Showing Your Shih Tzu

Showing Your Dog


Dog shows are for dogs with traceable pedigrees. The Shih Tzu must be registered with the AKC (American Kennel Club). Shih Tzu that win dog shows are dogs that exhibit the most perfect standards set by the AKC for their breed. And everything counts: the height, weight, color, markings, the shape of the head, the shape of the ears, and on and on and on.

All Shih Tzu are not of show quality -- not even Shih Tzu with long and impressive pedigrees, not even all of the dogs from the same litter. If you want to know if your dog is of show quality, you can look up the breed in the breed standard as determined by the AKC on their website. You can also look at pictures of past winners on the AKC website, as well, and compare your dog to past winners to see how he or she measures up. Shih Tzu that are shown in dog shows that are sponsored by the AKC cannot have been spayed or neutered.

Your Shih Tzu will need to be trained to be a show dog. He'll be required to stand completely still while a stranger handles him, for one thing, and that's not easy for a Shih Tzu to master. You'll have to be trained as well. Showing dogs is part science and part art!