this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2025
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Shih Tzus are mixed from Pekingese (mainly a companion dog but more on that later) and Lhasa Apso, mainly an interior watchdog.
So yeah, while mainly a "companion dog", they were known as "sleeve dogs" and while being fluffy and nice to look at, also served as a sort of ancient version of mace.
Throw a few mean spirited Pekingese dogs out of your sleeves, confuse the attackers and make your escape. Not for the common populace, but for Chinese royalty.
So yeah. Dogs are bred for jobs. Some of them just become.. obsolescent. And if the dog race isn't that cute (spit-fire dogs), they tend to die out. Pekingese are cute though, so...