Maxie the Shar Tzu (Shar Pei / Shih Tzu mix) at 1 1/2 years old—"Maxie is a now 2 year old Shih-Pei mix and I couldn't have asked for a better dog. She's got enough energy to go all day, but would also be happy curled up on the couch for days at a time. She's very stubborn, but unearthly smart. She loves anyone and everyone, and her favorite people are kids and anyone who lets her in their lap. She's got the body of a Shih-Tzu, but the hair, attitude, and head of a Shar-Pei. She's a bulky pup, heavier than she looks, weighing in at a whopping 24.6 lbs, standing about 10 inches off the ground. She's always been iffy about dogs, but she LOVES cats. (I think she's secretly a cat in a dog's body.) She's very food-oriented and loves to go anywhere and everywhere, as long as her family is with her. She's vocal, too, whining, barking, or even howling when she wants you. She refuses to sleep anywhere other than curled into my side, on the bed, under the blankets. Anyone who meets her immediately falls in love, and I can't blame them. I don't know what I'd do without her!"
The Shar Tzu is not a purebred dog. It is a cross between the Shar Pei and the Shih Tzu. The best way to determine the temperament of a mixed breed is to look up all breeds in the cross and know you can get any combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed. Not all of these designer hybrid dogs being bred are 50% purebred to 50% purebred. It is very common for breeders to breed multi-generation crosses.
Maxie the Shar Tzu (Shar Pei / Shih Tzu mix) at 1 1/2 years old
Maxie the Shar Tzu (Shar Pei / Shih Tzu mix) at 1 1/2 years old
Maxie the Shar Tzu (Shar Pei / Shih Tzu mix) at 1 1/2 years old
Maxie the Shar Tzu (Shar Pei / Shih Tzu mix) at 1 1/2 years old with the cat
