| Far away in Tibet, a country with a recorded history | | | | steeped in myth and legends, which makes it difficult to |
| going back almost 1,500 years is where our Shih Tzu | | | | sort the true facts of our Shih Tzu.One tale in |
| began. The country was noted for its devotion to | | | | particular, which I find interesting, is that of the small |
| Buddhism.Some of the tallest mountains in the world | | | | Lion Dogs were trained to turn the prayer wheels as |
| edge the country of Tibet. Winters in Tibet are severe | | | | part of the daily ritual in the monasteries. There was a |
| with temperatures to 14 degrees F in December. The | | | | belief that those monks whose life had been less than |
| winds in Tibet are strong and biting with hard frosts. | | | | exemplary, would in accordance with the Buddhist |
| Snowfall is light. In the summer, daylight temperatures | | | | theory of reincarnation, be reborn as one of the temple |
| reach a maximum of 75 degrees F with a sharp drop | | | | dogs.Buddhism in Tibet recognized a large number of |
| in temperature at night. Throughout most of the year | | | | divine beings. Each being symbolized an aspect of life. |
| there is sunshine and the air is dry and pure.The people | | | | One was Buddha Manjusri, the God of Learning. The |
| of this remote and rather mysterious land of Tibet | | | | God of Learning was said to travel with a small Lion |
| were like so many other cultures in our world. They | | | | Dog (ancestor to our Shih Tzu) that could turn into a |
| kept dogs in a domestic environment. There were | | | | full-sized lion and carry him vast distances on his |
| large dogs used for guarding and small, shaggy dogs | | | | back.Oddly enough, there were no actual lions in Tibet, |
| used as companions and as watch-dogs to alert the | | | | only artistic works of the animal, which were often |
| larger dogs. These small dogs were the ancestors of | | | | somewhat fantastical. |
| our Shih Tzu. The history of the Shih Tzu, however, is | | | | |