Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix: Your Complete Guide
Shichis come through our programs often enough that our trainers know the pattern before the owner finishes describing it. Someone wanted a small, easy companion dog. What they got is a nine-pound animal with firm opinions about who belongs in the house, a loud voice, and a habit of deciding it runs the place.
That’s not a complaint. It’s most of why people love this mix. But it’s worth knowing before you commit rather than after.
The shih tzu Chihuahua mix is a cross between the purebred shih tzu and the purebred Chihuahua. Both parent breeds are known for sass, loyalty, and playfulness, and this mix inherits all three. Below is what our trainers have learned about living with and training them.
Table of Contents
Quick Look at the Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix
Here’s how our trainers rate this mix across the basics. The barking score is the one to pay attention to, because it’s the most common reason owners call us about this dog.
| Weight/Height | 9 to 12 inches, 9 to 16 pounds |
| Coat Type | Short to medium, straight to wavy |
| Grooming Needs |  |
| Shedding |  |
| Temperament | Loyal, sassy, playful, outgoing |
| Good With Kids | |
| Good With Other Animals | |
| Intelligence | |
| Easy to Train | |
| Energy Level | |
| Barking Habits | |
| Lifespan | 12 to 15 years |
What Is the History of Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes?
The shih tzu Chihuahua mix, often called a shichi, is a relatively new designer breed. It’s a blend of the purebred shih tzu and the purebred Chihuahua, and it’s bred primarily as a companion dog. These small pups fit easily into homes or apartments.
Here’s the part our trainers want owners to understand, because it shapes everything else: there are no breed standards for this cross. No kennel club officially recognizes it. That isn’t a technicality. It means the dog you end up with is genuinely unpredictable until you meet the parents.
A shichi may take after either parent more heavily, or land somewhere in the middle. Two puppies from the same litter can be noticeably different animals to train. That’s why our trainers push owners toward the same question before anything else: can you meet both parents? Their traits and appearance tell you more about your dog’s future than any general breed article can, including this one.
What Do Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Look Like?
Because there’s no standardization, appearance varies considerably. Your shichi may look more like a Chihuahua, more like a shih tzu, or like an even mix of both.
The coat is typically one solid color, with white, shades of brown, and black being common. Bi-color coats turn up occasionally. The coat runs short to medium length, straight or wavy, and the ears either stay pointed or flop down depending on which parent they take after.
The expression is open and friendly, with a small, compact body and a straight tail.
What Size Is a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix?
Small, generally small enough to be considered a toy breed. This dog stands between 9 and 12 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs between 9 and 16 pounds. Dogs that take more after the shih tzu parent tend to be slightly larger than those that take after the Chihuahua side.
What Is a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix’s Coat Type and Length?
The coat ranges from short to medium, and it’s either straight smooth hair or wavier, silkier hair. Dogs taking after the Chihuahua parent tend toward short and straight; the shih tzu’s genetics produce longer and wavier.
What Is a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix’s Temperament?
Both parent breeds are known for devoted natures, and this mix is no exception. The shichi is loving and loyal, though it typically picks one or two favorite people and sticks closest to them.
Then there’s the sass. They’re independent and strong-willed, with firm views about what happens in their home. Our trainers would put it plainly: despite weighing under 16 pounds, these dogs often decide they’re in charge, and they act accordingly. That’s the behavior we most often get asked to unwind, and it’s far easier to prevent than to correct.
They’re also genuinely good company. They want to be near their people, they’re playful and outgoing, and they’re happy running around outside or working through a toy. Expect a dog with a strong fondness for comfort that will curl up next to you in bed at the end of the day.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Good With Kids?
Generally tolerant of children, with a real condition attached: the children have to know how to handle a small dog.
Rough play should be avoided, and young children who don’t yet know how to interact safely with animals should be kept away from this mix. At nine to sixteen pounds, this dog is easily injured, and our trainers see the same sequence repeatedly: a child grabs, the dog feels threatened, and the growling or nipping that follows gets read as aggression. It usually isn’t. It’s a small dog with no way to get space.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Good With Other Animals?
Most do fine with other animals if they’re socialized early. But the shichi has a territorial streak, and they may bark or growl at other dogs or even cats in their home that they weren’t properly introduced to.
Size matters here too. A household with large dogs can result in injury unless playtime is supervised and the dogs are genuinely gentle with each other. Our Curbing Your Dog’s Reactivity course covers the slow-introduction protocol if first attempts don’t go smoothly.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Aggressive?
The Chihuahua has a reputation for being cantankerous, but the shichi is generally gentle and loving. These dogs aren’t known for being especially aggressive.
What they can develop is territorial behavior: excessive barking or growling over their home, or over a particular person. Our trainers would separate those from aggression deliberately, because they call for different responses. Territorial behavior in this mix responds to training and management. Treating it as dominance tends to entrench it.
Do Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Bark?
Yes, and more than average. This dog seems to love the sound of its own voice. Expect barking at threats outside, leaves falling past the window, and packages being delivered.
Our trainers are honest with owners about the ceiling here: training shapes when this dog barks, but it will not make it a quiet dog. They bark when happy, when playing, to voice opinions, and to alert you. That’s the breed working as intended, not a failure of training. If you’re in an apartment with noise restrictions, this mix needs serious barking work from day one, or it’s the wrong choice.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Affectionate?
Very. This is a companion dog and it behaves like one. Expect one or two people to be designated favorites, with the most cuddling reserved for them.
They’re friendly and outgoing with most of the family, though more reserved around strangers, and they take longer than average to warm up to people outside the immediate household.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Intelligent?
Average to high intelligence, with real variation depending on the parents and the individual dog. With no breed standards, there’s a range.
What you can expect is alert, curious, and observant. Our trainers would add the part owners don’t anticipate: these dogs sometimes put that intelligence toward mischief, particularly when they feel short-changed on attention or playtime. Boredom in a smart small dog looks a lot like misbehavior.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Energetic?
Fairly energetic, though the small size keeps the requirement manageable. Some shichis need only two shorter walks a day plus around 30 minutes of dedicated playtime. Others need longer walks and repeated play sessions.
This is one place our trainers push back on breed-level advice: pay attention to your specific dog rather than the number in a guide. The range here is wide enough that averages aren’t much help.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Easy to Train?
Intelligent, yes. Easy, not especially. These dogs are stubborn and strong-willed, and they aren’t as eager to please as many breeds. They lose focus quickly in training unless the reward is genuinely high-value.
Our trainers would set expectations this way: most shichis learn basic obedience skills without much difficulty. Complex tasks are a different proposition and take considerably longer. Owners who get frustrated are usually the ones who assumed intelligence would translate into compliance.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Good Watchdogs?
Good ones. They’re very alert, brave for their size, territorial about home and family, and they have no hesitation about barking at a potential threat outside.
The trade-off our trainers point out is the one owners rarely connect: the alertness that makes a good watchdog and the barking you want to reduce are the same trait. You can teach this dog to distinguish real threats from falling leaves, and that work is what turns a noisy dog into a reliable watchdog. You can’t have a highly alert dog that’s also quiet.
Are Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Good Service Dogs?
Not a good fit for service work, and the reasons are structural rather than behavioral. At this size they can’t guide, provide mobility support, or reliably retrieve most items an owner would need. The complex task training that service work requires is also harder to teach this mix than most.
Emotional support work is where they do well. These dogs want to spend time with their person, and that companionship can help with the symptoms of certain mental health conditions. Our ESA Training course is the appropriate path. Whether an ESA is right for a specific condition is a conversation for a licensed mental health professional, not an article.
How to Care for a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix?
Care needs aren’t extensive, but a few things matter.
Walk this dog at least twice a day, with a minimum of 30 minutes of dedicated playtime. When they’re home alone, make sure they have plenty of interactive toys.
Here’s the one our trainers would underline: try not to leave this dog alone for more than 6 to 8 hours. This breed develops anxiety and loneliness that come out as acting-out behavior, and by the time owners recognize what’s happening, the pattern has usually been building for weeks. Our Minimizing Separation Anxiety course covers the desensitisation work, and starting before there’s a problem is far faster than treating one.
Take them to a small dog park regularly so they can run with other dogs. Train early to curb unwanted behaviors like unnecessary barking, and introduce new pets slowly with monitored interactions.
Feed a quality diet of wet or dry food, keep up with regular veterinary visits, and brush a couple of times a week.
Do You Need to Groom a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix?
Brush one or two times a week depending on coat length. Dogs with longer fur need more extensive grooming and regular trims. Bathe as needed, and keep the nails trimmed on a consistent schedule.
Do Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Shed?
This can be an above-average shedder, and counterintuitively, dogs with short straight fur tend to shed more than those with longer fur. Regular brushing and baths control how much ends up around your home.
What Health Problems Do Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Have?
The shichi is fragile because of its size, and it inherits risk from both parent breeds. Conditions to watch for include luxating patella, hip dysplasia, dental problems, eye problems, and breathing issues if your dog inherited a short snout.
That last one is worth raising before you choose a puppy. A shichi that takes strongly after the shih tzu side can end up with a shortened snout, and breathing capacity affects how much exercise the dog can safely handle. It’s another reason to meet the parents.
Watch your dog’s behavior and keep up with annual or semi-annual veterinary visits. Anything on this list that involves diagnosis or treatment is a conversation with your vet, not something to manage from an article.
How Long Do Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mixes Live?
Like most smaller dogs, the shichi lives a long time: 12 to 15 years on average. Proper care and regular veterinary visits are what get a dog to the upper end of that.
Our trainers mention this deliberately to people who are still deciding. Fifteen years is a long commitment, and it’s worth weighing against the eight to twelve a large-breed owner signs up for.
What Should a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix Eat?
This dog doesn’t need much food daily given its size, but the amount should be split into two to four meals a day to accommodate a small stomach.
Feed around half a cup to a cup of food per day, as wet food, dry food, or a combination. Our best dog food for Chihuahuas breakdown is a reasonable starting point, since the Chihuahua side usually sets the calorie needs. Speak with a veterinarian if you have specific concerns.
Is a Shih Tzu Chihuahua Mix the Right Dog for Me?
Small companion dogs with large personalities. These dogs attach firmly to their owners, they’re playful and outgoing, and they bring a genuine sense of fun and sassiness to a household. Plenty of owners love exactly that.
Our trainers would rather be honest about fit now than meet you in a behavior consult at eighteen months, so here’s the straight version.
This is the right dog for you if you want a small companion, you live in an apartment or other smaller space, you want a loyal dog without extensive exercise needs, and you’re prepared to do real training in the first year. These dogs suit single people, couples, and seniors well, given the easy care needs and the attachment to a favorite person.
This is the wrong dog for you if you work long hours and would leave it alone past 6 to 8 hours, you live somewhere with strict noise restrictions and aren’t prepared to train hard around barking, you have young children who don’t yet know how to handle a fragile dog, or you have large dogs that would share unsupervised space with it.
If you’ve decided this is your dog, book a training session before the habits set. With this mix, that first year does most of the work.