This breed's origins are contested by historians; one debate states they originated in Tibet or China, and another states the Shih Tzu is an ancient cross between a Lhasa Apso and a Pekingese. As this was created 2,000+ years ago, we’ll likely never know.

Like all of the ancient dog breeds, Shih Tzus are very closely genetically related to wolves. That's right, that tiny Shih Tzu is closer to a wolf than a German Shepherd Dog.

Every single modern Shih Tzu can be traced to 14 dogs that were brought from China to England in 1930 by General Douglas and Lady Brownrigg.