The Shih Poo dog is a hybrid that resulted from intermixing the Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle. Although this breed is already popular, the kennel clubs still don't recognize it as an official breed. Because of this, the Shih Poo has no breed standard and so every appearance and disposition is accepted by the community.
With this mixing, you can expect the Shih Poo to have qualities of both the Shih Tzu and Poodle parents. However, these qualities are not disseminated 50-50 but rather, one breed may dominate the other. One common aspect of the Shih Poos, however, is their very little shedding coats and this is inherited from the Poodle.
The breeding of the Shih Poo was done to develop a dog that has hypoallergenic properties at the same time still remains to be adorable and little. Compared to other dogs, the Shih Poo sheds less hair and produces harmless dander. No dog breed is completely hypoallergenic, however, but with a Shih Poo, a sensitive person may experience no allergic reactions at all.
Intermixing of a Shih Tzu and Poodle results to a healthier offspring because it has been found that the Shih Poo possesses less genetic problems. This result is found more in a Shih Poo born from Shih Tzu and Poodle combination than Shih Poo and Shih Poo breeding. The life expectancy of this breed is 14 to 17 years.
There are no fixed coat colors for this breed although some of them generally appear black and white, brown, white, or gray, and with patterns and markings of apricot. The average weight for this breed is 10 to 15 pounds while the average height is 8 to 11 inches. There are Shih Poos that appear to have long and curly coats while some have short and straight ones.
Grooming this breed requires every other day brushing or combing because the coat is prone to matting if left unattended for days. Additionally, hair trimming must be done at least once every 2 to 3 months. The hair of this dog tends to hang over its eyes preventing him to see at times that's why it is helpful to tie a knot on top of its head.
Being little draws expectations of frailty but not for the Shih Poo because in his bearing and liveliness, it shows that he is a strong and solid dog. This dog is also agile, alert and extremely active. It thrives on daily dose of plays and exercises and playing fetch is one activity recommended for this dog.
The Shih Poo, aside from being lively, is also highly intelligent and quick to learn. During trainings, it learns and familiarizes the tricks or commands rather swiftly. Most importantly, the Shih Poo is well-known to be a very loving and sweet dog, playful, gentle and always chirpy that shows whenever it gives the master countless kisses.
