Shih Tzu Guide

How Long Do Shih Tzus Live?

A healthy Shih Tzu often lives somewhere between 11 and 14 years, and some go well past that. The American Kennel Club lists a Shih Tzu life span of 10 to 18 years, which is a wide window, so it helps to know where the narrower numbers come from and what moves a dog toward the upper end.

Below I go through what two large veterinary studies found, why they give different figures, what tends to shorten or extend a small dog's life, and what to look at before you bring a puppy home. If you are thinking about a puppy, the Shih Tzu puppies available now are on their own page.

How long do Shih Tzus live on average?

The honest answer is a range, not one number. Three reputable sources give three slightly different pictures:

The AKC breed information lists a life span of 10 to 18 years.
VCA Animal Hospitals gives 11 to 14 years.
The UK VetCompass studies from the Royal Veterinary College, which follow thousands of real pet dogs, land at roughly 11 years for life expectancy at birth and 12.7 years for the median age at death in the Shih Tzus they studied.

Put together, a Shih Tzu that reaches adulthood in good health can reasonably be expected to live into its early teens. Reaching 15 or 16 happens, but it should be treated as a lovely bonus, not a promise.

What do the vet studies say about Shih Tzu life expectancy?

The first is a 2022 paper in Scientific Reports by Teng and colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College. They built life tables from the records of 30,563 UK dogs that died between 2016 and mid 2020. For the Shih Tzu, life expectancy at birth came out at 11.05 years, with a confidence range of 10.73 to 11.40. The average for all UK companion dogs in the same study was 11.23 years, so Shih Tzus sit very close to the middle of the pack.

The second is a 2024 VetCompass study that looked only at Shih Tzus. It covered 11,082 dogs under UK primary veterinary care in 2016. For the dogs in that study that died, the median age at death was 12.7 years, with the middle half falling between 8.7 and 14.3 years and the full range running from 2.0 to 19.9 years. The authors concluded that Shih Tzus appear to be relatively long-lived compared with earlier reports of lifespan in dogs overall.

Both studies come from the UK, so they describe British pet dogs, not American ones. I mention that because it is the same breed and the same sort of household, but it is still a caveat.

Why do the studies give different numbers?

Because they measure different things. Life expectancy at birth asks how long a newborn puppy can expect to live, given the chance of dying at every age. A puppy lost young pulls that average down. A median age at death looks only at the dogs that died, so it leaves out everyone still alive, and it tends to sound higher.

Neither number is wrong. If you want a single planning figure, about 11 to 14 years is fair: it is the VCA range, and both the VetCompass figures and the wider AKC range sit around it.

Do male or female Shih Tzus live longer?

I could not confirm a Shih Tzu-specific answer, so I will not give one. Across all UK dogs in the 2022 life table study, female dogs had a longer life expectancy than males (11.41 years for females against 11.23 for dogs overall). That is a population trend for dogs in general and says little about one individual.

What matters far more than sex is weight, teeth, airway comfort and the quality of the veterinary care a dog gets over the years. Choose a puppy for its health and its fit with your home, not for a guessed difference in lifespan.

What shortens a Shih Tzu's life?

For a small, short-nosed breed, the common culprits are things you can often see coming:

Gum disease. In the 2024 Shih Tzu study, periodontal disease was the most common single disorder recorded, at 9.5% of the sampled dogs. Bad teeth are not only a mouth problem, they are a body problem.
Overheating. VCA notes the short muzzle makes the breed prone to overheating in warm weather. Heat is a real risk on a car ride or a summer walk.
Extra weight. VCA says the breed tends to stay at a good weight or run slightly heavy. Carrying extra pounds strains the back, the knees and the airway.
Airway narrowing. Breathing difficulty in short-nosed dogs is called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, or BOAS. Snoring at rest or panting after little effort is worth raising with a vet.
Eye injuries. The eyes are large and prominent, so scratches and ulcers can happen quickly.

Most of these are manageable when caught early. For the full list of conditions, see the Shih Tzu health problems guide.

How can you help a Shih Tzu live longer?

No one controls the outcome, but daily habits stack up over a decade. These are the ones I would put first:

Brush the teeth, ideally every day, and ask the vet when a professional dental clean makes sense.
Keep the dog lean. You should be able to feel the ribs under a light covering.
Use a harness instead of a collar on walks, keep exercise gentle in warm weather, and never leave a dog in a parked car.
Check the eyes and ears weekly. VCA advises weekly ear checks because of poor air circulation in the ear.
Book a routine vet exam each year, and more often once the dog is older.
Feed a balanced diet in measured portions. The Shih Tzu feeding guide covers amounts and treats.

A tidy coat matters too, because matted hair can hide skin trouble. The routine is in the Shih Tzu grooming guide.

What should I do for an older Shih Tzu?

There is no firm birthday when a small dog becomes a senior, so pay attention to behavior in place of the calendar. A dog that sleeps more, hesitates on stairs, drinks more than before or loses interest in food is telling you something, and a vet visit is the right response.

Intervertebral disc disease is among the conditions listed for the breed by UK veterinary sources, so a ramp to the sofa and a sensible limit on jumping are cheap ways to protect an aging back. Keep up the dental care, ask the vet about the eyes, and weigh the dog every month or two so slow weight changes do not slip past you.

What can a buyer ask to improve the odds of a long life?

A buyer cannot buy a guarantee of lifespan, and no honest promise of one exists. What you can do is ask good questions: how the puppy was raised, whether a vet has examined it, what vaccination and worming records come with it, and what the written contract promises.

At Royal Silk Shih Tzus, litters are born and raised in my home, every puppy is seen by my vet before going home, and the vaccination and worming record goes with the puppy. The contract includes a one-year health guarantee in writing. Those are the checks that are mine to give. You can read the details on the go-home package page, and the guide to choosing a Shih Tzu breeder lists more questions worth asking.

Size plays a small part as well. My adults are about 8 pounds, a little under the 9 to 16 pound breed standard. I do not breed for tiny size and do not promise it. The Shih Tzu size guide explains.

Quick Answers

What is the oldest age a Shih Tzu can reach?

The 2024 VetCompass study of Shih Tzus recorded deaths at ages from 2.0 up to 19.9 years, so reaching the late teens is possible but uncommon. The typical dog lives well short of that.

Is a Shih Tzu a long-lived breed compared with other small dogs?

The 2024 study authors described Shih Tzus as relatively long-lived compared with earlier reports for dogs overall. The 2022 life table study put them at 11.05 years, close to the 11.23 year average for UK dogs.

Does the short nose shorten a Shih Tzu's life?

Many very flat-faced breeds, such as the French Bulldog, had much shorter life expectancy in the 2022 study. The Shih Tzu did not fall into that group, though airway problems and heat sensitivity still deserve attention.

Does neutering change how long a Shih Tzu lives?

I could not confirm a Shih Tzu-specific answer, so I would not make a claim. Talk to your vet about the right timing for your own dog.

Are the lifespan figures the same in the United States?

The large VetCompass studies are British, and I have not seen a comparable American breed table that I can confirm. The AKC range of 10 to 18 years is the figure usually quoted here.

How much does a long life depend on the breeder?

A breeder can control how a puppy is raised and what care it receives early on, but not the dog's whole future. Ongoing diet, dental care and vet visits do the rest.