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Size - Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10½ inches;
but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of
mature dogs, 9 to 16 pounds. Proportion - Length between
withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The
Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low
stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Substance -
Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good
weight and substance.
Head
Head - Round, broad, wide between eyes, its size in balance
with the overall size of dog being neither too large nor too small. Fault:
Narrow head, close-set eyes. Expression - Warm, sweet, wide-eyed,
friendly and trusting. An overall well-balanced and pleasant expression
supersedes the importance of individual parts. Care should be taken
to look and examine well beyond the hair to determine if what is seen is
the actual head and expression rather than an image created by grooming
technique. Eyes - Large, round, not prominent, placed well apart,
looking straight ahead. Very dark. Lighter on liver pigmented dogs
and blue pigmented dogs. Fault: Small, close-set or light
eyes; excessive eye white. Ears - Large, set slightly below
crown of skull; heavily coated. Skull - Domed. Stop
- There is a definite stop. Muzzle - Square, short,
unwrinkled, with good cushioning, set no lower than bottom eye rim; never
downturned. Ideally, no longer than 1 inch from tip of nose to stop, although
length may vary slightly in relation to overall size of dog. Front of muzzle
should be flat; lower lip and chin not protruding and definitely never receding.
Fault: Snipiness, lack of definite stop. Nose
- Nostrils are broad, wide, and open. Pigmentation - Nose,
lips, eye rims are black on all colors, except liver on liver pigmented
dogs and blue on blue pigmented dogs. Fault: Pink on nose,
lips, or eye rims. Bite - Undershot. Jaw is broad and wide.
A missing tooth or slightly misaligned teeth should not be too severely
penalized. Teeth and tongue should not show when mouth is closed. Fault:
Overshot bite.
Neck, Topline, Body
Of utmost importance is an overall well-balanced dog with no exaggerated
features. Neck - Well set-on flowing smoothly into
shoulders; of sufficient length to permit natural high head carriage and
in balance with height and length of dog. Topline - Level.
Body -Short-coupled and sturdy with no waist or tuck-up.
The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall. Fault: Legginess.
Chest -Broad and deep with good spring-of-rib, however,
not barrel-chested. Depth of ribcage should extend to just below elbow.
Distance from elbow to withers is a little greater than from elbow to ground.
Croup - Flat. Tail - Set on high, heavily
plumed, carried in curve well over back. Too loose, too tight, too flat,
or too low set a tail is undesirable and should be penalized to extent of
deviation.
Forequarters
Shoulders - Well-angulated, well laid-back, well laid-in,
fitting smoothly into body. Legs - Straight, well-boned,
muscular, set well-apart and under chest, with elbows set close to body.
Pasterns - Strong, perpendicular. Dewclaws
- May be removed. Feet - Firm, well-padded, point straight
ahead.
Hindquarters
Angulation of hindquarters should be in balance with forequarters.
Legs - Well-boned, muscular, and straight when viewed from
rear with well-bent stifles, not close set but in line with forequarters.
Hocks - Well let down, perpendicular. Fault:
Hyperextension of hocks. Dewclaws - May be removed. Feet
- Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.
Coat
Coat - Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing.
Slight wave permissible. Hair on top of head is tied up. Fault:
Sparse coat, single coat, curly coat. Trimming - Feet, bottom
of coat, and anus may be done for neatness and to facilitate movement. Fault:
Excessive trimming.
Color and Markings
All are permissible and to be considered equally.
Gait
The Shih Tzu moves straight and must be shown at its own natural speed,
neither raced nor strung-up, to evaluate its smooth, flowing, effortless
movement with good front reach and equally strong rear drive, level topline,
naturally high head carriage, and tail carried in gentle curve over back.
Temperament
As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion and house pet, it
is essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly
and trusting towards all.
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