Excerpt from the American Shih Tzu Club:

..."no Shih Tzu ever left China until the twentieth century and not until after the Chinese no longer had an empire with an Empress to protect them. There were frequent descriptions of the dogs in the Imperial Palace, particularly under this last Empress, which included “shag dogs” as well as the familiar pugs and Pekingese so we know they were there. Why they never got out of the country is a question without an answer.

During the years of the empress’ life, she was very particular about the breeding of her dogs and thus very judgmental. Those not measuring up to her standard were lucky to find homes with minor royalty or influential people outside the palace. After her death, while China was in turmoil, foreign diplomats were able to acquire dogs that were said to have come from the palace where they had been carefully bred and cared for by eunuchs for many years, but only one that was actually born in the palace made it to the west. The long-haired dogs had many names at this time of which “Lhasa Terrier” or “Apso” seemed to be more common. These names point to the fact that they were considered to have been imported from Tibet instead of having originated in China but considering the efforts of eunuchs at breeding to please the empress, one cannot consider them to have been purebred in any sense of the word. There was a Peking Kennel Club in the late thirties which actually held dog shows where the long-haired dogs were entered. However, the judge complained that the lack of uniformity among the dogs, albeit they all had short muzzles, long hair and tails carried high over the back, made judging them quite difficult if not impossible. We owe the appearance of the Shih Tzu of today to the few Europeans who managed to obtain what they considered good specimens of the shaggy dogs and successfully bring them back to Europe."...

Grace is from Fancy and Aslan. She is a sweetheart who comes to sit on my lap and gives me one or two delicate kissed on the nose and at times a rascal looking for fun. She is a lovely warm gold and white with a black mask.

Smokie is from B.B and Tig. She is black with graying on her tail and rump and brown on her face within the shades of black and a small white chest patch. She's a lap-dog cuddle bear and a rascal looking for a fun time.

A luxurious lounging tiny princess with soft, lofty, flowing hair weighing 8-9 lbs. who doesn't do rain or snow... it might mess up her nails or hair. She believes that she belongs inside and on the bed. She prefers potty pads and the indoor life, she does go outside at times, but she trembles when it rains because she just did her hair y'all. Princess life has high standards. Her lineage goes back to show lines of Centerfold and Lun Lynn. Black and white. Her smaller size means potentially lighter weight puppies, especially paired with a small dog like Tig. She has her CHIC #.

Adventurous and obedient with high drive and high potential, he's a strong and lean 16 lbs. of muscle, no pudge belly on this guy. He has great hair that requires much less maintenance when kept long as an adult. He is brave and plays well with others and is suited to groundhog chasing if it's not too hot outside. He loves sledding on the ice hardened snow like a slip and slide. He's what's called an old-fashioned type of shih tzu, short, long, and stout. He is a gold and white with a black mask, genetically marked as a black sable running through his gold hair. He has been tested extensively for OFA submitted health records all in good or average standing with healthy joints - hips, elbows, patellas, dentition, CAER eyes, and outstanding DNA with no known carriers. He has a CHIC #.

Docile and doe eyed sweetheart who just wants to sleep on the bed with you or follow you around constantly just to find a corner to nap in the room you are in. He is a perfect cuddler and focused on his owner intensely. Soft and fluffy weighing in at 11 lbs. He is submissive to people like a ragdoll, so grooming is easy when his hair is clippered short or brushed and combed daily. Gold and white with a black mask. His lineage traces back to titans of the show ring with his great-great-great grandparent of Wenrick, great-great grandsire of Zephyr, great-great grandparent of Lun Lynn, and great grandparent of Centerfold. His smaller size means potentially a lighter weight puppy when paired with a smaller female. He has all of his OFA's in good standing and a CHIC #.

She has a soft energy and a happy-go-lucky demeanor. Her hair feels like velvet, soft, plush and the silkiest of them all. Ridiculously smart, we call her Houdini because she's an escape artist if left alone in a pen and she wants to be near you, opening gates and climbing like a free-style champ. An easy potty trainer. She is sturdy boned, short, long, and stout. She is a big girl and it all goes to her belly just looking at that food, her pups will also have potential to be on the sturdy side, no over-feeding treats to these puppies. Black with the slightest greying wisps through her hair and the tiniest wisp of white on her chest as a star. She has all her OFA testing all in good standing and a CHIC #.

Gentle with a soft mouth and delicate demeanor. Easy to potty train because she truly wants to make her people happy. She bats her big bashful eyes and wags her entire body with joy. A willingness to please, and love of fetch make her a perfect companion for the house, lets stick to little stuffies as tennis balls are too big to fit in their mouths. Black and white with a ticking pattern like cookies and cream. She has all good OFA's and a CHIC #.

Nova is from Tig and Penny. A sweet girl like her parents who is also very well crate and potty trained as it came easy for her in the paw-steps of her mother. Gentle and docile and always obedient and respectful of your wishes and your space. Black and white cookies and cream pattern. She has all good OFA's and a CHIC #.

Excerpt from the Dalmatian Club of America:

..."His activities have been as varied as his reputed ancestors. He has been a dog of war, a sentinel on the borders of Dalmatia and Croatia. He has been employed as draft dog, as shepherd. He is excellent on rats and vermin. He is well known for his heroic performances as fire-apparatus follower and fire-house mascot. As a sporting dog he has been used as bird dog, as trail hound, as retriever, or in packs for boar or stag hunting. His retentive memory had made him one of the most dependable clowners in circuses and on the stage. Down through the years the intelligence and willingness of the Dalmatian have found him in practically every role to which useful dogs are assigned.

Most important among his talents has been his status as the original, one-and-only coaching dog. The imaginative might say that his coaching days go back to an engraving of a spotted dog following an Egyptian chariot! Even the practical minded will find no end of proof, centuries old, of the Dalmatian, with ears entirely cropped away and padlocked brass collar, plying his natural trade as follower and guardian of the horse-drawn vehicle."...

A dalmatian wants to be close to you and they are really into PDA (public displays of affection). They can be into shenanigans if bored or under exercised physically and mentally. Deep pressure therapy lover and stealer of kisses. Playful and adoring 35 lb. sidekick who loves hugs and will really lean in for a good snuggle. Easy to potty train and just plain easy to train. One time I asked her to not play fetch with the shih tzu, because she wins hands down and pounces them in the process, and her reward was cuddle time in my lap. That is all she wants out of life so forever more when we throw a fetch toy and the shih tzu dive for it she jumps in my lap, I only showed her that once or twice tops. She's patient and obedient, she doesn't jump fences to try and escape the yard even when they are only 30" tall in the shih tzu yard. If she does escape her pen when alone she doesn't run away from me if I make it a game, she just wants to come to where I am and hang out so she just runs to the kitchen door. Playing with other dogs is fun and she likes to prod the shih tzu and push their buttons to make them play fight, she is always gentle with them for the most part unless she gets too excited and rough and never hurts them out of anger. She is a clown and loves everybody and every dog, she plays well with others, but still prefers a walk with her people after 10 minutes if the option is there. Not fetch so much, they have to be taught to like fetch as they aren't historically retrievers but explorers and travelers guarding the wagon. Of course, they like a few rounds especially if in a group of dogs playing the fetch game, like pick-up football, but to just play alone chasing a ball just to bring it back and then do that again and again is boring. She has a passing hearing test (BAER) and a passing eye test (CAER).

All dalmatians are into deep pressure therapy, they really like to lean in with their body weight because they just want to touch you. Passing Eye CAER exam registered with the OFA. Low uric acid. This strong 60 lb. boy was raised by my son, and they live in the city where he provides protection as a deterrent to bad guys. Dalmatians are known for being suspicious of intruders whether known or not as they are dedicated watch dogs in tune with the human, they share the most time with. They need their people, this is not an aloof breed that is happy to not be touched or interacted with, they will get depressed. He is also a great conversation starter because who didn't love 101 dalmatians. He can jump a 5-foot fence easy and open doors if it's a push lever. He loves hugs and spending time with his family, long walks are cool too. Playing with other dogs is okay for 5 or 10 minutes but mostly dalmatians just want to hang with their people, play dates aren't necessary for their happiness. Having said this, if you intend to leave them home alone a lot, they do prefer a companion, but they should probably be introduced when the dalmatian is a puppy, Freckles would be fine as she loves everybody but just in case. Same sexes can fight and with larger dogs that can cause damage it can matter, it's best to have a boy and a girl that are fixed, and since the HUA boys should wait until 18 months old you will need to fix her by 6 months. He jumps the fence to be near his people, not escape the yard. If you remember 101 dalmatians it starts with Pongo pulling his owner through the park excited to get to wherever he was going, this is accurate. They can be a fun-loving goofy bull in a china shop.