Shih Tzu

Indonesian Language

Shih-Tzu adalah salah satu ras anjing tertua yang berasal dari Cina. Anjing ras ini memiliki bulu yang panjang dengan berbagai warna dan pola pada bulunya. Bulunya yang panjang dapat menutupi telinga, badannya yang kokoh, moncong pendek, dan kaki pendek. Umumnya, anjing ini memiliki sifat lincah, sangat waspada, pintar, dan memiliki emosi yang baik namun juga angkuh. Dulunya anjing ini dipelihara oleh keluarga kerajaan di Dinasti Manchu, Cina. Ketika anjing ini menyebar ke wilayah Eropa, banyak bangsawan yang memeliharanya sebagai hewan peliharaan. Shih-Tzu merupakan anjing pendamping, teman manusia yang tergolong ke dalam hewan yang senang bersosialisasi. 

Sejarah

Shih-Tzu adalah salah satu dari beberapa tipe anjing singa yang nenek moyangnya dikembangkan di Cina pada tahun 1000. Nenek moyang dari Shih-Tzu modern diperkirakan dibawa ke Cina dari Tibet atau Asia tengah. Anjing ini memiliki tempat terhormat di pengadilan kerajaan Cina pada dinasti Manchuria. Setelah kejatuhan dinasti tersebut pada tahun 1911, Shih-Tzu terus diperlihara di luar istana kerjaan oleh masyarakat Cina dan pendatang asing. Shih-Tzu pertama dibawa dari Cina ke daerah Barat pada akhir tahun 1920-an dan awal 1930-an. Ras anjing ini diyakini menghilang dari Cina setelah komunisme berkuasa karena dianggap sebagai lambang kekayaan, keistimewaan, dan menguras sumber daya yang mahal. Semua Shih-Tzu yang ada saat ini merupakan turunan dari anjing ke-13 yang diimpor ke Inggris, Irlandia, Norwegia, dan Swedia dari Cina. Di tahun 1952, Elfreda Evans menyilangkan Shih-Tzu tersebut dengan ras murni Pekines putih-hitam di Inggris.

Deskripsi

Anjing ini memiliki tinggi badan sekitar 28cm, dengan berat 4-7kg. Bulu anjing ini terdapat dalam berbagai macam warna dan pola, namun putih dan emas menjadi warna yang paling sering ditemukan. Bulu pada tubuhnya tampak padat dan mewah serta lurus atau sedikit bergelombang. Pada Shih-Tzu wanita, ada waktu tertentu dimana bulunya menjadi tipis karena perubahan hormon, biasanya terjadi pada masa sebelum mensturasi. Hidung anjing ini lebar dengan lubang hidung yang terbuka. Shih-Tzu dewasa dapat beradaptasi dengan mudah kepada pemilik dan lingkungan yang baru. Anjing ini belum menunjukkan kedesawaan dan sifat fisiknya yang pasti sebelum usia tiga tahun.

English Language

The Shih Tzu; Mandarin is a breed of dog weighing 4–7.25 kilograms (8.8–16.0 lb) with long silky hair. The breed originated in China and is among the earliest breeds. Shih Tzu were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1969. The name is both singular and plural.

A small dog with a short muzzle and large deep dark eyes, with a soft long, double coat, the Shih Tzu stands no more than 26.7 cm (10¹⁄₂ in.) at the withers and with an ideal weight of 4.5 to 7.3 kg (10 to 16 lbs). Drop ears are covered with long fur, and the heavily furred tail is carried curled over the back. The coat may be of any color, although a blaze of white on the forehead and tail-tip is frequently seen. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall, and dogs ideally should carry themselves "with distinctly arrogant carriage." A very noticeable feature is the underbite, which is required in the breed standard. The traditional long silky glossy coat that reaches the floor requires daily brushing to avoid tangles. Because of their long coat and fast growing hair, regular grooming is necessary which may be a costly expense and should be considered when looking at this breed. Often the coat is clipped short to simplify care, in a "puppy clip". For conformation showing, the coat must be left in its natural state, although trimming for neatness around the feet and anus is allowed.

History

DNA analysis placed the ancestors of today's Shih Tzu breed in the group of "ancient" breeds indicating "close genetic relationship to wolves". Ludvic von Schulmuth studied the skeletal remains of dogs found in human settlements as long as ten thousand years ago. Von Schulmuth created a genealogical tree of Tibetan dogs that shows the "Gobi Desert Kitchen Midden Dog", a scavenger, evolved into the "Small Soft-Coated Drop-Eared Hunting Dog who would fight lions in packs " which evolved into the Tibetan Spaniel, Pekingese, and Japanese Chin. Another branch coming down from the "Kitchen Midden Dog" gave rise to the Papillon and Long-haired Chihuahua and yet another "Kitchen Midden Dog" branch to the Pug and Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu was almost completely wiped out during the Chinese Revolution. Seven males and seven females were saved, and today, all shih tzus can be traced back to one of these dogs.

There are various theories of the origins of today's breed. Theories relate that it stemmed from a cross between Pekingese and a Tibetan dog called the Lhasa Apso; that the Chinese court received a pair as a gift during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD); and that they were introduced from Tibet to China in the mid-18th century (Qing Dynasty. Dogs during that time were selectively bred and seen in Chinese paintings. The first dogs of the breed were imported into Europe (England and Norway) in 1930, and were classified by the Kennel Club as "Apsos". The first European standard for the breed was written in England in 1935 by the Shih Tzu Club, and the dogs were recategorised as Shih Tzu. The breed spread throughout Europe, and was brought to the United States after World War II, when returning members of the US military brought back dogs from Europe. The Shih Tzu was recognised by the American Kennel Club in 1969 in the Toy Group. The breed is now recognised by all of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world, It is also recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale for international competition in Companion and Toy Dog Group.

Names and etymology

Shih Tzu (literally "Lion Dog"), is the Chinese name rendered according to the Wade-Giles system of romanization in use when the breed was first introduced in America; the Chinese pronunciation is approximately shirr-tsə. The name translates as Lion Dog, so named because the dog was bred to resemble "the lion as depicted in traditional oriental art," such as the Chinese guardian lions. The Shih Tzu is also often known as the "Xi Shi quan", based on the name of Xi Shi, regarded as one of the most beautiful woman of ancient China, and, less often, the Chrysanthemum Dog, a nickname coined in England in the 1930s. The dog may also be called the Tibetan Lion Dog, but whether or not the breed should be referred to as a Tibetan or Chinese breed is a source of argument, the absolute answer to which "may never be known".