cover image The Journey of the Shih Tzu: From Prehistory to Present, from Asia to the World

The Journey of the Shih Tzu: From Prehistory to Present, from Asia to the World

Helen Asquine Fazio. Travel Dog Books (www.traveldogbooks.com), $19.95 (42p) ISBN 978-0-615-39686-6

Raja, a shih tzu, delivers a detailed first-person chronicle of his breed's history, tracing shih tzu evolutionary roots to "wolf cousins" in East Asia and describing their roles as companions to nomadic people, Tibetan monastery pets, and "palace pets" in the homes of Chinese aristocrats. Throughout, Raja explains how the breed's history has contributed to its temperament and appearance ("Hundreds of years of monastery living made us docile and quiet"), describes how European and North American visitors to China became interested in shih tzus, and includes entertaining tidbits with citations in an afterword. While initially rare in America, the "adaptable, companionable, brave, adventuresome, sturdy and cuddly" shih tzu became a sought-after pet. Digitally composed photo-collages add a goofy element, despite their inelegant execution; in one, Raja is superimposed next to a monk in a Tibetan painting, while a trio of dogs later appears outside a row of picturesque British cottages, though badly out of scale with their surroundings. Shih tzu devotees ought to appreciate this enthusiastic homage. All ages.