subject: The Shih Tzus Relationship To The Pekingese [print this page] The Shih Tzus Relationship To The Pekingese
Some westerner breeders challenge the belief that the Shih Tzu from Tibet were from time to time interbred with the native Pekingese to cut back the Shih Tzu to a smaller size. But, there are those in China at the time who in all probability have a higher position to understand precisely what did happen. There are several statements made by completely different people who was actually in China at the time the Shih Tzu were crossed with the Pekingese. Colonel Valentine Burkhardt for one points out that the Shih Tzu were most definitely crossed with the Pekingese. The Chinese failed to breed by pedigree. They bred per the image they had of the Lion Dog. Cross-breeding with the Pekingese was apparently done to reduce the dimensions of the Shih Tzu. It is also felt the cross-breedings occurred to flatten the forehead, making it a lot of lion-like in Chinese eyes.
There was a certain Peke cross in England in 1952 with the specific purpose of eliminating bound faults in the breed. The cross was done with the full data of the British Kennel Club. This cross was made below the supervision of Miss E.M. Evans, a distinguished breeder of the Pekingese, who grew to love the Shih Tzu and felt a conviction that this step was necessary for the betterment of the breed in England. In defense of her action, she explained that the Shih Tzu in her homeland of England were too giant, too high on leg, too long of muzzle with very bad pigmentation and too closely inbred. Miss Evans bred a Shih Tzu bitch, Elfann Fenling of Yram, to a beautifully coated black and white Pekingese, Philadephus Suti TSun of Elfann, who had excellent pigment and large dark eyes. His only fault was straight legs. The offspring of this outcross were bred back to purebred Shih Tzu, one from each generation, and the successive breedings were absolutely recorded with the British Kennel Club within the crossbred register. This outcross proved to be quite successful in correcting the pigmentation and making the shorter leg Shih Tzu.
During this point period the Shih Tzu were principally really big, near eighteen pounds in weight. The tiniest one found by Mrs. Jungefeldt was black and white named Fu-Ling of Clystvale. He was low on legs, sturdy chest and weighed concerning 9 pounds, and most likely the littlest Shih Tzu in England at the time.
