Getting your questions ready
Getting your questions ready
Beat the crowd
10 questions No timer
50 free Shih Tzu trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Shih Tzu trivia quiz covers the little lion dog from the Ming court to the AKC Toy Group. History questions run through the Pekingese and Lhasa Apso ancestry, the Chinese royals who refused to sell a single dog, Empress Dowager Cixi's breeding programme, Lady Brownrigg's two imports of 1928, the Crufts moment in 1933 when the Tibetan Terrier, Apso and Shih Tzu were finally told apart, Kennel Club recognition in 1940, Freda Evans's controversial Pekingese cross and AKC recognition in 1969. The breed section covers the name's Wade–Giles origins, the 'Xi Shi dog' and 'chrysanthemum dog' nicknames, the required underbite, the 'owl head' and 'frog mouth' descriptions, height and weight, coat colours, and the health issues of a flat-faced toy breed from brachycephalic airway syndrome to glaucoma and ear infections. Buddhist mythology gets its own set: Fu dogs, Manjushri's shape-shifting lion dog, and the white 'Star of Buddha' on the forehead. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a devoted Shih Tzu owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and Maltese quizzes.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01The Shih Tzu is believed to have been bred from which two breeds?
Pekingese and Lhasa Apso
The breed originated in Tibet, though whether it should be called 'Tibetan' or 'Chinese' is still hotly argued by dog historians.
Q 02The name Shih Tzu is a romanisation of the Mandarin word for which animal?
Lion
The dogs were bred to resemble the lion of traditional oriental art; the Pekingese is also called 'lion dog' in Chinese.
Q 03Which romanisation system produced the spelling 'Shih Tzu'?
Wade–Giles
In Pinyin the same word is shīzi; the system came from Thomas Wade's mid-19th-century work and Herbert Giles's 1892 dictionary.
Q 04In contemporary Mandarin the breed is generally called the 'Xi Shi dog', after whom?
One of the Four Beauties of ancient China
Xi Shi was a silk-washing village girl said to have lived at the end of the Spring and Autumn period.
Q 05What flower-based nickname did the Shih Tzu get in 1930s England?
Chrysanthemum dog
The hair growing in every direction from the face was thought to look like the flower.
Q 06The Chinese described the Shih Tzu's mouth as resembling which animal's?
A frog
Other traditional descriptions include 'owl head', 'lion head' and 'earthworm lips'.
Q 07Which jaw feature is required by the Shih Tzu breed standard?
An underbite
The short snout and large dark eyes complete the look.
Q 08What is the maximum height for a Shih Tzu at the withers?
26.7 cm
That is ten and a half inches; ideal weight is 4 to 7.5 kg.
Q 09How often should a Shih Tzu's long double coat be brushed to stop it matting?
At least every 2 or 3 days
The heavily coated tail is carried curled over the back and the floppy ears are covered in long hair.
Q 10During which Chinese dynasty were the dogs such royal favourites that none were sold, traded or given away?
Ming
Court eunuchs also bred them to win favour with the Emperor.
Q 11Which Qing ruler ran a programme dedicated to breeding Shih Tzus?
Dowager Empress Cixi
She was the power behind the throne for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Q 12Which Englishwoman living in China brought the first two Shih Tzus to England in 1928?
Lady Brownrigg
The Kennel Club at first classified her dogs as 'Apsos'.
Q 13At Crufts in 1933 it was realised that the Shih Tzu was distinct from the Apso and which other breed?
Tibetan Terrier
The first European standard followed in 1935 from the Shih Tzu Club, and the dogs were re-categorised as Shih Tzu.
Q 21In a pair of Fu dog statues, what does the male typically hold under his left paw?
A ball
The female holds her puppy; the male stands for power over nature and the female for protection and play.
Q 22Legend says the Shih Tzu accompanied which Buddha of wisdom and could become a lion to carry him?
Manjushri
In one tale the little dog became a lion so huge that robbers surrounding the Buddha fled in terror.
Q 23The white 'Star of Buddha' patch on some Shih Tzus' heads is also known by what affectionate name?
The kiss
The markings on the back are said to be the saddle Buddha used when riding the dog in its lion form.
Q 14Besides England, which European country got the first imported Shih Tzus in the 1920s-30s?
Norway
The breed reached the United States only after World War II, with returning military personnel in the mid-1950s.
Q 15On what date did the Kennel Club (UK) officially recognise the Shih Tzu?
7 May 1940
The Shih Tzu Club of England had been founded in 1934, and no Challenge Certificates were awarded until 1949.
Q 16In which year did the American Kennel Club recognise the Shih Tzu, placing it in the Toy Group?
1969
By 2012 it had climbed to 11th in AKC popularity, slipping to 20th by 2024.
Q 17In 1952 breeder Freda Evans controversially crossed a Shih Tzu with a dog of which breed?
Pekingese
Both the UK and US kennel clubs now accept the descendants of that cross as purebred Shih Tzus.
Q 18In which country was the Shih Tzu ranked the most popular breed in 2019?
Israel
In the United States it ranked 20th in 2024.
Q 19The FCI places the Shih Tzu in Companion and Toy Dog Group, Section 5, which covers what?
Tibetan breeds
The Lhasa Apso, Tibetan Spaniel and Tibetan Terrier share the section.
Q 20The stone 'Fu dogs' guarding Chinese temples and palaces are said to be the lionised form of which breed?
Shih Tzu
'Fu' roughly translates as 'happiness' in Manchurian, and legend calls them happy Shih Tzus forever guarding Buddha's temple.
Q 24Which of these Shih Tzu colours exists in the breed but is NOT part of the Royal Kennel Club standard?
Lilac
Blue, cream, white and particolour are also recognised as existing but non-standard.
Q 25Which heart condition, commonest in small dogs, is a particular concern in the Shih Tzu?
Mitral valve disease
It can progress to congestive heart failure.
Q 26Which of these is one of the main airway problems caused by the Shih Tzu's short muzzle?
Stenotic nares
An elongated soft palate and a narrow windpipe (tracheal hypoplasia) complete the brachycephalic trio, and can end in laryngeal collapse.
Q 27Dogs with brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome are prone to heat stroke because of what?
Ineffective evaporative cooling
They also struggle with exercise and have trouble sleeping.
Q 28The most common Shih Tzu eye problem is epiphora, caused by what?
Eyelid fur scratching the eye
The excessive tearing produces the tear stains familiar to every owner.
Q 29In a Japanese study, Shih Tzus were 8.2% of dogs studied but what share of glaucoma cases?
16%
Older Shih Tzus are also known to develop cataracts, which surgery can correct.
Q 30Why are ear infections so common in Shih Tzus?
Hair grows inside the ears
Ears need regular plucking and cleaning or infections keep coming back.