The Bolo-Tzu is a hybrid of the Bolognese and the Shih-Tzu. The mix is a modern designer dog intended as a companion dog and does not have a long and well-known history. As such, owners must look at the history of the breed parents to understand the history of this hybrid. The Bolognese is a toy companion breed of the Water Spaniel family. French and Italian courtesans and nobility maintained the breed, which also goes by the name Bichon Bolognese and is closely related to the Bichon Frise; frise being a French word for frizzy and referring to the soft, frizzy hair on this white coated toy. This breed’s Italian name, Bolognese, refers to the Italian province of Bologna, where the breed is thought to have developed. The Shi-Tzu is a breed of the Byzantine Empire and may have originated in Tibet. Its name means lion in Chinese and is given for its little lion appearance. The earliest record of the Shih-Tzu dates to the year 625, but the little dog has a long history in China as this breed was gifted to the Chinese nobility by Tibetan Monks.  Secret breeding programs designed for the Chinese royalty produced the modern-day Shih-Tzu and Tzu-Hsi, the 19th century royal concubine turned Empress of China was gifted a pair of Shih-Tzus by the Dali Lama. This pair would become the foundation for all future royal Shih-Tzus and so beloved were her dogs that the punishment for cruelty to any palace dog was death. Eventually, the Shih-Tzu was imported to England and the United States and became a recognized breed by the American Kennel Club in 1969. Today, the Bolo-Tzu is a true companion dog and considered a designer hybrid. The Bolo-Tzu is recognized by the Designer Breed Registry, the International Designer Canine Registry, and the American Canine Hybrid Club.
