www.caninecuties.com Specialists in allergy friendly, non-shedding Designer Dogs - Schnoodles, Shih-poos and Maltepoos aka Maltipoo, Yorkipoos and Morkies plus AKC Toy Poodles, Shih-tzu, Maltese and Yorkie puppies for sale, bred for temperament and style since 1985. HOME * Contact * About us * Testimonials * Prices & Policies * Puppy Application * Delivery Services * Boarding Facility AKC Toy Poodles * AKC Maltese * AKC Yorkies * Shih-poos * Schnoodles * Maltepoos * Yorkipoos * Morkies Whelping Info * Nutritional Program * Dog Training Books * Puppy Names * Pet Chapel AKC Shih-tzu Imperials also Available! Our beautiful AKC Shih-tzu come in all colors. At Mari-May Kennels, we are proud to offer you Shih-tzu puppies for sale. If you are interested in buying a Shih-tzu pup, then we will be happy to answer your question and help you purchase the best Shih-tzu puppy you can buy. Shih-tzu are wonderful, loving and devoted little dogs that love the company of family more than anything in the world! Our Shih-tzu are bred for exceptional temperament as well as superior health and our Shih-tzu pups for sale really reflect that. Mari-May Shih-tzu are generally quite small (6 - 9 pound adults) and we even have Imperial Shi-tzu pups (4 - 6 pound adults). Most important is the temperament of our dogs and we strive to maintain the absolute integrity of the Shih-tzu breed in every way we can. Shih-tzu make a perfect lap dog and devoted companion. Shih-tzu puppies are easy to train and have easy going personalities that are delightful and charming. A Shih-tzu pup yearns for the company of their family in with quiet confidence - they are alert and affectionately charming but are generally considered to be a dog of low activity and seldom even bark! They truly exemplify the ideal lap dog companion! There are few things in life more precious than the absolute devotion of such a precious character as that of the charming Shih-tzu. They are without rival for their trusting and joyful natures! If you are looking for a Shih-tzu puppy that will adore you every moment of your life and bring a blissful personality into your world than an AKC registered Shih-tzu pup from Mari-May Kennels is for you! There is nothing in the world quite like a Shih-tzu! And Mari-May Shih-tzu are exquisitely stylish and extraordinarily beautiful! We welcome your inquire and are always happy to discuss the Shih-tzu puppies we have for sale. Our Shih-tzu come in many colors and we also have Imperial Shi-tzu puppies for sale The Mari-May Code of Ethics is a very high standard which encompasses our entire breeding program and the dogs and puppies we sell. We believe in the integrity of the work we do and know that our ethical commitment is important to our customers, our dogs and our pups. Telephone interview & Puppy Application Information Puppies Prices/Policies Before contacting us Please Read Answers to Common Questions Shih-Tzu History Researching the origin of the Shih-Tzu has been a colorful historical adventure. Sih-Tzu have a remarkable legacy! We are sure you will find it enlightening. Below is an article written by Victor Joris, a Shih-Tzu breeder, judge and author (The Complete Shih-Tzu). A Brief History of the Shih Tzu by JORIS Dogs of various sizes, shapes, and colors have been bred in China for centuries. Records substantiate the existence of short, square, “under the table” dogs from at least 1000 B.C. By piecing together historical facts and documented records, it is possible to some extent to follow the development in China of the breeding of dogs likely to be the ancestors of the present-day Shih Tzu. The ancestry of the Shih Tzu is rather obscure, but it is probable that the breed is primarily of Tibetan origin. The history of the Tibetan “Lion Dogs” is interwoven with the tenets of Buddhism, which originated in India. The lion was closely associated with Buddhism, but the lion was not indigenous to China, so the Chinese and the Tibetan lamas bred their toy dogs to resemble lions. The Shih Tzu (whose name means “lion”) is reputed to have been the oldest and smallest variety of the Tibetan “holy dogs” and bears some similarity to other Tibetan breeds. For much of the long and illustrious history of China, the breeding of the small “Lion Dog” was a favorite pastime of succeeding imperial rulers. Prior to A.D. 624, documents show that small dogs were exported from Malta, Turkey, Greece, and Persia as gifts to the ruling Chinese emperors. It is likely that the first small Tibetan Lion Dogs from which the Shih Tzu is probably descended came to China during the Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty (1644-62) as tributes from the Grand Lamas to the Chinese Imperial Court, and that the Chinese interbred these Tibetan dogs with the early western imports and with the Pug and the Pekingese. The existence of the Shih Tzu as we know it today is owed to the Dowager Empress Cixi (T’zu Hsi), whose kennel of Pugs, Pekingese, and Shih Tzu was world renowned. Although she carefully supervised the kennel during her lifetime and attempted to keep the three imperial breeds separate, the actual breeding was carried out by palace eunuchs who secretly crossed the breeds to reduce size and produce unusual and desirable markings. After her death in 1908, the kennels were dispersed and palace breeding became haphazard. Some breeding was still practiced by private individuals and specimens were exhibited, but the dogs were almost impossible to acquire. So far as is known, the breed became extinct in China after the Communist revolution. Seven dogs and seven bitches comprise the gene pool of all existing Shih Tzu. These fourteen include the Pekingese dog used in an admitted cross in England in 1952--a cross which caused considerable trouble, as it was done by a newcomer to the breed and reported after the fact. The other foundation dogs included three Shih Tzu imported from China that became the foundation of the Taishan kennel of Lady Brownrigg in England and eight additional imports to England between 1933 and 1959. Three other Shih Tzu were imported into Norway from China in 1932 by Mrs. Henrick Kauffman, including a bitch that was the only Shih Tzu bred in the Imperial Palace to reach the Western world. Returning military personnel brought some of the first Shih Tzu into the United States during the late 1940s and 1950s and began breeding programs. The unique beauty and outstanding temperament of this “new” breed quickly found favor with the fancy. From the first day of formal AKC recognition (Sept. 1, 1969), the Shih Tzu catapulted from a relatively unknown breed to one of the most glamorous and popular of all canine companions. Lady Brownrigg with a group of her early Shih Tzu HISTORY : The invasion of the Shih Tzu Kou into England PART V -Most people would agree that 68 years is not a terribly long time in the grand scheme of things, And it was only in the 1930s' that the initial interest in the Shih Tzu commenced in England. Having been imported to England by General Sir Douglass and Lady Brownrigg, several shaggy dogs were in fact classified as Apso (Lhasa Apso), and it was noted that they were similar but it seems that some of their characteristics were significantly different. Their noses and legs were much shorter, and their skulls appeared to be much wider. The imported dogs were smaller, more compact with faces that appeared to resemble the symmetry of a well known flower... "chrysanthemums". In the Cheltenham show of 1933 there appeared a few Shih Tzu, after which the Kennel Club allowed the Apso and Lion Dog Club to change it's name to the Shih Tzu (Tibetan Lion Dog) club in 1934. In 1935 the Tibetan Lion Dog part of the name was dropped and the Shih Tzu Club of England was born. Lady Brownrigg served as secretary, while the Countess of Essex presided as the President. Under their leadership the Shih Tzu club thrived and grew strong until the outbreak of World War II. During the war years, activity within the purebred dog arena was curtailed, and although the Shih Tzu breed was granted a separate registry on May 7th 1940, which allowed them to become eligible for Challenge Certificates, none were awarded until 1949. The first English champion was Lady Browrigg's Ch. Ta Chi of Taishan. Return to Mari-May Kennels Home Page!