The Shih Tzu was originally developed by Tibetan Monks to give as gifts to Chinese Royalty, however, this dog is now the 20th most popular dog breed in America.
Even though originally breed for Chinese royalty, you have the opportunity to add this pint-sized dog of royalty to your family home.
Read on to find out why they are great with Kids.
Are Shih Tzus good with Kids?
Shih Tzus are good with kids of any age due to their smaller nature and highly friendly personalities. Making them the ultimate choice for a family concerned about the safety of their children around a family pet. You would be hard-pressed to find any family that would not say a Shih Tuz is good with their kids. Even though its nickname is ‘The Little Lion’, its personality is the complete opposite making it any family’s best friend with its affectionate nature.
The Shih Tzu has all the qualities that any parent could want in an animal that can be trusted around their children.
Generally, most Shih Tzus are under 12 inches tall (30 cms) and weigh around the 15-pound mark (7KG) meaning that they aren’t going to really knock over your child, even if by accident they run into them.
Below are five common questions that people ask.
Are Shih Tzus good with Babies?
It is always recommended that you never leave a pet unattended baby, however, with supervision the Shih Tzu is great with babies.
These dogs are not known to bite, so you do not have to worry about them biting your baby for whatever reason.
The most likely thing a Shih Tzu would do to your baby would lick its head with affection as it’s now part of the family. The Shih Tzu is known as an extremely gentle dog as well, so you shouldn’t have any concern either with watching some supervised play between your baby and Shih Tzu in the comfort of your home on the floor.
This is now your baby’s best friend and protector, there is nothing better than introducing a pet into your young baby’s life.
Are Shih Tzus good with Toddlers?
Shih Tzus are fantastic with toddlers as your toddler would be the perfect play partner for your Shih Tzu.
They are also great with toddlers in regards to them being very patient with young children, our Shih Tzus have been multiple times roughly patted by young kids with our Shih Tzus not reacting in any way.
We have even had toddlers pull at their faces out of curiosity with our Shih Tzus not even batting an eyelid or remotely being upset.
This can be a concern for most dog breeds, however, due to the Shih Tzu’s monk-like nature.
They are very Zen when it comes to young children, it’s almost as though they make an allowance for young kids.
It’s not in their nature to lash out.
What is more likely to happen if your toddler plays roughly with your Shih Tzu is that your dog will just simply move to another area.
We have seen this multiple times with our young nephew who loves playing with our Shih Tzus, however, he sometimes crosses the mark with his play.
Our Shih Tzu’s time and time again will just simply up and leave to another area of the house.
Will my Shih Tzu get tired of my children?
Not initially, however, the Shih Tzu doesn’t have an overly high amount of energy.
You will find that your Shih Tzu will play with them in short bursts of 15 – 30 mins and then will need a rest after that.
So it’s important to remember that after you’re Shih Tzu is done playing with your children that you don’t allow them to annoy your dog as it needs a break.
An idea is to have a separate area for your Shih Tzu to rest, so it won’t be disturbed by your children who as you know have an almost unlimited amount of energy.
Once your Shih Tzu charges its batteries with a nap, it will be right to play again.
What games can my children play with my Shih Tzu?
From our experience, the Shih Tzu is not a great dog to play fetch with. If you do have a Shih Tzu who plays fetch, it typically won’t last that long and get tired.
It’s important that any item you want to play fetch with will fit in your Shih Tzu’s mouth.
We have made the mistake before of buying some tennis balls that were just too big for our Shih Tzus to get their mouths around.
Shih Tzu can also play a bit of tug of war however, it needs to be done with a smaller rope that can fit in their smaller mouth.
It’s important that when you do buy your Shih Tzu a toy to play tug-o-war with the rope will be able to fit in its mouth.
You can also play tug-o-wars with your Shih Tzu by using small plush toys, we have found this to be our Shih Tzu’s favorite item to play tug-o-war with.
The Shih Tzu is a dog that is more suited to exploring your home and backyard with your children.
They will always want to be by their side as it’s part of the family and will want to anywhere they are going.
They will quite happily join in any games your children and their friends are playing.
They are quite happy to even be the star of a play or a pretend baby that is wheeled around in a pram.
Are Shih Tzus good with strangers?
Any Shih Tzu owner knows just how friendly their dog is as most owners know all too well that their Shih Tzu will greet any person and dog that comes by them when they are out on their regular walk.
Sometimes our Shih Tzu’s would quite often stray from us when off the leash and start walking off with another family, just to get their attention.
This is an example of just how friendly these dogs are.
With any stranger that comes to your home, your Shih Tzu may initially bark at them outside the door, however, once inside your home you will find that most Shih Tzus will be excited to meet your guest.
Closing Points
You need not have any concerns by adding a Shih Tzu to your home with your children, toddler, or baby.
This dog has a perfect temperament and is suited to children of all ages.
It will be your child’s best friend and it will not take them long to form a lifelong bond that will not only warm your heart but warm there as well.
