Shih Tzu Research Paper

Dogs, man’s best friend, are probably one of the most famous animals out there. This book will discuss the general history of dogs and give examples and delve into info about certain toy dogs and breeds.

Dog History

Dogs, or Canis familiaris (scientific term for domestic dogs), have been around for 32,000 years. A popular theory is that dogs descended from the gray wolf (Canis lupus), however some say that dogs might have descended from older versions of wolves. Wolves were most likely attracted to human camps scavenging for food, then naturally gained a bond with us later. As you may know, dogs aren’t identical to wolves. Wolves have bigger teeth, lighter colored eyes, and they even have a different mental state compared to domesticated dogs.

Shih Tzu could have been developed by Tibetan Monks and given to Chinese Royalty as a gift. The breed has also featured in paintings during China’s Tang Dynasty, they were also referenced in 990-994 AD in documents. This breed was recognised by the AKC as a toy breed in 1969.

Shih Tzu have very long and soft coats and are usually outfitted with a bow or something similar to tie extra hair at the head, and because of all their fur Shih Tzu are sometimes called Chrysanthemum Dogs referencing how the hair on their heads grows all around their nose looking almost like a flower. Shih Tzu are very affectionate and loyal to their owners and friendly to other dogs, even getting along with small children, which a lot of breeds don’t, but a Shih Tzu should still be supervised around children. They’re not very interested in hunting or guarding so a Shih Tzu is a better pet for someone who simply wants a companion and not a guard dog or anything similar.

Shih Tzu can have a number of health problems, for example, Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland stops working and stops producing hormones required for a steady metabolism, this problem is common in many breeds. Shih Tzu can also experience eye issues and breathing

These dogs interbred and now became the Havanese breed we know and love. In the 1800s the Havanese were lap dogs of many families in Cuba and were brought to England, Spain, and France to breed, making the breed popular in those areas as well. Due to the breed’s popularity however, it almost became extinct, but existing Havanese were kept and bred, eventually 11 were taken to America and the breed thrived once again. Havanese are small dogs with long silky fur that's usually white, cream, fawn, red, or brown, tails they carry on their backs and folded ears. These dogs were bred as companions and do well as one, some even refer to the breed as a “Velcro dog” due to how they stick with their owners. Havanese are very caring to anyone, but mostly to their families. Since they’re so caring and affectionate, Havanese have a hard time being alone and prefer to have company, they also prefer being inside instead of out. Havanese don’t have to be restricted to just being a lap dog, they can be energetic and are very trainable, being able to be used for therapy, assistance, and shows. Havanese must be trained well else they could form bad habits such as eating only people food, don’t let them become too clever and train you instead of