| I have wondered just who are the ancestors of the | | | | choose dogs to mate based on appearance or |
| shih tzu. Like all other dog breeds, shih tzu ancestors | | | | behavior and develop specific abilities. They had guard |
| most likely come from five choices: Grey Wolf, | | | | dogs and dogs who fought in battles. They had a |
| Golden Jackal, Coyote, African Wild Dog. It is hard to | | | | variety of house dogs including one that most likely |
| imagine our little shih tzu baby dolls has any of these | | | | was of the Maltese type.The Chinese emperors were |
| wild characters in their background. According to | | | | quite fond of pets. Their puppies had human nurses |
| researchers, all canines have their roots in one of | | | | and their adult dogs had human servants. The |
| these five categories. I don't think I could ever be in | | | | Pekingese exists as a breed at least from the period |
| love with a real live wolf or a coyote. A coyote | | | | of A.D. 700. They were developed to resemble the |
| makes those strange sounding "howls." I have some | | | | spirit lion to ward off evil and bring good luck. The |
| shih tzu that have a howl sound rather than a | | | | chin were sometimes called "sleeve dogs." There are |
| bark.Out of the five groups, wolves and dogs share | | | | ancient imperial dog cemeteries scattered about |
| 71 of 90 charted behavioral patterns, more than any | | | | Beijing in China. Pekingese dogs were very often |
| other two canid species. My thinking is then probably | | | | entombed with their emperors. The thing that really |
| most breeds as we know them today have the wolf | | | | amazes me is how the faces of some our shih tzu |
| as its ancestor. The fact that the shih tzu has | | | | look like the faces of chinese men and women. How |
| ancestors in the wolf family, however, does not thrill | | | | did the Chinese accomplish that?During the 14th |
| me in the least. I cannot imagine sharing my bed with | | | | Century the Chinese began to recognize the dog's |
| a real live wolf. The shih tzu faces are so sweet and | | | | many functions such as being able to lead the |
| innocent. A lot of my shih tzu look like chinese men | | | | blind.Henry III of France was noted to have kept at |
| and women in the face. They do not seem like even | | | | least 2,000 lap dogs, who lived in luxury. Louis XIV |
| "dogs" to me.The Egyptians had a real talent for | | | | spent 200,000 gold francs for the construction of the |
| taming animals and kept a variety of pets. They | | | | royal kennels at Versailles where he kenneled hunting |
| probably receive the most credit for the | | | | hounds, truffle terriers and toy poodles. Tsuanayoshi |
| domestication of the cat, but there were dogs in the | | | | of Japan nearly plunged Japan into bankruptcy to |
| Egyptians' homes as well. We can imagine this | | | | feed his 100,000 dogs. Connie Limon (writer of this |
| because of the many canines that prance across | | | | article) built her shih tzu a cabin costing around |
| egyptian tomb paintings. Some of those canines have | | | | $10,000 and she may be plunged into bankruptcy to |
| been identified as greyhounds, salukis, pharoah | | | | feed her dogs... and the list just goes on and on and |
| hounds and Ibizan hounds. I have to admit the only | | | | on. What people will do "for the love of dogs" is |
| one in this group I recognize is the "greyhound." Our | | | | estounding. It is a bond that sometimes transcends |
| shih tzu was not in this group at all it seems. | | | | the bond even between humans.Connie Limon |
| However, less frequently, were paintings of small, | | | | publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional |
| short-legged dogs, (not our shih tzu) in domestic | | | | newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for |
| settings. They could have been the watchdogs for | | | | you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are |
| the Egyptians or just simply pets.The Romans were | | | | offered to subscribers. |
| crazy about dogs and seemed to realize they could | | | | |