Shih Tzu Trivia

Shih Tzu have been owned by such famous people as Mariah Carey (Bing & Bong), Brooke Shields, Elizabeth Taylor, Betty White (Panda), Kim Bassinger (7 Shih Tzus!), Phyllis Diller (Fang), Queen Elizabeth of England (Choo Choo), Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, Geri Halliwell (Ginger), Joy Behar, Frank Sinatra, Maurice Gibb (Brownie), Vanessa Williams (Sebastian), David Hasselhoff (Rusty), Nicole Richie (Honey Child), Anna Nicole Smith (Puppy) and Beyonce (Munch-Munch).

Around AD 624, it is believed that Fu Lin of the Byzantine Empire gave the Chinese royal court a pair of dogs. The temple dogs were believed to have been Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu along with the Lhasa Apso and the Pekinese dogs were regarded as temple dogs and were treated as holy.

Throughout the Tang and Ming Dynasties, the Shih Tzu were kept in the forbidden city. They were bred only for companionship to be kept in the house and around people. Thus the Shih Tzu temperament is extremely gentle in well trained dogs.

The Shih Tzu did not arrive in England until the 1800s, and it did not arrive in the United States until after World War II. American soldiers stationed in Europe brought this dog home after falling in love with its unique look.