Shih Tzuillon Puppies for Sale

A cross that varies more than most

The Shih Tzuillon is a Shih Tzu crossed with a Papillon. It is worth saying at the outset that this pairing produces more variation between littermates than almost any other small cross we carry, and there is a straightforward reason for it: the two parents differ in nearly every visible feature.

The Shih Tzu has a dense double coat, a broad head, a shortened muzzle and dropped ears. The Papillon has a fine single coat, a fox-like head, a longer muzzle and — in the classic form — large erect ears carried like wings, with heavy fringing.

A Shih Tzuillon may take after either side or blend them. Ear carriage, coat texture, muzzle length and adult size all sit on a spectrum. The practical upshot is simple: judge the puppy, not the name.

A companion breed on both sides

Whatever it looks like, one thing is reliable. Both parents are companion breeds with no working history to speak of, bred for centuries to live indoors with people. A Shih Tzuillon wants to be in the room with you and is at its best in a household where somebody usually is.

That makes it well suited to apartment living and to owners who want a dog that travels between the sofa, the lap and the foot of the desk. It also means time alone should be introduced deliberately from the first week — short absences, built up gradually — rather than discovered on the first full working day.

Coat care, whichever coat you get

A Papillon-leaning coat is fine, silky, single and lies flat, with the work concentrated in the fringes: ears, chest, tail and the backs of the legs. It tangles rather than mats if you keep a comb through it.

A Shih Tzu-leaning coat is thicker, double and heavier, and it needs proper line combing to the skin. Left alone it mats close to the skin while the surface still looks fine.

Either way the routine is a comb every day or two through the friction points, a professional trim on a regular cycle, and the hair around the eyes kept short so the dog can see out. Start handling the face early so this stays uneventful.

Character and training

Bright, affectionate and often more capable than owners expect. The Papillon side is one of the most trainable toy lines in existence, and even a Shih Tzu-leaning puppy generally enjoys short, food-based training sessions.

Toy breeds are frequently under-trained simply because it is easier to pick the dog up than to solve the problem. Resist that. A small dog that will walk on a loose lead, settle on a mat and come when called is a dog you can take everywhere.

The puppy stage

Set the house up for a light, low dog: steps or a ramp instead of jumping down from furniture, a harness rather than a neck collar, and time on the ground rather than permanent residence in someone’s arms.

House-training runs on the usual toy-breed schedule — frequent trips, fixed routine, an appropriately sized crate, and patience.

Come and see one

With this much variation, the individual puppy is the whole story. Browse our puppies for sale, read about our breeders, and visit us in Clermont near Orlando or Goodlettsville near Nashville. Ask about the warranty and about financing through TerracePets.