Why a Shihpoo?

 You may have heard these dogs nicknamed the "Teddy Bear" puppy and that rings true! Their soft, voluminous, coat resembles the cuddly teddy bear appearance. They can come in a variety of colors depending on the parents. Their fur can be either straight like the Shih Tz or curly like the Poodle, but typically finds itself somewhere in between with a fluffy, wavy coat. They stand anywhere from 7-11 inches tall and weigh 8-12 pounds. We sure enjoy loving on our real life teddy bears and hope you get the chance to too!  

 Shihpoo's offer wonderful qualities from both their parents. From the Poodle they gain their intelligence and non shedding coat and from the Shih Tzu they were gifted their wonderful loyalty and calm demeanor. Because of the mix of the two it is hard to tell which of the parents traits the pup will inherit most prominently but regardless, these dogs are playful, fun, and trainable. They require a fair amount of exercise because of their energetic poodle blood, but are sure to snuggle up as the "teddy bear" puppy after they get their energy out, just as any puppy needs. We hope the Shihpoo is the perfect fit for you!  

 Shih Tzu + Toy Poodle = Shihpoo
Like you see above the Shihpoo is a hybrid mix of the Shih Tzu and the Toy Poodle. Two wonderful dogs rolled into one! Interestingly both the Shih Tzu and the Toy Poodle are two of the most ancient dog breeds we know about! The Shih Tzu first originated in Tibet where they were gifted to Chinese emperors. This is where they were first given their name, which means "Little Lion" and some also called them the chrysanthemum because the way the fur grows on their faces resembles petals of the flower.
The Poodle first originated in Germany in the 18th Century where they were bred as companion dogs, used to hunt mushrooms, and worked as water retrievers. The exaggerated show hair cut we see today was actually used to keep the dogs joints and torso warm in cold water. Toy Poodles were frequently used in the circus because of their high intelligence and love of performing tricks. The breed became especially popular in France when King Louis the XVI fell in love with his Toy Poodles. The entire royal court  became poodle lovers as well and soon the breed was thought of as France's national dog.