Chinese Imperial Dog Names

There is much debate over the history of the Chinese Imperial Dog. Some historians believe they have been gracing Asian palaces since about 700 A.D. and is one of the dogs in the Shih Tzu’s history, however, there are others who believe these little dogs did not come into existence until around the 1960s when the Shih Tzu was bred down in size and two distinct sizes were created. The Chinese Imperial Dog is not recognized by any major dog club. Finding a true Chinese Imperial Dog may prove difficult since many Shih Tzu breeders claim they have Imperial Shih Tzu or Chinese Imperial Dogs that will remain small. However, once these puppies mature, they are a full sized Shih Tzu instead of being less than 8 pounds. Scallywag Shih Tzu is a breeder who does have the true tiny Chinese Imperial Dogs such as Topper who weighs 4 pounds 11 ounces. Topper came to Scallywag Shih Tzu from Teacon Imperial Dogs in Virginia. Topper is a typical Teacon Imperial Dog with big, round eyes and a tiny nose that is set high on his flat face. Teacon Imperial Dogs weigh between 3 to 5 pounds when they are fully grown. They boast having true Chinese Imperial Dogs that will remain well under 8 pounds.

Another Chinese Imperial Dog is Mai Ling from Quintessential Shih Tzu and she is registered through the American Kennel Club (AKC) as a Shih Tzu instead of a Chinese Imperial Dog. This is a common practice among many Shih Tzu breeders to register these smaller dogs with the AKC as full-sized Shih Tzu. Because of this common practice, it is difficult to determine a true Chinese Imperial Dog from a Shih Tzu until they are full grown. Mai Ling has green eyes instead of the typical brown eyes of the Chinese Imperial Dog but that is because of her coat color being liver or chocolate, certain coat colors are allowed to have green/hazel or self-colored eyes. Mai Ling’s bloodlines boast some of the top Chinese Imperial Dogs from Rameriz, Hilltop, Falling Star, Sunset, Woodlands, and Tiny Toi Kennels. The Chinese Imperial Dog that is registered as a Shih Tzu is not able to be competitive in the show ring because they are considered undersized since most are much smaller than the Shih Tzu breed standard states. Therefore, it is unlikely that any Chinese Imperial Dogs will soon be found in dog show rings across the world unless they have been registered with the Chinese Imperial Dog Fanciers Association and are shown in lesser known venues, not AKC events.