Coat, Ears & Tail

AKC Toy Group · No. 21 in 2025

How to identify a Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is a sturdy toy dog with a long, flowing double coat, ranked No. 21 by the AKC in 2025. The muzzle is short, square and unwrinkled, and the bite is undershot. The heavily plumed tail curves well over the back, and all colors are allowed.

Photo of a Shih Tzu
Photo: Marcelo RosaMelo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Field marks

These four marks are the ones the game gives you as clues. They paraphrase or briefly quote the AKC Shih Tzu standard.

  1. “Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing”; topknot tied up
  2. Muzzle “square, short, unwrinkled,” about 1 in from nose to stop
  3. Tail “set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back”
  4. Round, broad head with an undershot bite; all colors allowed

Tell them apart

Shih Tzu or Yorkshire Terrier?

Check the color and the tail. A Yorkshire Terrier is always steel-blue and tan, with small V-shaped erect ears and a straight, silky coat. A Shih Tzu can be any color, has hanging ears hidden in its coat, a short square muzzle and a plumed tail curved over the back.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

  1. “Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing”; topknot tied up
  2. Muzzle “square, short, unwrinkled,” about 1 in from nose to stop
  3. Tail “set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back”
  4. Round, broad head with an undershot bite; all colors allowed
Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier

  1. Straight, silky coat: floor-length and parted down the back in the show ring, often clipped short at home
  2. Dark steel-blue body with a rich golden-tan head and tan legs
  3. “Small, V-shaped” ears carried erect
  4. Weight “must not exceed seven pounds”; long head fall tied with one or two bows

Shih Tzu or Poodle?

Check the coat and the muzzle. A Poodle’s coat is curly and harsh, in one solid color, and its muzzle is long, straight and fine. A Shih Tzu’s coat is long and flowing, in any color, with a short, square muzzle and an undershot bite.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

  1. “Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing”; topknot tied up
  2. Muzzle “square, short, unwrinkled,” about 1 in from nose to stop
  3. Tail “set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back”
  4. Round, broad head with an undershot bite; all colors allowed
Poodle

Poodle

  1. Three sizes: Toy (10 in or under), Miniature (over 10 to 15 in), and Standard (over 15 in)
  2. Curly coat “of naturally harsh texture, dense throughout,” or corded
  3. Muzzle “long, straight and fine”; long, wide, feathered ears
  4. One solid color at the skin; show dogs wear the English Saddle or Continental clip, pets a simpler trim

Shih Tzu or Havanese?

Check the face and the coat. A Shih Tzu has a short, square muzzle about an inch long, an undershot bite and a dense, flowing coat. A Havanese has a longer muzzle, only a little shorter than the skull, and a wavy, silky coat that’s left untrimmed. Both carry the tail over the back.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu

  1. “Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing”; topknot tied up
  2. Muzzle “square, short, unwrinkled,” about 1 in from nose to stop
  3. Tail “set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back”
  4. Round, broad head with an undershot bite; all colors allowed
Havanese

Havanese

  1. “Long, untrimmed” coat that is “abundant and wavy,” silky and light (it may also be corded)
  2. Plumed tail “arched forward up over the back”
  3. Dropped ears with “a distinct fold”; black nose and lips, or brown in chocolate dogs
  4. Slightly longer than tall, 8½ to 11½ inches; “all colors and marking patterns” allowed

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