Cant Tell Shih Tzu or Lhasa Apso....

Was wondering if anyone could help me, determine the breed of my dog.. The person I got her from said shes full blooded Shih Tzu , but Ive had several people tell me shes Lhasa Apso.. Is there a way to tell for sure???
Thanks ,
Kathey

 

Can you post a picture? Maybe someone here could tell if they saw her. Shih Tzu's have more smushed in faces, their eyes are large and round and set farther apart than a lhasas.

 

Well im new here and i dont know how to post a pic .... Im going to place her pics in an online album and then I will post the link , if thats ok...
Thanks
Kathey[/img]

 

To have the on-line image appear in your posting here first click the IMG button then copy the direct link to the actual image then click the /IMG button. To see if your photo appears click the PREVIEW button. If the image shows up then click SUBMIT. Remember the link to your image should end with the images file name like photo.jpg.
Good luck. Once you get it down it's easy.
If all else fails then just post the link to your photo.

 

Shih tzu from akc.org

http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/index.cfm

Lhaso Apso from akc

http://www.akc.org/breeds/lhasa_apso/index.cfm

So, as you can see from the pictures the shih tzu is different bc it wears it hairpulled back in a pony tail spout, but the Lhaso, keeps it down covering its face. Just kidding I think it is that Shihtzus have mushy faces and Lhasos have faces like normal dogs.
But chances are if you don't have papers or anything to prove it, the lady you got it from doesn't know either what it is, she got it from someone who got the mother from someone with no papers and there is really notracing it back, so it was probably a pound dog (not theres is anything wrong with that at all) and someone just said oohh it is such a cute Shihtzu, but really it was a Lhaso Apso but then the father was a shihtzu. Do you get my point? The only way to really know is when the dog has papers. But dogs without papers are still as good as with!

 

Shih Tzus are generally smaller than Lhasas (but I've seen some really oversized ones, too!) and they have the smushed faces, as already mentioned. Also, Shih Tzus are generally happy-go-lucky, always cheerful little dogs who love everyone, whereas Lhasas often have temperament problems - biting and not as friendly, although there are always exceptions to the rule.

 

Shih Tzu's are usually smaller, but as mentioned, there are plenty of oversized ones around. Probably because someone who didn't know any better crossed them with a Lhasa somewhere along the line. Shih Tzu's are supposed to be toy dogs.

The Shih Tzu also has the shorter muzzle, and almost all of them have an undershot jaw. Lhasa's will usually have a level or scissor bite, although there are plenty of them with reverse scissor bites. Lhasa's are usually more willing to use their bites, too. LOL.

Papers don't mean a whole lot either, sometimes. I know of one Bull Terrier who has sired litter after litter, according to his current owner. The problem is, his breeder sold him as a pet when she discovered he's infertile. I also know of a couple of dogs that sired puppies for at least a year after they were dead. It's pretty easy to fudge the papers.

I've seen plenty of Yorkies that are really Silkies, and one that's at least half Skye terrier. And they all have papers. I've seen one Yorkie that I don't know what it is, but it's not a Yorkie.

If you want some real fun, put a Low Chen in full coat, a white Havanese, and a Coton together and try to figure out which is which.

 

what is a reverse bite? I keep trying to picture it and can't figure it out.

 

With a scissor bite, the top front teeth will be just in front of the bottom teeth when the mouth is closed, like you should see in a Golden Retriever of Lab for example.

A reverse scissor bite is when the bottom teeth are just in front of the top teeth when the mouth is closed. Technically it's still an undershot bite, but not as severe as you see in breeds like Boxers or Shih Tzus.

 

so, a normal underbite is the entire bottom jaw sticking out further, but th reverse scissor is just the front teeth sticking out? Maybe I should start a new post?

 

That's pretty much it. With an undershot jaw, the entire lower jaw is longer than the upper jaw, and the front teeth can have a fairly wide space between the upper and lower front teeth. The lower canine teeth sometimes stick out, and the back teeth will be misaligned.

With the reverse scissor bite, the lower jaw might be only slightly longer, with the teeth themselves slightly tilted out so they go in front of the upper teeth, rather than behind them. The back teeth may be aligned correctly, or may be slightly misaligned.

 

I have the same issue

We just bought a 6 mo old shih tzu w/papers and i have been told several times she looks like a lhasa. Do you have a pic posted? Also, how big is she. Macie is now 7 months old & 11 lbs.

 

Earlier in this post I posted a pic of a lhaso and a shih from the akc.org site.

 

Kimie, look at your dogs face. A Lhasa's muzzle is longer than a Shih Tzu's. Shih Tzu's don't have much muzzle at all, and their skull structure is rounder. A Shih Tzu's upper jaw will be shorter than the lower jaw, and the nose will tilt up slightly. A Lhasa's upper jaw should be the same length as the lower jaw. Lhasa's are usually larger, with a bit more length of leg than a Shih Tzu.