Find a Shih Tzu breeding partner on Petmeetly, and learn what a healthy, brachycephalic-aware litter actually takes.
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu mix
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu mix
Annual OFA-CAER eye exam (ASTC-required), plus OFA patellas, hips, cardiac, and a PRA-prcd / Renal Dysplasia DNA panel as recommended floor.
Cambridge BOAS grade for both parents and budget for an elective C-section: about 1 in 3 Shih Tzu litters needs surgical delivery.
Coefficient of inbreeding below 6.25 percent, a stable temperament, complementary pedigree, and a BOAS Grade 0 or 1 airway score.
Third heat cycle plus 18 months minimum for the dam. Progesterone-timed mating, day-55 radiograph, then a delivery plan agreed with your reproductive vet.
Short answer
The American Shih Tzu Club only requires an annual OFA-CAER eye exam for a CHIC number, but the responsible floor adds OFA patellas, hips, cardiac, and a DNA panel for PRA-prcd and Renal Dysplasia (JRD). Treat anything less as the minimum, not the standard.
The American Shih Tzu Club joined the Canine Health Information Center programme in recent years and made the annual OFA-CAER eye exam the single requirement for a CHIC number[3]. Patellas, hips, and cardiac sit on the recommended-but-not-required tier[2]. Buyers and OFA increasingly look for the fuller panel anyway[6].
Patellar luxation is the most common orthopaedic problem in toy breeds, graded 1 to 4 by vet palpation. Grades 3 and 4 fail. The DNA panel handles the two breed-specific genetic conditions: PRA-prcd (progressive rod-cone degeneration, which causes mid-life blindness) and JRD (juvenile renal dysplasia, which can kill puppies before their first birthday)[7][13]. AKC publishes the same breed-specific DNA list[4].
How to read an OFA patella grade
Patella exams can be done from 12 months. OFA accepts them at any age for the registry[5].
How to read an OFA hip score
OFA only scores hips at 24 months or older. Preliminary scores before 24 months can change[5].
Short answer
Wait until your female is at least 18 months old and on her third heat cycle. Your male is sexually mature around 6 to 9 months but should not be used for planned breeding until his OFA patella, hip, and cardiac clearances are in hand. Shih Tzus come into first heat as early as 4 to 8 months; that is biological readiness, not breeding readiness.
Wait for the third heat cycle. Earlier mating raises the risk of dystocia, smaller litters, and poor maternal care, on top of the breed's already elevated C-section rate.
Sexually mature earlier, but OFA hip and cardiac clearances are only valid at 24 months. Patellas can be scored from 12.
Shih Tzu females typically have two heat cycles a year, each lasting 2 to 4 weeks. The cycle moves through three phases: proestrus, estrus, and a long rest called diestrus[19].
Breeding her before the third heat raises the risk of hard births, poor maternal care, and added physical stress on a small body still growing.
Signs your female is in heat
Why progesterone timing matters more for toy breeds
Shih Tzu heats are often quiet, with light bleeding and subtle behavioural cues. Calendar timing (day 10 to 14) misses the fertile window in those cycles, and a missed cycle means a six-month wait. Progesterone testing fixes this.
Your vet draws blood starting around day 6 and every 2 to 3 days[20]. Cost runs $50 to $150 per draw, 2 or 3 draws per cycle being typical[21]. Every breed ovulates at the same progesterone level: Shih Tzu, Chihuahua, and Mastiff alike[22].
A male can mate as early as six to nine months, but hip and cardiac clearances only count from 24 months onward[5].
So even a male who looks ready at one year still has to wait. Our best age to breed a dog guide covers the same timing rules across breeds.
One more test for both dogs
A brucellosis blood test within 30 days of mating, $50 to $100 per dog. Brucellosis causes stillbirths and can spread to humans, so skipping it is a real risk[2].
Short answer
About 1 in 3 Shih Tzu litters needs a C-section. The breed is brachycephalic: a flat skull gives puppies a large round head that often does not fit through the maternal pelvis. Brachycephalic dystocic bitches have roughly 1.54 times the odds of needing a C-section compared with non-brachycephalic dystocic bitches (O'Neill et al., 2019). Many breeders schedule an elective C-section between day 60 and 62 rather than risk emergency surgery at 3 a.m. You make that call with a reproductive vet after the day-55 X-ray.
Shortened skull, narrow nostrils, longer soft palate. Beautiful face shape. Hard work for the airway and for the birth canal[8].
Round puppy head + narrow pelvis. About a third of litters cannot deliver vaginally. Planned surgery beats panicked surgery[11].
The Cambridge Veterinary School BOAS programme classifies every brachycephalic dog on a Functional Grading scale after a standardised exercise test[9]. The 2026 cross-sectional study of 14 brachycephalic breeds places Shih Tzu firmly in the at-risk cluster and identifies overweight body condition and narrow nostrils as the biggest within-breed risk amplifiers[10].
Cambridge BOAS Functional Grading
Clinically unaffected. Best breeding candidate.
Mild. Breed only to a Grade 0 mate.
Moderate. Do not breed.
Severe. Do not breed. Refer for surgery.
Grading uses a 3-minute exercise test and trained listening for upper-airway noise[9].
5 questions to ask the stud owner about airway and whelping history
Neonatal mortality after a C-section is meaningfully higher in brachycephalic litters than non-brachy ones (Adams et al., 2022, Veterinary Surgery). The difference shrinks when the surgery is planned and the surgical team is set up for brachycephalic neonates[12]. That is the single strongest argument for booking the procedure in advance rather than rushing to ER at 3 a.m.
Brachycephalic conformation is the trade-off built into the breed standard. Responsible Shih Tzu breeding means respecting it: pick BOAS Grade 0 parents, keep them lean, and budget for the surgery as a baseline cost, not an emergency.
Short answer
Pick a mate with an OFA-CAER eye clearance plus the recommended floor (patellas, hips, cardiac, PRA-prcd and RD DNA); a Cambridge BOAS Grade 0 or 1; a five-generation inbreeding score below 6.25%; and a stable temperament. Skip any pairing where one parent is Grade 2+ on BOAS or where the owner avoids sharing health records.
Coefficient of inbreeding thresholds
Target zone. Toy breeds often run higher; aim lower.
Caution. Recessive-disease risk climbs sharply.
Disqualifier in most responsible Shih Tzu programs.
Coefficient of inbreeding (COI) shows how related the parents are[18]. Our dog breeding compatibility calculator gives a quick estimate; a kennel-club pedigree report is the official one.
The rest of your checklist
If both dogs are in the AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. programme, the breeders have agreed to follow a health-testing plan and keep learning[17]. Pair that with our step-by-step ethical breeding guide for the full pre-mating workup.
5 questions to ask the other owner
Short answer
Expect $2,500 to $5,500 up front before the first mating, with the elective C-section as a budgeted line item rather than an emergency contingency. Then plan another $1,000 to $2,500 for prenatal care, whelping supplies, and the first round of puppy shots and deworming. The small average litter (3 to 4 puppies) makes the per-puppy math much tighter than for a sporting breed.
Estimated cost of a first Shih Tzu litter
Ranges are typical US pricing. The elective C-section row replaces what large-breed cost tables list as an emergency-only contingency, because roughly 1 in 3 Shih Tzu litters needs surgical delivery[11].
What can the puppies sell for?
Market range only, not a Petmeetly endorsement. Average Shih Tzu litter is 3 to 4 puppies[15], which is half what a sporting breed delivers and means a single bad whelping can wipe out the litter's margin.
The Shih Tzu cost-to-revenue ratio is the tightest of any breed in the v7 lineup. With 3 to 4 puppies per litter and a one-in-three chance of surgical delivery, a first-time breeder who under-budgets the C-section almost always loses money. Our dog breeding checklist covers the pre-mating workup.
A Shih Tzu pregnancy lasts about 63 days from ovulation. By day 28 your reproductive vet can confirm pregnancy by ultrasound, and by day 55 an X-ray can count puppies and check head-to-pelvis sizing. That radiograph is what tells you whether to plan natural delivery or schedule the elective C-section at day 60 to 62.
The three stages of a Shih Tzu whelping (if you go natural)
Restless, panting, nesting, refusing food. Temperature drops below 100°F (37.8°C) 12 to 24 hours before puppies arrive[25].
Visible straining and contractions. First puppy within 4 hours, then 30 to 60 minutes between each[23].
One placenta delivers after each puppy. Count them. A retained placenta is a vet emergency.
Call the vet immediately if any of these happen
The pup is likely too big for the pelvis. Move straight to surgery.
Stalled labour or uterine inertia. Tiny dams fatigue fast.
Green (uteroverdin) signals placental separation. A puppy is in distress[24].
She may be in shock or have low blood calcium (eclampsia). Toy breeds are at higher risk.
Why most Shih Tzu breeders schedule the section. The whelping team can pre-warm the theatre, have a brachycephalic-experienced neonatal nurse on hand, and recover the puppies under controlled warming. Neonatal mortality after a planned C-section is lower than after an emergency C-section in brachycephalic litters (Adams et al., 2022)[12].
Weigh every Shih Tzu puppy three times a day in the first week. Average birth weight is around 4 to 5 ounces (113 to 142 g). Healthy puppies gain 5 to 10 percent of birth weight per day in the first two weeks. Any puppy not gaining for 12 hours needs immediate attention with supplemental feeding using a commercial puppy milk replacer. Cow milk is not a substitute and causes diarrhoea.
Our dog breeding compatibility calculator projects whelping dates from a known mating day. Also see our broader step-by-step ethical breeding guide for a full pre-whelping checklist.
The AKC and the American Shih Tzu Club recognise one Shih Tzu breed with one published size standard: 9 to 16 pounds (4.1 to 7.3 kg) at adulthood[1]. There are no official sub-types, size categories, or varieties[14].
"Imperial Shih Tzu" and "Teacup Shih Tzu" are marketing labels for dogs deliberately bred below the breed standard. They are not separate breeds, and AKC does not register them as a separate variety. The label is a price lever, not a kennel-club classification.
Dogs deliberately bred below 7 lb face elevated health risks: hypoglycaemia, fragile bones, dental crowding, organ-development problems, and shorter lifespan. Below 5 lb the risks become serious. The American Shih Tzu Club's position is clear: buyers should be cautious about "Imperial" marketing because it usually means a dog bred away from the published standard for size, not toward better health[14].
If you want to ship the AKC standard, breed two in-standard Shih Tzus (9 to 16 lb) with full clearances. Do not pair the smallest dogs in your pedigree to chase a price premium.
Health-risk thresholds (adult weight)
For a cross-breed reference, our Golden Retriever breeding guide covers the equivalent "English Cream vs American" marketing-vs-standard debate in a sporting breed.
Body size is not a breeding goal in a healthy programme. Pick parents in standard, with passing clearances and a Grade 0 or 1 BOAS airway. Let size fall where the genetics naturally land.
Clauses every Shih Tzu stud contract should name
Put the stud deal in writing before the first mating. The American Breeder template covers the parts above[16]. Both owners sign and keep a copy. Verbal agreements are the main reason stud deals end in arguments.
No. Shih Tzus can come into their first heat as early as 4 to 8 months, but they are not skeletally or mentally mature. Most parent-club guidance recommends waiting until at least 18 months and the third heat cycle before a first breeding. Earlier mating raises the risk of dystocia, smaller litters, and poor maternal care, on top of the breed’s already elevated C-section rate.
A Shih Tzu litter averages 3 to 4 puppies, with a typical range of 1 to 6. First litters are usually smallest (1 to 3 puppies), and litters tend to peak in size on the third or fourth pregnancy. The small head-to-pelvis ratio means even small litters can need surgical delivery.
Shih Tzu pregnancies last about 63 days from ovulation, with a normal range of 58 to 68 days. A reproductive vet can confirm pregnancy by ultrasound around day 28 and count puppies by X-ray around day 55. Many Shih Tzu breeders schedule an elective C-section between day 60 and 62, a call they make with the reproductive vet once the count and sizing are known.
Shih Tzus are brachycephalic (flat-faced), and the breed standard pairs large, round puppy heads with a narrow maternal pelvis. Roughly one in three Shih Tzu litters needs surgical delivery, and brachycephalic dystocic bitches have about 1.54 times the odds of needing a C-section compared with non-brachycephalic dystocic bitches (O’Neill et al., 2019, Veterinary Record).
No. About one in three Shih Tzu litters needs surgical delivery, so this is a case-by-case call you make with a reproductive vet after the day-55 X-ray. If the dam has a Cambridge BOAS Grade 0 or 1 airway, a normal pelvic measurement, and the radiograph shows a small litter of normally sized pups, a monitored natural delivery is reasonable. A planned C-section becomes the safer call when any of those factors looks marginal.
BOAS is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome, the cluster of breathing problems caused by a shortened skull, narrow nostrils, and a long soft palate. The Cambridge Functional Grading classes dogs as Grade 0 (clinically unaffected), 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), or 3 (severe). Dogs at Grade 2 or 3 should not be bred from, and a Grade 1 should only be paired with a Grade 0 mate.
No. The AKC and the American Shih Tzu Club recognise only one Shih Tzu breed, with one published size standard: 9 to 16 pounds. "Imperial" and "Teacup" are marketing labels for dogs intentionally bred below the breed standard (often 4 to 8 pounds). Dogs deliberately bred below 7 pounds face elevated hypoglycaemia, fragile bones, and organ-development risks. Below 5 pounds the risks are serious.
Early signs include a calmer mood, slight nipple swelling, and a small drop in appetite around week three. The reliable confirmation is an ultrasound at day 28, followed by an X-ray at day 55 to count puppies and check pup-to-pelvis sizing. Home pregnancy tests for dogs are not reliable.
There is no single US age law. Many states set eight weeks as the minimum for selling or giving away a puppy, and some set none, so check your state’s rules. Responsible breeders never place before eight weeks. Many Shih Tzu breeders wait until 10 to 12 weeks, because the breed’s small size and brachycephalic anatomy benefit from extra time on the mother for thermoregulation, immunity, and feeding stability.
Typical US prices run $800 to $1,500 from a small-scale or southern-region breeder, and $1,200 to $4,000 from a reputable health-testing breeder. Champion bloodlines and rare-colour or Imperial-marketed puppies push higher. Price is not evidence of health, so ask to see OFA-CAER eye clearance and DNA results for both parents whatever the puppy costs.
Sources
Real stories from dog owners who found perfect breeding matches on Petmeetly
It was pretty hard to find a mate for my dog, Jethro, but when I did, I also made wonderful friends with the owners! :)
Lenina
England, GB
Thanks to you, our search for a perfect match was a heartwarming success! We're so grateful for your help in bringing joy to our family.
Ember Bonilla
Florida, US
So far, so good! I’m glad to have a website like yours. We already found a mate for our dog and completed the mating. Excited to see the results soon! Looking forward to meeting another female Yorkie 😀 Thanks, Petmeetly!
Valentin
England, GB
More vetted material for owners planning a Shih Tzu litter
More than half of all pre-weaning puppy deaths happen in the first week, and a dying puppy usually looks fine until it does not. This guide covers the three things that kill newborn puppies (cold, low blood sugar, and missed colostrum), the numbers that flag trouble a day early, and when to call the vet.
When can you breed your dog? A vet-informed timing guide covering male and female age windows, 50-breed reference table, OFA CHIC health tests, and heat-cycle protocols.
Behavior kills more US dogs under 3 than disease does. The 8 to 16 week socialization window, the AVSAB-approved checklist, and how to handle an adopted dog.
Discover breeding guides for different dog breeds and find the perfect match for your breeding program
7,510+ Shih Tzus on Petmeetly. Sign up to browse and message owners directly.
No card required to sign up.
