Chinese Imperial Dog claims it has only been in existence since the 1960s. The reason behind the origin debate is that the Chinese Imperial Dog is almost identical to the Shih Tzu in every aspect except for their size. Chinese Imperial Dog The Chinese Imperial Dog is a Toy dog breed with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. Kennel clubs originally classified the breed under the shih-tzu, before recognizing the Imperial as a separate breed. Other names for the Chinese Imperial Dog include: Imperial Shih Tzu, Lion Dog, Micro Shih Tzu, Miniature Shih Tzu, Princess-type Shih Tzu, Tiny Teacup Shih Tzu, Tiny
Chinese Imperial Dog in the sleeves of their robes. This breed of dog was gifted to foreign dignities as gifts in After coming to the United States there were always breeders that bred the smaller dogs but the Chinese Imperial Dog did not receive recognition until March 2005. In the 1980s and 1990s the breed got the nicknames "teacup", "mini", and "tiny toy" There is not agreement among experts as to origin date of the Chinese Imperial Dog. The Chinese Imperial Dog Club of America claims that the Chinese Imperial Dog has been in existence for over 2000 while The American Kennel Club