Mary Allen
#10 The Empress Dowager Cixi, who loved these dogs very much, was engaged in their breeding, made a special contribution to the appearance of the breed.
She preferred dogs with a golden coat (the color of the Chinese emperors) with a white spot on the forehead and a white tip of the tail. This color of dogs of the Shih Tzu breed is still one of the most common. The little palace dogs accompanied the Empress Dowager everywhere, walking in front of her retinue. To care for them, a staff of eunuchs was kept in the palace, whose duties included caring for the dogs.
#11 At the beginning of the 20th century, history changed its course, the Great Chinese Empire was destroyed, and at the same time the Shih Tzu breed suffered great damage.
The breed would have been threatened with complete destruction, if not for several enthusiasts, who in the 20s of the 20th century were able to take several representatives of palace dogs to Europe. Since then, a new stage in the history of the Shih Tzu breed has begun.
