Shih Tzu

Companion & toy

Small

Median 12.8 y

FCI group 9 · Companion and Toy Dogs · Derived from the adult weight midpoint (6.3 kg)

Median survival across 17,901 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y

The Shih Tzu is a toy dog or pet dog breed originating from Tibet and believed to be bred from the Pekingese and the Lhasa Apso.

Affectionate

Playful

Outgoing

Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · reference ranges from the Kintail breed dataset

Adult weight

Reference

Male

4.5–8 kg

Female

4.5–8 kg

The breed standard (FCI 208)

Two types. The AKC and the KC/FCI standards describe a different-sized Shih Tzu, so Kintail bands your dog against the one your region follows — set it in Settings. KC/FCI type: 4.5–8 kg. AKC type: 4.1–7.3 kg.

Weight for age

Stock data

Male

Female

Expected range

Expected range from the breed's own adult weight, kilograms. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

Heat cycles · females

Stock data

First heat

8–12 mo

typical

Interval

180 d

typical

Bleeding

~9 d

typical

Proestrus 9d

Estrus 9d

Diestrus 52d

Anestrus 110d

General figures for dogs, not for this breed — individual cycles vary widely.

Questions people ask

Adult males usually weigh 4.5–8 kg and females 4.5–8 kg. Most are close to their full size by around 19 months, though the last little bit of filling out takes longer. Growth reference: Salt et al. 2017, WALTHAM (under 6.5 kg band).

No Shih Tzu cycle figures are published here yet, so this is general guidance rather than a breed number: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later.

The median is 12.8 y. Median survival across 17,901 UK dogs (VetCompass, McMillan 2024) · half live 10–15 y. How the later years go comes down to weight, teeth, exercise and regular check-ups far more than to the breed.