Shih-Tzu – The “Little Lion”

Despite the term “chrysanthemum dog” which is an American mistranslation for this dog breed’s cute looks,  Shih Tzu in Mandarin Chinese directly translates to “lion.” The breed folklore contends that associating to stories of Buddhist mythology, Tibetan lamas bred the Shih Tzu as miniature lion replica. The Americanized name derives…