Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso are both small, purebred companion dogs native to East Asia. The Shih Tzu, on the other hand, is of Chinese ancestry, and the Lhasa Apso, or Lhasa for short, is Tibetan in ...

Because the breed dwindled to almost nothing, all Shih Tzu today can be traced back to just 14 purebred Shih Tzu. Seven males and seven females essentially saved the breed from extinction.