Appearance

The Shih Tzu tends to be 9-10 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs in at about 9-16 pounds. The Shih Tzu is known for it's long, beautiful coat, that comes in many colors (it can be clipped shorter). The Shih Tzu tends to live up to 15 years.

Health and Grooming

In general, the Shih Tzu is a pretty healthy dog. They do have potential issues like all dogs, and their ears should be checked for indicators of infections once a week. He's also very sensitive to heat and should be kept in a cool air conditioned room to prevent heat exhaustion. The coat of the shih tzu needs to be brushed all the time, to prevent matting.

Temperament

Shih Tzus have a high prey drive, but aren't too mouthy which is very nice. Interestingly enough, Shih Tzus were made to be companion dogs. While some dogs were bred to hunt or herd, the Shih Tzu was actually bred to be your best friend, and it has the same purpose today. They're pretty intelligent, but only somewhat easy to train.

Friendliness and Exercise Needs

Shih Tzus are super friendly! This makes sense considering they were bred to be companion dogs. The only trouble they could possibly run into is kids, sometimes they're not good with kids. Shih Tzus don't need much exercise, but love to play with their owners. So playing fetch or throwing a ball could be enough exercise for one of these little guys.