ShihPoo Dog Breed Info: Shih Tzu Poodle Mix

What is a ShihPoo Dog?

Heritage:

Shih Tzu Poodle Mix

Other Names:

Shih-Poo, Shih-Doodle, Shihdoodle, Shi Poo, Shi-Poo, ShiPoo, Shih Poo, Shih Tzu Doodle, Shih Tzu Poodle Mix

Shih Tzu Poodle Mix Breed History

Shih Tzu Breed History:

The Shih Tzu was first bred centuries ago by Imperial breeders of the Chinese emperor. The emperors were said to give exorbitant rewards to the breeders who could produce the most beautiful dogs with the best personalities.

Needless to say, the Shih Tzu, whose name translates to “Lion Dog,” was the lap dog of choice by Chinese royalty for hundreds of years. These dogs remained secluded from the outside world, only known to royalty for many years until around 1930.

Breed clubs formed and the Shih Tzu was inducted into the AKC in 1969. Now, this breed is popular both in the U.S. and the U.K. with notable owners ranging from Queen Elizabeth II all the way to Miley Cyrus.

Poodle Breed History:

While commonly associated with the French, the Poodle actually originated as a duck hunter in Germany over 400 years ago. In German, “pudelin” refers to the splashing in water that the dogs would do to retrieve waterfowl. The Poodle’s curly, weatherproof coat as well as its natural swimming ability and high intelligence made it an excellent retriever.

Eventually, Poodles made their way from the lake to the life of luxury as they were the breed of choice by French nobles, and eventually royalty across all of Europe. To this day, the Poodle is still the national dog of France. The entertainment industry then caught on to the Poodle’s showy looks, intelligence, and ease of trainability and gave them a prominent role in circus acts across the world.

While the Poodle started out as the “standard” variety, eventually the miniature and toy variations were bred. The Toy Poodle started in the United States in the early 20th century to be a city-dwelling companion dog. Due to the many positive personality traits and its hypoallergenic coat, Poodles are now commonly bred with a wide variety of other breeds to produce the “designer” hybrid dogs known and loved by many as “doodles.”

ShihPoo Breed History:

The ShihPoo dog breed is one of the more recent varieties of Doodle, only coming into popularity in the last 10-15 years. It was bred with the sole intention of being a great companion dog, small enough to be brought around on daily errands.

Shih Tzu Poodle Mix Appearance & Grooming

How Big Do ShihPoos Get?

A ShihPoo’s size is determined mostly by whether its Poodle parent was a standard, miniature, or toy. On top of that, the gender of the puppy and the genetics of the parents play important factors as well.

With that in mind, a Toy ShihPoo will typically weigh between 8-15 pounds and have a height of 8-10 inches. A Miniature ShihPoo will weigh in at around 15-20 pounds and stand roughly 10-13 inches tall. ShihPoos are rarely, if ever, bred from Standard Poodles.

ShihPoo Dog Breed Coat & Grooming:

The coat of a ShihPoo can be a single color or a mix of two or more colors, with the most popular being black, brown, white, and cream. Their fur can range anywhere from straight or slightly wavy, like the Shih Tzu to curly like the Poodle and usually is of medium to longer length.

How curly your dog’s fur is dictates how often they must be brushed. A minimum of brushing once per week is required for ShihPoos, with the ideal frequency being every other day if not every day for more curly-haired dogs.

Are ShihPoos Hypoallergenic?
Do ShihPoos Shed?

Due to the unpredictability of genetics, there is no guarantee that any particular dog, or litter of dogs will be hypoallergenic and/or non-shedding. Some individuals’ allergies are more sensitive to certain breeds than other breeds, but there is no scientific evidence that shows that certain hybrid breeds are universally more or less hypoallergenic than others.

With that being said, as the ShihPoo is a cross between two hypoallergenic breeds, it’s typically a safe bet that ShihPoo puppies will be hypoallergenic and non-shedding as well.

Shih Tzu Poodle Mix Health & Wellness

ShihPoo Dog Breed Lifespan:

A healthy and well-cared-for ShihPoo’s life expectancy is around 12-15 years.

ShihPoo Dog Breed Common Health Concerns:

ShihPoos may be susceptible to the common health problems of both the Shih Tzu and the Poodle. However, due to the genetic diversity from crossing these two breeds, the result may be a lower chance of developing these inherited health concerns.

Some of the more common genetic disorders to be on the lookout for in the Shih Tzu Poodle mix include Brachycephalic Airway Syndrome, Dental Diseases, Intervertebral Disc Disease, Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, Patellar Luxiation, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Sebaceous Adenitis, and Von Willebrand’s Disease.

Due to the cost of treating these common health concerns, we highly encourage all dog owners invest in pet insurance. We recommend getting a free online quote from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance.

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Shih Tzu Poodle Mix Temperament & Personality

ShihPoo Dog Breed Behavioral Traits:

ShihPoos are small, cuddly dogs that are very affectionate. Their two favorite things are snuggling with their family and making noise—whether that’s barking or playing with squeaking toys. While not very intimidating to potential intruders by any means, ShihPoos can at least alert the family to potential dangers making it a decent watchdog.

Although they’re very friendly, they’re not suited for families with small children or rowdy pets as their petite stature makes them prone to injuries that can occur from roughhousing. Finally, they are very stubborn and quite hard to train. Expect to exert a lot of patience and spend quite some time repeating commands, especially when it comes to house-training.

ShihPoo Dog Breed Activity Requirements:

ShihPoos don’t need a lot of exercise and most of it can come from casual playtime around the house. A quick 15-20 minute walk each day should be sufficient to keep the Poodle Shih Tzu mix happy and healthy.