Big Shih Tzu

[Kiwi's Mom]

Hi I am a mother of a 24lb -3year old male Shih Tzu. Everyone says my Shih Tzu is fat I think he is just big boned and very long (24"). Dose anyone out there know of a Shih Tzu that weights about 24 or more pounds?
:confused:

[allinthehands]

I've never seen a Shih Tzu above the low to mid-teens - I'd say that if your dog is indeed a purebred Shih Tzu then it is overweight. Try putting him on a diet dog food.

[fuzzdomestic]

Because of their popularity with the general public and therefore BYBs, Shih Tzus have been getting gradually bigger. If your dog came from a good breeder who is careful to stay within the standard size and conformation, 24 pounds is much too big. Good Shih Tzu breeders are getting harder and harder to find, so he could just be much larger than standard. If you look down at him from above, does his waist curve in or out? If it is not fairly close to straight or curved in, he is too big. It's hard for me to tell, since I don't have a pic or anything to guess off of.

[Kiwi's Mom]

Kiwi is a very long Shih Tzu from neck to tail 23-24 " his waist curves in but he has a very big chest. I guess when you pick the chubbiest pup from the litter you get a big Shih Tzu. He is on a reduce calorie food now and always gets a lot of exercise...I guess I better cut down on the treats. Thanks

[fuzzdomestic]

24" is a massive Shih Tzu. If he's that big, 24 pounds is most likely not a problem. I'd love to see some pics of him though. Are you absolutely sure he doesn't have any Lhasa Apso or Pekingnese in him? I've seen a Pekingnese mix that looked just like a really big Shih Tzu. If she hadn't been so long, she could have passed for an out-of-standard purebred.

[babyjake228]

Yes, I agree with you, fuzzdomestic. Kiwi's Mom, if you need more info, here is a link to a fantastic site that has tons of info:

http://www.5stardog.com/dog-breeds-shih-tzu.asp

Hope it helps,
Jakey