Silky Tzu

The Silky Terrier is a small, elegant toy breed that stands nine to ten inches at the shoulder and weighs between eight and eleven pounds, with ten pounds being considered ideal according to breed standards. Despite their diminutive size, these dogs possess a refined yet sturdy build with fine bone structure and sufficient substance to suggest the ability to hunt and dispatch home vermin. The body is moderately low-set and slightly longer than tall, creating a rectangular silhouette that contributes to their balanced and graceful appearance. The head is wedge-shaped with a flat skull that is not too wide between the ears, featuring a shallow stop and a strong, slightly shorter muzzle. The hallmark of the breed is their stunning coat, which is single-layered, straight, and possesses a distinctive silky texture that is both glossy and fine. The coat parts down the center of the back and flows gracefully along each side, typically reaching five to six inches in length. Coloration is a striking blue and tan pattern, with the blue ranging from silver blue to pigeon blue to slate blue, while the tan markings are deep and rich. The blue extends from the base of the skull to the tip of the tail, while tan appears on the muzzle, cheeks, around the base of the ears, on the legs, and around the vent area. The ears are small, V-shaped, and set high on the head, carried erect with pointed tips that give the breed an alert and intelligent expression. The eyes are small, dark, and almond-shaped, conveying a keen and piercing terrier expression. The tail is typically docked and carried high. Despite their luxurious coat, Silky Terriers are low-shedding, though they are not considered hypoallergenic. Their coat requires daily brushing to prevent matting and tangles, with regular bathing recommended monthly to maintain its characteristic silky texture.

The Shih-Tzu is a sturdy, abundantly coated toy dog with a distinctly arrogant carriage and a unique chrysanthemum-like face. Standing between eight and eleven inches at the shoulder, with nine to ten and a half inches being ideal, these compact dogs weigh between nine and sixteen pounds, with ten to sixteen pounds considered ideal. The body is slightly longer than it is tall, creating a rectangular silhouette that should never appear so high stationed as to look leggy or so low stationed as to appear dumpy. Despite their small size, they possess a solid, well-muscled frame with good bone structure. The head is one of the breed's most distinctive features, being broad and round with wide-set eyes. The muzzle is square, short, and flat without wrinkles, measuring approximately one inch from the tip of the nose to a definite stop. The nose is black in most colors, though liver-colored dogs display a dark liver nose. A slight underbite or level bite is preferred according to breed standards. The eyes are large, round, and dark, though liver-colored dogs may have lighter eyes, and they are set well apart to give the breed its warm, trusting expression. The ears are large and pendant, set slightly below the crown of the skull and so heavily coated that they appear to blend into the neck hair. The crowning glory of the Shih-Tzu is their long, luxurious double coat that is dense and flowing, reaching the ground in fully coated specimens. The outer coat is long and may be slightly wavy, while the undercoat is moderate in density. Hair grows upward on the muzzle, contributing to the characteristic chrysanthemum-like appearance of the face. All colors are permissible except merle, with white blazes on the forehead and white tail tips being highly desirable in parti-colored specimens. The tail is heavily plumed, set high, and carried gaily curved over the back. Extensive grooming is required to maintain the coat, including daily brushing to prevent matting and regular bathing.