Shih Tzu Colors
Brown, Chocolate and Liver Shih Tzu
Brown Shih Tzus available now, and everything about the color.
A brown Shih Tzu can mean several things: a deep chocolate dog, a lighter tan or red-brown dog, or a liver dog with brown pigment. Chocolate is the name many families use, while liver is the word used in the breed standard.
This page explains the difference between brown and liver, why the nose and eyes matter, how a brown and white Shih Tzu changes as the coat grows, and how to care for a brown coat. It also covers whether brown changes anything about the dog itself.
Brown Shih Tzus Available Now
What Does a Brown Shih Tzu Look Like?
A brown Shih Tzu ranges from a light milk chocolate to a deep, dark brown, and many carry white markings on the face, chest or feet. Some are solid, and others are brown and white with larger patches, much like a black and white parti in a different shade.
Dark brown can look close to black in poor light, and the nose is the quickest way to tell the difference.
The same brown and white puppy might be called chocolate and white, liver and white or brown and white. All three describe brown with white markings.
Light brown dogs can sometimes be mistaken for gold in photos, and the nose helps again: a brown nose with a light coat points to liver pigment, while a black nose with a warm coat is more likely gold. Looking at the nose and the eye rims separates the two quickly.
What Does Liver Mean on a Shih Tzu?
Liver is a brown pigment that replaces black. In a liver Shih Tzu the nose, lips and eye rims are liver, not black, and the eyes are lighter. The AKC standard says exactly that: black on all colors, except liver on liver pigmented dogs and blue on blue pigmented dogs, with eyes very dark but lighter on liver and blue pigmented dogs.
So a liver Shih Tzu is a dog with brown pigment, whatever shade the coat is. A brown coat on a black-nosed dog is a different case.
Is Chocolate the Same as Liver?
In everyday use, yes. Chocolate is a friendlier word that many families prefer, and liver is the term in the standard. Both refer to the brown pigment. Liver and white means patches of brown on white.
If you are unsure what a name means, check the photos for the nose color.
Does a Brown Shih Tzu Puppy Change Color?
It can. Some brown puppies lighten as the adult coat comes in, so a rich chocolate puppy may be a lighter brown by the time it is a year old, and others darken. The nose color is the more dependable guide to a liver dog.
For that reason a puppy photo shows the color today, not a promise of the adult shade. If you are choosing for a particular shade, think about the grown dog, and ask for recent photos.
Does Brown Make a Shih Tzu Different From the Others?
Only in looks. The AKC standard treats all colors equally, and nothing in it says a liver dog is better, healthier or less healthy than any other. Many families are drawn by the warm color and the soft look of the brown nose and lighter eyes, which is a fine reason to choose one.
If cost is on your mind, the price page explains what a puppy costs and what is included.
Do Brown Shih Tzus Need Special Care?
Grooming is the same: brushing, bathing and trimming. One practical point is the nose. A liver nose is brown rather than black, and pink skin of any kind can burn in strong sun, so keep sun exposure sensible and tell your vet if the nose changes. Pink on the nose, lips or eye rims is listed as a fault in the standard.
The grooming guide covers a regular care routine.
Do Brown Shih Tzus Have a Different Personality?
There is no reliable evidence that coat color or pigment changes personality. A liver Shih Tzu is as cheerful and as determined as any other. The temperament guide describes what the breed is like.
Royal Silk Shih Tzus raises puppies at home, and each puppy goes to its new family from eight weeks old. If you would like to see who is here now, the available puppies page shows every puppy.
What Should I Look At When Choosing a Brown Puppy?
Check the nose, lips and eye rims in clear light, because that tells you the pigment. Look at the eyes, which are lighter on a liver pigmented dog. Look at the coat shade, and remember it may change.
Then look at what matters most over the years ahead: the face, the body, the coat and how the puppy behaves. The lifespan guide explains how long a Shih Tzu lives, and the available puppies page shows who is here now.
Brown Shih Tzu Questions
01What is a liver Shih Tzu?
A dog with brown pigment instead of black. The nose, lips and eye rims are liver, and the eyes are lighter, as the AKC standard describes.
02Is a chocolate Shih Tzu the same as a liver Shih Tzu?
In everyday use, yes. Chocolate is a popular name for the same brown pigment that the standard names liver.
03Do brown Shih Tzu puppies stay brown?
Some lighten or shift as the adult coat grows in, usually by about a year. The nose color is the steadier guide.
04Does a brown Shih Tzu cost more?
Each puppy card shows its own details. The price page explains what a puppy costs and what is included.
05Are brown Shih Tzus healthier or less healthy?
No reliable evidence says so. The well-established point is that pink skin can burn in sun, so keep an eye on the nose.
When You Are Ready
Would You Like a Brown Shih Tzu?
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