| During the last few years there has been a lot of talk | | | | stops amazing people with its joy of life and this is |
| about the need for keeping the work abilities of | | | | why no other dog in his group gets more attention than |
| several breeds of dogs. With that particular goal in | | | | the Shih Tzu. |
| mind, the Newfoundland club organizes water trials and | | | | The history of the Shih Tzu takes us back to Tibet's |
| draft tests for numerous dog breeds and the | | | | "lion dogs," an exclusive group of dogs bred by |
| Dalmatian club has events on horseback in order to | | | | Buddhist monks, many centuries before the times of |
| prove the stamina of the breed. For the for the | | | | the Chinese emperors of the Manchu Dynasty from |
| sporting dogs and beagles, the American Kennel Club | | | | the middle of the 19th Century. In 1850, the monks sent |
| has hunting tests and trials, herding tests and trials for | | | | several of their temple dogs to the Manchu emperors |
| herding dogs and Samoyeds and many tests for | | | | in Peking. It was the Chinese who called these dogs |
| terriers. In order to prove the endurance, intelligence | | | | Tibetan Shih Tzu Kou or Tibetan Lion Dog. The main |
| and the guardian ability of their dogs, the people who | | | | purpose of breeding these dogs was the pleasure of |
| have German Shepherds or Rottweilers get their dogs | | | | the emperors. At their palaces, there were three |
| into Schutzhund trials. These specially bred dogs go | | | | different types of dogs, depending on the length of |
| into the trials without any preparation in advance. They | | | | their coat. |
| just do the natural things they were born to do. | | | | Nobody knows how, but the Shih Tzu managed to find |
| But this is not the way things are for smaller breeds. | | | | its way to England in the 20th century. It was originally |
| These dogs are companions, which have been | | | | called "Apsos", but Shih Tzu was soon considered to |
| developed and bred as pets. There are no such | | | | be a separate breed by the the Kennel Club. The |
| events for the small dogs, as the training it takes to | | | | American soldiers stationed in England during World |
| make them up to a competition would be too | | | | War II were charmed by the little dogs, so they took |
| exhausting for them. | | | | some back home in the United States. This is how |
| The Shih Tzu is one of these little ones. He never | | | | they got to be spread all over the world! |