 years or more.

When people are breeding specifically for the show ring, they
are looking for those qualities that match the AKC breed
standard. These qualities are concerned most with perfect
conformation in appearance to meet that AKC standard. When they
talk of “breeding for the betterment of the breed,” they are
referring to the AKC breed standard, not the health of that Shih
Tzu and its offspring.

This standard has changed many times over the course of the
history of the Shih Tzu and from country to country. It involves
the outer appearance of the Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu must be
within a certain weight limit. The Shih Tzu must stand to a
certain height and be a certain length. The Shih Tzu’s head must
be this or that. The eyes cannot show eye white. The eyes must
be a certain distance apart from each other. Rear movement must
be this or that.

The assets and physical attributes that Shih Tzu pet owners
usually concentrate on are somewhat different and more
practical. Most pet owners want a sweet, loving Shih Tzu to
spend time with, a long, long time, as long as possible.