Auss-Tzu

The Auss-Tzu is a recent designer dog, a mix between a Miniature Australian Shepherd and a Shih-Tzu. The Shih-Tzu is a very old breed that hails from China. It is believed to have been developed from the Lhasa Apso, a tiny guard dog from Tibet, that was bred with small Chinese dogs, such as the Pekingese. Designed to be a companion and a watchdog, the Shih-Tzu was favored by Chinese royalty for many centuries because of its flowing, hypoallergenic coat and its friendly personality. The Australian Shepherd as we know it today was actually developed in the United States, mostly by cattle and sheep herders in the mid to late 19th century, although much of their early history is from Basque shepherding dogs that traveled from Australia to America in the early 1800’s. These dogs, most likely Pyrenean Sheepdogs that had been crossed with a Collie type breed are believed to have been crossed with other hard working stock dogs in order to develop an agile and enduring herding animal. The miniature Australian Shepherd was developed in the 1960’s to create a smaller version of these energetic and versatile dogs. Cross breeding the brachycephalic Shih-Tzu to the longer muzzled Australian Shepherd usually increases the length of the muzzle, which makes it easier for these dogs to breathe and prevents brachycephalic syndrome from developing. In some cases, the addition of the hypoallergenic Shih-Tzu to the Miniature Australian Shepherd can produce a hypoallergenic animal; however, the majority of Auss-Tzu dogs are not hypoallergenic.