Are Yorkies smaller than Shih Tzu

All The Shih Tzu Colors Explained (With Pictures!)

Shih Tzus are beautiful, charming little dogs first bred to live inTibetan palaces. Whilst their original owners might have been royalty, these stunning dogs are nowpopular with families across the country.

Infact, theyre a great choice ifyou live inan apartment too. These cute, hairy little dogs get onreally well with children, andother pets, andare very affectionate. Their endearing, cheeky personalities are enough to win anyone over.

Butdid you know, theres something else thatattracts pup parents to this breed? All the Shih Tzu colors. Andthere are quite a few.

Here they all are!

The Ideal Shih Tzu Owner

Beforewe get onto all the colors, its important to check whethera Shih Tzu would be the best choice of breed foryou. Luckily, these versatile dogs fit inwith many different lifestyles. Theyre a great choice of dog forthose living inapartments andcould make a wonderful pet foran elderly person.

Shih Tzus are very kind andfunny dogs thatlove to cuddle. They need lots of attention, butthat usually comes inthe form of sitting andwatching TV with them. They benefit from getting fresh air outside andgoing forlittle walks, butthey can get a lot of their exercise from chasing a ball inside.

Anyone whois thinking about getting an adorable Shih Tzu needs to know thatthey can have demanding grooming needs. Usually, Shih Tzus have a long, flowing coat orthey can have it trimmed ina puppy cut.

Dogs with a longer coat will need to be brushed daily to keep the coat from getting matted. You also need to tie their head hair up into a (very cute) top knot to stop it from irritating their eyes. Dont forget to brush their mustache too!

Forthose wanting a slightly easier life, we recommend having them trimmed regularly. You wont need to groom them nearly asmuch.

Official Shih Tzu Colors According to the American Kennel Club

Shih Tzus are different from any other breed not just becausetheyre tiny, cute, andregal. The kennel clubs also seem to be pretty aligned whenit comes to coat colors. Trust us, thatdoesnt always happen, just look atthe accepted Belgian Malinois colors.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) says: all (Shih Tzu colors) are permissible andto be considered equally. So, yeah, there are quite a few of them to get through!

Black

Eventhoughblack is usually a dominant gene amongst many dog breeds, its not a very common color forShih Tzus. Forthe pup to be considered a black Shih Tzu, it must not have any gray, brown, blue, orgold onits body. Evenifits just a couple of hairs onthe face.

Black Shih Tzus will always have black eye rims, paw pads, nose, anddark eyes. Some may have some white patches andtheir coat color may turn gray orsilver asthey age.

Its important to research a breeder carefully. Black Shih Tzus are rare, andmany owners wanting a black pup can easily be fooled by dark patches of other colors onan otherwise black coat. They may also be the result of unethical breeding, whichis always important to avoid.

Black andWhite

Black andwhite Shih Tzus are one of my favorite Shih Tzu colors. Theyre especially cute whenthey have a puppy trim! Like other black andwhite dogs onthis list, the patterns will be unique to your little pooch. They may also change over time. Forinstance, a black andwhite Shih Tzu may become gray orsilver with age.

Blue

Blue dogs are becoming increasingly popular. You can probably tell why. This stunning coat color is amazing onany breed, andthe Shih Tzu is no exception.

Althoughits possible fora blue Shih Tzu puppy to have the iconic coat, the blue actually refers to its eye rim, nose, andpaw pad color. These will have a slight lavender color to them, whichidentifies the dog asblue.

Blue andWhite

Aswith black andwhite Shih Tzus, blue andwhite dogs will have a unique pattern. It may be just one patch of white orthey may have a couple all over their body.

The blue parts of a blue andwhite Shih Tzu can be sodark it looks black oreven a lighter, steel-gray color. Just like blue Shih Tzus, it will have blue skin (paw pads, nose, eye rims). Some blue andwhite pups also have lighter-colored eyes.

Brindle

Brindle is a particularly beautiful coat color onany breed. We especially love it onlong-haired Shih Tzu dogs. Also known astiger stripes, brindle is one of the most unique Shih Tzu coat patterns. Many pups with these markings will have a gold ortan base color, with black ordark brown stripes. Althoughthis can vary a lot.

Its perfectly possible forShih Tzu puppies to be born with brindle coats andfor them to change asthey get older. The colors may fade orchange altogether. Some dogs may also have very fine stripes whichcan make it hard to know forsure iftheyre brindle.

Brindle andWhite

Brindle andwhite Shih Tzus are also beautiful. The majority of their coat will be a stunning brindle pattern butthey will also have white patches. These are often onthe chest. The coat of a white andbrindle Shih Tzu may change over time.

Gold

EventhoughShih Tzus were bred to be around Emperors andlots of wealth, gold is one of the rarest Shih Tzu colors.

Ifyoure lucky enough to find a breeder with a gold Shih Tzu puppy then youll be getting a truly beautiful dog. Many of these stunning pups have an almost red ororange glow to them andits more common to find gold onmulti orparticolored pups.

Gold andWhite

This is another wonderful color foryour Shih Tzus coat. A puppy with this coat coloring may have a more intense gold color whichfades asthey grow older. They may also look more yellowish andhave white markings across their chest.

Liver

Ifyoure looking fora healthy andaccepted liver dog breed, then the liver Shih Tzu could be perfect foryou. Inmany breeds, liver is considered disqualifiable orundesirable becauseof the health risks associated. Butnot with the Shih Tzu! Actually, these chocolate-colored dogs are very sought-after andvery cute!

The gorgeous liver color is caused whenthe black pigment (eumelanin) is diluted by the B locus. This is a recessive gene, whichmeans the puppy needs to inherit it from both parents forit to have a chocolate/liver coat.

Aswith blue Shih Tzus, the term liver really refers to the color of their skin andnot necessarily the coat color. The exact color of the coat may differ from dark chocolate to a much lighter one.

Liver andWhite

These stunning dogs have a liver base coat with white markings. They may be ontheir chest, underbody, orpaws.

Aswith liver Shih Tzus, the actual liver color can vary quite a lot. It may also fade asthey get older. Theyll still have liver skin color andmight have light-colored eyes.

Red

Red is stunning inany breed, especially whenits a rich color like thatof the Irish Setter. Its a standard color fora Shih Tzu andrelatively common. Forthe Shih Tzu breed to be considered red, they must have a black nose, eye rims, andpaw pads. Ifthe pup has a brown orpaler nose, it will be considered a liver pooch, ratherthana red one.

Patches of black are accepted ona red, asis a black mask. White, however, would mean its considered a white andred dog. Its possible fora puppy to be born with a very dark coat (that evenlooks black) butthat they grow to have a red color. Soif youre aftera red Shih Tzu, you might want to wait a whileto be sure.

Red andWhite

Red andwhite dogs are beautiful. Regardless of whetherthey have a deep mahogany color (a personal favorite) ora lighter, gingery coat, the white perfectly contrasts. Like other Shih Tzu colors, the white can be larger patches ora couple of smaller ones.

Silver

Its sometimes difficult to tell the difference between a silver anda pure white Shih Tzu. Silver pups usually have a silvery/gray sheen to their coats, butit can be difficult. Just like white dogs, theyll also have black noses, eye rims, andpaw pads. Dogs with pink skin may be albino, whichis an undesired color.

Fully silver dogs are quite unusual butthey do exist. Its much more common forsilver Shih Tzus to have tan markings orgold, white, orblack hairs ontheir body.

Silver andWhite

Aswe said, silver andwhite Shih Tzus are more common thanfully silver pups. Ifthese beautiful dogs have long coats, it can be evenmore difficult to tell the difference. You may find thata silver andwhite Shih Tzu gets darker hairs asthey grow older.

Non-Standard Shih Tzu Colors According to the American Kennel Club

Whilst all colors are recognized by the AKC, some of them are considered not to be standard. Some are solid colors, andothers will have markings ormulti colors whichare not considered to be standard.

Black White andSilver

It might sometimes be difficult to distinguish the silver patches from the white andthese pups often end up looking like black andwhite dogs.

Silver Gold andWhite

Again, these super cute dogs may look like gold andwhite pups ifthe silver markings are thatdistinguishable. You may, however, be able to identify the silver sheen whichgoes beautifully with gold!

White

Pure white dogs are often very popular buttheyre not ascommon asother Shih Tzu colors. You might not believe it, butwhite Shih Tzus actually get their coat color from the red andyellow pigment thats heavily diluted by the piebald gene.

This gene is recessive whichmeans both parents will need to carry it buteven then a white puppy isnt 100% guaranteed. Fora pooch to be considered a fully white dog, they need to have black paw pads, eye rims, anda black nose. Evenifthey have a fully white coat buthave a brown nose, theyll be considered liver ratherthanwhite!

Aswith silver andwhite dogs, you need to make sure theyre not an albino pup whichis a likely reason fordisqualification from a kennel club.

Black Gold andSilver

Black gold andsilver dogs are fairly uncommon. They look a lot like black gold andwhite pups, whichyoull be able to find more easily. It can be difficult to distinguish the silver hairs ona Shih Tzus coat with these markings, andthey may become grayer with time.

Black Gold andWhite

Black gold andwhite is the most common coat color fortri-colored Shih Tzus. It is, however, difficult foreven experienced Shih Tzu owners to know whethera black, gold, andwhite dog is really just thatora black-and-gold dog with white markings. No one said dog genetics was going to be easy!

Other Shih Tzu Colors andPatterns

Whenit comes to the Shih Tzu dog breed, the AKC allows white, tan, andblack markings andalso a black mask. There are a couple of other colors thatdont appear onthe list whichexist.

Lavender orIsabella

Lavender is one of the most popular colors forall dog breeds thatcan have this amazing coat. Its sounique andgets somuch attention. This purple/gray color comes from the MLPG gene whichis the same one thatcauses the blue coat color. However, to get a lavender Shih Tzu, the gene dilutes the brown color, anda blue coat comes from a diluted black color.

Althoughits not a listed color, you can expect to pay quite a lot fora lavender dog. Theyre unique andgorgeous andthat means theyre popular!

Shawl orCollar

This wonderful coat pattern is whena dog has a white mark around its neck, a little like a shawl orcollar. It can be complete orpartial. Fordogs with more thanone solid coat color, it can be difficult to distinguish the shawl pattern.

Blaze

A blaze is a white strip of fur thatruns up the middle of the face, usually between the eyes.

Flare

A flare is very similar to a blaze except it widens asit gets to the forehead.

Tuxedo

Most people associate this coat pattern with the Boston Terrier butits also possible ina Shih Tzu. These dogs will have a large white patch ontheir chest andpossibly some ontheir toes too. The rest of them, including their front legs, will be black whichlooks a lot like a tuxedo.

Saddle

Asyou might imagine from the name, a saddle marking is a patch of darker fur over the back of the dog exactly wherea saddle would go!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Most Common Shih Tzu Color?

Theres no most common Shih Tzu color, althoughits fair to say thatsingle-colored dogs are much rarer thanthose with multiple colors. Black andgold with white markings is a common combination, asare others.

What Is The Rarest Shih Tzu Color?

The rarest Shih Tzu color is all black. Thats becauseevendogs thatappear all black (which you may see) actually have some other colors onthem (which might not be easily recognizable). Solid white Shih Tzus are also considered rare.

Are Blue Shih Tzus Actually Blue?

Unfortunately no. Blue dogs arent actually blue. Like other breeds thatcan have this coat color, blue Shih Tzus have a beautiful gray coat thatcan sometimes have a blue sheen. Its particularly stunning whenthe dog has blue eyes too!

A blue Shih Tzu should be healthy butits important to research breeders carefully. Blue is a very popular color fordogs butits not always allowed orrecommended forbreeds. Forsome other breeds, its not actually possible sobe wary of breeders saying otherwise!

Do Shih Tzus Change Color?

Yes, its perfectly common forShih Tzus to change color. Many puppies will be born with a different coat color to the one they end up with, althoughit wont be crazily different. Thatmeans thata red Shih Tzu could develop a lighter, golden coat asit grows up, butit wont suddenly grow black. Similarly, you might notice lighter-colored hairs ona dark pup asthey grow up. These beautiful changes are part of the joy of owning a dog!

How Much Does a Shih Tzu Cost?

There are a lot of factors thatwill affect the price of your Shih Tzu. The main one is the number of breeders inyour area. Some states inAmerica have a lot of breeders whichwill naturally drive the price down. Others, wherethere arent somany breeders, will have more demand andtheyll be able to charge more fortheir puppies.

Another is the color. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay more forblue andliver Shih Tzus becauseof their popularity. More common colors, such astri-colored pups, should be cheaper.

Ingeneral, however, a Shih Tzu puppy should cost you anywhere between $700 and$3,000.

Be wary of very cheap dogs, regardless of the breed. Whilst we always recommend checking atyour local pound first, a cheap puppy from a breeder could be a sign of a puppy farm. Always ensure your breeder is credible andtrustworthy soyou know your dog was treated well andbred from healthy dogs.

Final Thoughts

Adopting a dog is a big privilege andits also somuch fun. Whilst color is important, there are lots of other things to think about too. Luckily, whenit comes to Shih Tzu colors there are lots of stunning ones to choose from andtheyre all acknowledged by the AKC.

Some of the rarer andmore popular colors will cost more thanothers andits important to get your pup from an accredited breeder.

Regardless of the color of your dog, Shih Tzus are amazing, fun little dogs. Theyre charming andaffectionate, andmake the perfect canine companion forkids.

Im Charlotte, a content and copywriter from the North of England and currently living in Berlin. Animals have always been a huge part of my life, so writing about dogs is a total pleasure! I love all kinds of dogs and their cheeky personalities, but Id have to say Weimaraners are my favourite!