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Shihpoo breeders

The Shihpoo is a cross between the Shih Tzu and the Poodle (in this guide, the Toy Poodle), and is also advertised as the Shih-Poo or Shipoo.

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Advertise your Shihpoo puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed Shihpoos? Caninebreeder.co.uk is an independent UK directory where you can list your kennel, advertise Shihpoo puppies for sale and promote your Shihpoo stud dog, or the Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle parents behind your litters. Your listing can set out eye, prcd-PRA, hip and breathing results for both parents, the generation of each litter and your council licence number if you hold one. Add planned litters and take enquiries directly from buyers.

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 Shihpoo

The Shihpoo is a cross between the Shih Tzu and the Poodle (in this guide, the Toy Poodle), and is also advertised as the Shih-Poo or Shipoo. It is not a breed recognised by the Royal Kennel Club (RKC), so there is no breed standard, and the RKC now registers crossbreeds only on its Activity Register. Look to the two parent breeds instead, since the RKC notes that crossbred puppies can mix their parents' looks, coat and character in many ways.

The parent breeds. The RKC says the Shih Tzu is widely held to have come from China, with Tibetan breeds in its ancestry; once known as the Lhasa Lion dog, it was first shown in England in 1933. The RKC traces the Poodle to Germany and its early work retrieving from water for duck hunters, and recognises three sizes under one standard, the Toy being the smallest.

Size. The Shih Tzu standard asks for a height of no more than 27 cm at the withers and a weight of 4.5–8 kg, and a Toy Poodle should be under 28 cm at the shoulder. The RKC notes that parents of similar size tend to have puppies of about that size, though individuals vary.

Coat and grooming. The Shih Tzu has a long, dense outer coat over a moderate undercoat; the Poodle's coat is profuse, harsh in texture and curly. The RKC lists both parents as non-shedding and needing grooming every day, and warns that mixing two coat types can give a hybrid coat needing extensive grooming. The Shih Tzu Club UK says most pet Shih Tzus are trimmed every six to eight weeks, and the Poodle Council advises professional grooming every four to eight weeks. No coat can be relied on to suit someone with allergies.

Exercise and home. The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day for both parents, rates both as suited to a flat, and gives lifespans of over 10 years (Shih Tzu) and over 12 years (Toy Poodle).

Temperament. The Shih Tzu standard describes a friendly, independent dog, and the Shih Tzu Club UK adds that the breed can be a little wilful. The Poodle standard asks for a cheerful, good-tempered dog, and the Poodle Council says Poodles respond well to gentle, positive training and need mental stimulation. A Shihpoo may show any blend of these traits.

Shihpoo health tests

A Shihpoo's health checks come from the RKC's lists for each parent breed, and the RKC advises anyone breeding a crossbreed to consider running all the tests for both breeds, since crossing does not remove every inherited risk.

For the Shih Tzu, the RKC's Good Practice test is an eye examination under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. In August 2026 the RKC recognised Respiratory Function Grading for BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome) in the breed, to be added formally to its health standard from January 2027. Dogs can be graded from 12 months old. As a Shihpoo may inherit the Shih Tzu's short muzzle, ask about the Shih Tzu parent's grade. For the Toy Poodle, the RKC lists a DNA test for prcd-PRA as Good Practice, with eye and hip screening as Best Practice.

The RKC describes prcd-PRA as recessive: a puppy is affected only if it inherits a faulty copy from each parent. The Shih Tzu Club UK says PRA is known in the Shih Tzu, although not thought to be widespread, so eye examinations of both parents still matter. For F1b and F2 litters, test the Shihpoo parent too. The BVA Eye Scheme is open to crossbreeds, and hip scoring needs the dog to be at least a year old.

  • Shih Tzu, Good Practice: Eye testing using the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
  • Shih Tzu, Best Practice (recognised August 2026, added formally from January 2027): Breathing testing (for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)) using the KC Respiratory Function Grading scheme
  • Poodle (Toy), Good Practice: DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA)
  • Poodle (Toy), Best Practice: Eye testing using the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme
  • Poodle (Toy), Best Practice: Hip testing (for hip dysplasia) using the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme
  • Breed Watch: Shih Tzu Category 1; Poodle (Toy) Category 1

Choosing a Shihpoo breeder

A careful Shihpoo breeder treats both parents as dogs with health records, not just a coat type or colour. Expect to see the Shih Tzu parent's eye certificate and the Toy Poodle parent's prcd-PRA DNA result, plus eye and hip results for the Poodle where they have been done. If a parent is RKC registered, you can check its results yourself on the RKC Health Test Results Finder. With the breathing test joining the Shih Tzu's Best Practice list in January 2027, ask whether the Shih Tzu parent has been graded; the RKC links heavy panting and noisy breathing to BOAS.

The RKC advises buyers of crossbreeds to see the mother with her puppies and to ask about the father and the health tests both parents have had. Puppies must be microchipped and registered on a database by eight weeks old. In England, you need a council licence if you breed three or more litters within 12 months and sell any puppies from them, or if you run a business breeding and advertising dogs for sale. Expect the breeder to ask about your home as well.

  • Can I see the health test results for both parents, and are they RKC registered?
  • Is this litter F1, F1b or F2, and which size of Poodle was used?
  • Has the Shih Tzu parent been through the Respiratory Function Grading scheme?
  • How are the puppies being socialised and introduced to grooming?
  • Will you take the dog back at any age if I cannot keep it?

Shihpoo questions

Is the Shihpoo a Royal Kennel Club recognised breed?

No. The Shihpoo is a crossbreed of the Shih Tzu and the Poodle, so it has no RKC breed standard and cannot go on the Breed Register. The RKC does register crossbreeds on its Activity Register, which lets owners enter licensed events such as agility.

Does a Shihpoo shed, and is it good for allergies?

The RKC lists both the Shih Tzu and the Toy Poodle as non-shedding breeds that need daily grooming. It also warns that crossing two different coat types can give a hybrid coat that needs extensive grooming, and puppies in one litter can differ. No coat can be relied on to suit an allergy sufferer, so spend time with the parents before deciding.

How big does a Shihpoo get?

With a Toy Poodle parent, both sides are small: the Shih Tzu standard sets a maximum of 27 cm at the withers and a weight of 4.5u20138 kg, and a Toy Poodle should be under 28 cm. The RKC notes that parents of similar size tend to produce puppies of about that size, though individuals vary.

Can a Shihpoo have breathing problems?

It can. The RKC includes the Shih Tzu in its advice on flat-faced dogs, and a Shihpoo may inherit a shorter muzzle. The RKC recognised Respiratory Function Grading for the Shih Tzu in August 2026, so ask for the Shih Tzu parent's grade, and speak to a vet about any puppy with noisy or laboured breathing.

More for Shihpoo owners and breeders

Official sources