About

About Mother Goose Shih Tzu

Mother Goose Shih Tzu is named for our first Mother Goose. Lucy, our first breeding female, has many affectionate nicknames in our home. The one that we use most often is "Lucy-Ma-Goosey". This has been shortened to "Goose" from time to time. We also have small children living in our home, so when it came time to choosing a name for our breeding program, the name "Mother Goose" fell into our laps.

After Lucy reached the age of retirement, we kept back a puppy from one of her last litters, Lexi. Lexi carried on the Mother Goose name and had litters with three studs: Radar, Jackson, and Leo. She has joined her parents, Lucy and Fozzie, as retirees in our home.

Cocoa is a Fozzie granddaughter, born at Croaking Toad Shih Tzu. She has been bred to Croaking Toad's Leo. 

We kept two girls from a Cocoa/Leo breeding: Peach and Daisy. They are our newest mothers, and bred to our new stud, Ajax.

Our dogs are all AKC registered and their litters will also be AKC registered.

We are located in Valparaiso, Indiana, near Lake Michigan, and about 55 miles east of Chicago.

You can contact Erin at esummer81@yahoo.com or 219-789-6666 with any questions.



About the Shih Tzu Breed

The following is from the American Kennel Club's website, www.akc.org:

Get to know the Shih Tzu

A compact and solid dog, the Shih Tzu's long, flowing double coat is its most distinctive feature. The word Shih Tzu means "lion" and although this dog is sweet and playful, he is not afraid to stand up for himself! One of the most popular dogs in the United States according to AKC® Registration Statistics, this portable pooch has a distinctively arrogant carriage with his head well up and tail curved over the back. All colors of Shih Tzu are allowed.

A Look Back
Cherished by Chinese royals as prized house pets for over a thousand years, it is believed to have descended from crossing the Lhasa Apso or Tibetan mountain dog and Pekingese. The Shih Tzu was the house pet for most of the Ming Dynasty and was discovered by soldiers in England during World War II.

Right Breed for You?

As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is companion and house pet, he should be lively, alert, friendly and trusting towards all. He requires minimal exercise, but his long, luxurious coat needs daily brushing and maintenance.
  • Toy Group; AKC recognized in 1969.
  • Ranging in size from 8 to 11 inches tall at the shoulder and 9 to 16 pounds.
  • Companion, house pet.

Shih Tzu - DID YOU KNOW?
  • The legend of the Shih Tzu has come to us from documents, paintings, and objets d'art dating from AD 624.
  • During the Tang Dynasty, K'iu T'ai, King of Viqur, gave the Chinese court a pair of dogs, said to have come from the Fu Lin (assumedly, the Byzantine Empire). Mention of these dogs (Shih Tzus) was again made in AD 990-994 when people of the Ho Chou sent dogs as a tribute.
  • Shih Tzu means lion, and in Buddhist belief, there is an association between the lion and their Deity; thus, the dogs were bred in court.
  • The Shih Tzu was the house pet for most of the Ming Dynasty.
  • First classifed as Apsos, but after a ruling by the Kennel Club (England), became a separate breed, culminating with the formation of the Shih Tzu Kennel Club of England in 1935 and admittance to the AKC Stud Book in 1969.
  • The Shih Tzu is often called "the chrysanthemum-faced dog" because of the haphazard, round-face way their hair grows in the front.



American Kennel Club 2011 Dog Registration Statistics
Historical Comparisons & Notable Trends

RANKING
BREED
2011
2010
2006
2001
Labrador Retrievers
1
1
1
1
German Shepherd Dogs
2
2
3
3
Beagles
3
4
5
5
Golden Retrievers
4
5
4
2
Yorkshire Terriers
5
3
2
6
Bulldogs
6
6
12
19
Boxers
7
7
7
8
Poodles
8
9
8
7
Dachshunds
9
8
6
4
Rottweilers
10
11
17
11
Shih Tzu
11
10
9
10

© The American Kennel Club, Inc.
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