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Shih Tzu breeders

The Shih Tzu is a small companion breed in the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Utility group.

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Advertise your Shih Tzu puppies, litters and stud dogs

If you breed Shih Tzu, caninebreeder.co.uk gives you a place to list your kennel for buyers searching by breed. Advertise Shih Tzu puppies for sale as litters are planned or born, and promote your Shih Tzu stud dog to other breeders looking for a suitable mate. Show the parents' eye examination results, Respiratory Function Grading and RKC registration on your listing so buyers can see the health testing behind each litter, and keep your details current as new puppies arrive.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

  • Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
  • Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
  • Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
  • Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
  • Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is a small companion breed in the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Utility group. The RKC says it is widely accepted that the breed originated in China from Tibetan ancestry, that it was known in its early days as the Lhasa Lion dog, and that the Pekingese may also have had a hand in its development. The Shih Tzu Club UK traces the breed in England to two dogs brought over by Lady Brownrigg in 1928. Shih Tzu were first shown in England in 1933, alongside Lhasa Apsos, and the club records that the breed was granted its own register in 1940.

Size. The breed standard sets a maximum height at the withers of 27 cm (10½ in) and a weight of 4.5–8 kg (10–18 lb), with 4.5–7.5 kg (10–16 lb) described as ideal, and stresses that type matters more than size. The RKC gives a lifespan of over 10 years.

Coat and grooming. The outer coat is long and dense over a moderate undercoat. It should not be curly, although a slight wave is permitted. All colours are accepted except merle. The RKC lists the breed as non-shedding but recommends grooming every day. Many pet owners keep the coat short; the Shih Tzu Club UK's grooming guide suggests clipping roughly every eight to twelve weeks, with brushing and bathing in between and the hair kept out of the eyes to avoid irritation.

Exercise and home. The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day and considers the breed suitable for a flat, in town or country, with a small to medium garden.

Temperament and suitability. The standard describes the Shih Tzu as intelligent, active and alert, and as friendly and independent. The breed club says it loves human company, gets on with children and adults alike, and can be stubborn about doing things its own way. It dislikes being left alone for long spells, and the club advises that it does not suit a home where everyone is out at work all day. The short muzzle also brings specific health points, covered in the health section below.

Shih Tzu health tests

The Shih Tzu is one of the flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds covered by the RKC's Respiratory Function Grading scheme. The RKC explains that in flat-faced dogs, narrowed nostrils and a long soft palate can obstruct breathing (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, BOAS), and that shallow eye sockets leave the eyes prominent and more prone to drying, injury and painful corneal ulcers. The Shih Tzu Club UK also lists dental overcrowding in the short jaw, umbilical and inguinal hernias, dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), progressive retinal atrophy, for which it says no DNA test is yet available in the breed, and renal dysplasia.

In August 2026 the RKC recognised Respiratory Function Grading (RFG), run with the University of Cambridge, as a Best Practice test for the Shih Tzu, and says it will be added formally to the Health Standard and Find a Puppy from January 2027. Vets specially trained in BOAS assess dogs from 12 months of age, listening to the breathing before and after a short exercise test, and give a grade from 0 (unaffected) to 3 (severely affected). Dogs should be reassessed every two years while they are used for breeding. The breed is in Breed Watch Category 1. No test can guarantee a healthy puppy.

Good Practice (RKC Health Standard)

  • Eye testing using the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme

Best Practice (in addition)

  • Breathing testing for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) using the KC Respiratory Function Grading scheme (recognised August 2026; to be added formally to the Health Standard from January 2027)

Breed Watch: Category 1

Choosing a Shih Tzu breeder

A thoughtful Shih Tzu breeder will have both parents examined under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme before mating. The RKC advises breeders to complete Respiratory Function Grading before it is added formally to the Health Standard in January 2027, so ask whether the parents have been graded and what grades they received. The breed standard asks for a short muzzle without wrinkles and large eyes that are not prominent, so a responsible breeder will not be selecting for exaggerated features.

The Shih Tzu Club UK advises buyers to see the mother, to be given details of the father, and to receive a diet sheet, worming record, pedigree and contract. It recommends that puppies go to new homes at nine weeks or older; in England, licensed breeders may not sell a puppy under eight weeks.

  • Have both parents had a BVA/KC/ISDS eye examination, and can I see the results?
  • Have the parents been graded under the Respiratory Function Grading scheme?
  • Has either parent, or an earlier litter, had hernias or eye problems?
  • What is the litter's coefficient of inbreeding compared with the breed average?
  • Will you take the dog back if I can no longer keep it?

Shih Tzu questions

Do Shih Tzu shed?

The RKC lists the Shih Tzu as non-shedding, but the long coat still needs grooming every day. Many owners keep a shorter trim, and the Shih Tzu Club UK's grooming guide suggests clipping roughly every eight to twelve weeks.

How big does a Shih Tzu get?

The breed standard sets a maximum height of 27 cm (10u00bd in) at the withers and a weight of 4.5u20138 kg (10u201318 lb), with 4.5u20137.5 kg (10u201316 lb) described as ideal.

Do Shih Tzu have breathing problems?

As a flat-faced breed, some Shih Tzu can be affected by brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). The RKC recognised its Respiratory Function Grading scheme as a test for the breed in August 2026, so ask breeders whether the parents have been graded.

Can a Shih Tzu be left alone during the day?

The Shih Tzu Club UK says a few hours is fine, but the breed thrives on human company, dislikes being left alone for long periods and is not suited to a home where everyone is out at work all day.

More for Shih Tzu owners and breeders

Official sources