| The Story of the Shih Tzu
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| | fantastical. We cannot be sure whether
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| Far away in Tibet, a country with a
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| | the Lion Dogs were bred to resemble the
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| recorded history going back almost 1,500
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| | drawings and statues of the symbolic
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| years is where our Shih Tzu began. The
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| | lions or if the artists created their
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| country was noted for its devotion to
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| | 'lions' in the likeness of the little
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| Buddhism.
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| | dogs (ancestors to our Shih Tzu).
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| Some of the tallest mountains in the
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| | The snow lion was called Gang Seng and
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| world edge the country of Tibet. Winters
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| | was considered to be so powerful that he
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| in Tibet are severe with temperatures to
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| | could cause seven dragons to fall out of
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| 14 degrees F in December. The winds in
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| | the sky with one roar. The symbolic lion
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| Tibet are strong and biting with hard
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| | was believed to have the ability to walk
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| frosts. Snowfall is light. In the
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| | in the clouds. He could also speak with
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| summer, daylight temperatures reach a
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| | the voice of truth and fearlessness.
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| maximum of 75 degrees F with a sharp drop
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| | Tibet was a difficult place to get to.
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| in temperature at night. Throughout most
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| | China was a neighbor to Tibet. Gifts
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| of the year there is sunshine and the air
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| | from Tibet to China were sent as tribute
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| is dry and pure.
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| | to the Chinese emperors, among which were
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| The people of this remote and rather
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| | Tibetan Lion Dogs (ancestor to our Shih
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| mysterious land of Tibet were like so
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| | Tzu).
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| many other cultures in our world. They
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| | These little dogs traveled with the
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| kept dogs in a domestic environment.
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| | caravans on long journeys from one
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| There were large dogs used for guarding
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| | country to the other. A small army of
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| and small, shaggy dogs used as companions
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| | eunuchs took care of the little dogs.
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| and as watch-dogs to alert the larger
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| | The little Tibetan Lion Dogs (ancestors
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| dogs. These small dogs were the
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| | to our Shih Tzu) adapted well as they
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| ancestors of our Shih Tzu. The history
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| | have continued to do wherever they have
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| of the Shih Tzu, however, is steeped in
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| | gone to live through the centuries.
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| myth and legends, which makes it
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| | In China, everything must have been very
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| difficult to sort the true facts of our
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| | different from Tibet. The summers in
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| Shih Tzu.
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| | Peking were warm and humid with a lot of
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| One tale in particular, which I find
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| | rain. The winters were very cold,
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| interesting, is that of the small Lion
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| | somewhat like Tibet, with temperatures as
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| Dogs were trained to turn the prayer
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| | low as 0 degrees F in January. It is
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| wheels as part of the daily ritual in the
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| | recorded that the little Tibetan Lion
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| monasteries. There was a belief that
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| | Dogs settled in and became great
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| those monks whose life had been less than
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| | favorites of the Manchu emperors.
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| exemplary, would in accordance with the
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| | Most likely they were interbred with the
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| Buddhist theory of reincarnation, be
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| | short-faced Chinese breeds - the Chinese
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| reborn as one of the temple dogs.
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| | Pug and the Pekinese, which is probably
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| Buddhism in Tibet recognized a large
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| | what gives the Shih Tzu the
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| number of divine beings. Each being
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| | characteristics that differentiate them
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| symbolized an aspect of life. One was
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| | from the Tibetan Lion Dogs that later
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| Buddha Manjusri, the God of Learning.
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| | became the Lhasa Apsos.
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| The God of Learning was said to travel
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| | Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She
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| with a small Lion Dog (ancestor to our
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| | publishes a FREE weekly newsletter with a
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| Shih Tzu) that could turn into a
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| | focus upon health and wellness for you
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| full-sized lion and carry him vast
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| | and your pets. Designer dog clothes are
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| distances on his back.
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| | offered on the website. Discounts are
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| Oddly enough, there were no actual lions
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| | offered to subscribers. Sign up at:
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| in Tibet, only artistic works of the
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| | This article is FREE to publish with
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| animal, which were often somewhat
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| | resource box.
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