Early History
The exact origins of the Shih Tzu are really unknown. However, there is enough
evidence available to create a theory that most experts feel is accurate. There
are documents, paintings, and other art objects of
Chinese origin that contain references to and images of a form of dog believed
to be the original ancestor of the modern Shih Tzu. The oldest documents date
back to the Tang Dynasty, in the year 624 A.D. It indicates that a pair of these
dogs was given to the royal court by a Chinese nobleman. It is believed that
the nobleman obtained the dogs from the ancient empire of Byzantium. |
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Modern History
During the Revolution, a large number of dogs were destroyed because
they were viewed as a symbol of imperial rule. Only a few of the
royal dogs escaped. In 1930, Lady Brownrigg, an Englishwoman living
in China, was able to save a pair of Shih Tzu and import them to
England. Their names were Hibou (the male) and Shu-Ssa. Shortly
afterward, another male, named Lung-Fu-Ssu, was imported into Ireland.
Later in the 1930's, a few more Shih Tzu were saved by an English
officer on duty in China. All of the Shih Tzu we know of today
are descendants of these dogs.
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