The right word
Toy Shih Tzu Puppies for Sale
Toy is the one size word that is actually correct for this breed: the Shih Tzu is a toy breed, and mine are at the small end of it. 6 toy Shih Tzu puppies here now in Sedona, Arizona.
Every Shih Tzu is a toy breed, and mine are small ones: about 8lb grown. That is the honest way to describe them. Not teacup, not imperial, not a variety somebody invented, just a small purebred Shih Tzu that will fit on a lap, under an airline seat, and into an apartment. 6 of them are here now.
What toy means
The kennel clubs sort breeds into groups, and the Shih Tzu sits in the Toy Group alongside the Maltese, the Pomeranian, the Yorkshire Terrier and the rest of the small companion breeds. So a toy Shih Tzu is not a special kind of Shih Tzu. It is a Shih Tzu. The word describes the breed, not a size within it.
What people usually mean when they search for one is a Shih Tzu that stays properly small, and that is a fair thing to want. The standard runs 9 to 16lb, which at the top end is a solid little dog. Mine are about 8lb, and stay that way.
What 8lb looks like in a house
About the size of a big cat. Small enough to carry up stairs in one arm, to sit on a lap through a film, to sleep in a bed without taking it over, and to live comfortably in a one-bedroom apartment with a walk round the block twice a day. Light enough that a child can hold one safely with a hand underneath, and light enough that an airline counts it as carry-on.
The one thing to keep in mind is that small does not mean fragile in a Shih Tzu. They are sturdy little dogs with a solid frame, and an 8lb one is a normal, robust size for the breed rather than a miniature.
Living with a toy breed
A Shih Tzu was bred to keep people company and it has no other job. It wants to be in the room with you. It does not need a yard and it does not need long walks, but it does need people, and a household that is out twelve hours a day will not suit it. The coat needs brushing and a groomer every six to eight weeks, the flat face means summer walks at dawn and dusk, and house training takes a little longer than with a big dog.
Get those three things right and there are few easier dogs to live with. Mine have started house training before they leave and are used to a carrier, which makes the first fortnight in a new home shorter than it would otherwise be.
The girls here now
4 girls, all of which will finish about 8lb. The boys are on the available page.
All 6 puppies, in full · Each one described · How buying works
Toy Shih Tzu puppies for sale near me
We are in Sedona, Arizona. We meet Arizona families at an agreed public place, and arrange ground transport or a flight nanny for everyone else. How that works. If the word you had in mind was mini rather than toy, that page covers how to predict an adult size from the parents. All 6 puppies.
Ask about a puppy
Tell us which one has caught your eye and we will tell you all about them.