The legend of the Shih Tzu has come to us from documents, paintings, and objets d'art dating from AD 624.

Shih Tzu means lion, and in Buddhist belief, there is an association between the lion and their Deity; thus, the
dogs were bred in court.

The Shih Tzu is often called "the chrysanthemum- faced dog" because of the haphazard, round-face way their hair grows in the front.