Back then, only royalty could be seen with a Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu was related to the Chinese Pug, who was respected. A powerful woman from the palace in China adored dogs, and she was interested in them. She had the staff breed some palace dogs and she watched every time. [www.theshihtzuclub.co.uk] This is why the Shih Tzu became known as the royal dogs. 