Shiranian (Shih-Tzu & Pomeranian Mix) Dog Breed Info: Pictures, Temperament & Traits

The Shiranian is a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Pomeranian, which creates a small, fluffy dog. However, since these dogs can inherit any traits from either of their parents, you never really know what you’re going to get.

Breed Overview

Still, this breed tends to make wonderful companions. They are often apartment-friendly and people-oriented.

However, these dogs aren’t for everyone. They require a great deal of attention and are prone to separation anxiety. Therefore, they are best for families who are home often and have plenty of time to spare.

Shiranian Characteristics

Shiranian Puppies

These puppies are very difficult to find. It is nearly impossible to track down a breeder who specializes in these dogs. For the most part, they are happy accidents. Fortunately, you can often find them in rescues and animal shelters for this reason.

That said, there are a few breeders that occasionally produce these dogs. They are often more expensive coming from breeders, though they often are also higher quality.

Typically, puppies from breeders undergo genetic testing, vaccinations, and vet visits. Those from other sources don’t necessarily do these things, though rescues do provide basic vet care. Some breeders will also provide basic training and puppy gear. Either way, when you purchase a puppy from a breeder, you’re also paying for all these extras.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Shiranian

For the most part, these dogs are bred to be companion animals. Therefore, they are extremely affectionate. It isn’t odd for them to follow their people around the house. While this is often a benefit for many buyers, it also means that these dogs need plenty of attention or they may become bored and potentially destructive.

Also, this breed isn’t super intelligent. While this does mean they don’t take quickly to training, it also means that they don’t require much mental stimulation. That’s one more thing that you don’t have to worry about with this breed.

This breed isn’t the easiest to train because they weren’t bred to listen to commands. While they can be eager to please, they are also distractible, and it takes them a while to figure out commands.

They can be prone to separation anxiety, which is likely the most difficult thing that you’ll have to deal with. They must be crate-trained from an early age to help prevent possible anxiety later.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

This breed is perfect for families with older children. This dog is one of the best companion animals around and will happily bond with everyone in the family. They will be happy to go on short trips and then relax around the TV at the end of the day. As long as they’re with their people, they don’t care what they’re doing.

That said, they aren’t the best for families with small children. They are quite small and can be easily injured by a rambunctious child. While injuring the dog is not great for the dog, it can also cause injury to the child. When hurt, a dog might snap at the child.

Furthermore, the Shiranian can become fearful of children if they are accidentally injured. Therefore, they may snap at children more in the future, even if the child hasn’t done anything to upset the dog.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶🐱

The Shiranian can get along with both cats and dogs alike, assuming that they are properly socialized. These dogs need to be taken around other animals starting at a young age. Otherwise, they can develop “small dog syndrome,” which occurs when a small dog becomes aggressive toward others in an attempt to compensate for their size.

In other words, your Shiranian may automatically assume that other dogs are big, scary, and dangerous, which will prompt your dog to become aggressive.

Therefore, they must be socialized properly throughout their lives. You need to show them that not all dogs are scary, even if they are big.

Similarly, Shiranians don’t have a huge prey drive, but they will still chase cats unless properly socialized. Fortunately, they are among the easiest breeds to keep with cats and other small pets.

Things to Know When Owning a Shiranian

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

This breed doesn’t have any particular dietary requirements. For the most part, they are healthy and aren’t prone to any conditions that are strongly linked to diet.

That said, you should probably purchase them a small dog food, simply because they are small and need a smaller kibble size. Small dog food doesn’t necessarily have any extra ingredients that they need, but it may be easier for them to eat.

Of course, you should watch for obesity, which affects many different dogs. In fact, many of the dogs in the United States are currently overweight or obese.

Obesity is linked to a variety of different health concerns. These dogs are already prone to back conditions, which can be connected to obesity. Therefore, you must keep them at a healthy weight.

If your dog becomes overweight, be sure to switch them to a weight-control dog food. Don’t just give them limited amounts of their normal dog food, as this may lead to nutritional deficiencies. Weight-control dog foods are designed to provide your canine with all the vitamins and minerals that they need, with fewer calories.

Exercise 🐕

These dogs need minimal amounts of exercise. A quick play session a few times a day or a brief walk are often more than enough. These dogs are considered great choices for apartments due to their limited exercise need.

However, that doesn’t mean they don’t need any exercise. You should plan on spending about 30 minutes a day exercising these dogs, whether that’s time in the dog park or on a walk.

These dogs can get exercise indoors, though, as long as they are properly encouraged. You can’t expect them to get all the exercise that they need on their own accord, but throwing a ball down a hallway is a quick way to wear them out that doesn’t involve going outside.

That said, you need to be a bit cautious when it comes to jumping and running. Some of these dogs have a longer-than-average back thanks to their Shih Tzu parent. These canines are prone to back conditions like intervertebral disk disease, which can be caused by jumping, going upstairs, and doing similar activities.

Training 🥎

These dogs aren’t the easiest to train. They weren’t bred with training in mind. Instead, they were bred to follow their people around the house and ask for attention, which they do quite well without any training.

They aren’t the smartest breed out there, which means it often takes them a while to figure out commands. However, they are also easily distracted. Commands often go through one ear and out the other, especially if there is something else going on.

For the most part, these dogs are quite eager to please. Therefore, they will try to make you happy by performing commands.

Due to their small size, these dogs are difficult to potty train. They often require quite a bit of time and patience to train. This is mostly because their bladders are small. They need to be taken outside very often for the first few months.

However, they tend to pick up potty training easily when they are older and their bladder gets bigger.

Grooming ✂️

Since this is a crossbreed, their coat can vary considerably. You’ll need to adapt your grooming strategy to the dog’s coat type. If you have any specific questions about your dog, you should ask a qualified breeder.

If your dog has long fur (which most Shiranians do), you will need to brush it daily. Not only does this help prevent tangles, but it also removes dust and debris. By keeping up with a regular grooming routine, you can also avoid baths until they are necessary.

Your main concern when grooming will be your dog’s ears. Since their ears are small and hairy, they can quickly get dirty. Therefore, you’ll need to dedicate time to cleaning and trimming their ears. You should inspect their ears daily, though you may only need to clean them weekly.

Their teeth can also cause problems. Therefore, you must brush their teeth at least four times a week. Speak with your vet about giving your dog regular cleanings.

Don’t bathe your Shiranian often because this can dry out their skin. While these dogs aren’t prone to skin problems, these can develop if they are bathed too much.

You may need to get professional grooming for your Shiranian, though it does depend on their hair type. Some may need to be clipped regularly, while others will not.

Health and Conditions 🏥

As a mixed breed, this canine is often quite healthy. However, they can develop a variety of different health conditions, depending on what traits they inherit from their parents.

If your dog has floppy, furry ears, they may be more prone to ear infections. The hair can trap dirt and debris. Eventually, this can lead to ear infections and similar issues. Proper grooming can help prevent this.

Male vs. Female

There are no significant differences between the males and females of this breed. Since they are a mixed breed, any differences between dogs are more likely to occur due to genetic differences than sex-related ones.

You can find both small and large Shiranians of either sex, though this breed is incredibly small to begin with. If there was a difference in size based on sex, you likely wouldn’t notice!

There aren’t any major temperament differences either. There are many claims about differences in canine temperament based on sex, but we don’t know if any of those claims relate to this breed or not.

Either way, a dog’s sex shouldn’t be part of your decision when choosing a puppy. Since these dogs are so rare, it is often in your best interest to choose whatever puppy comes your way, be they a female or a male.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Shiranian

1. They can be loud — or not.

Sometimes these dogs are extremely loud. Other times, they might not make a peep. For this reason, we don’t recommend this breed if you always need quiet, as this dog may not end up being silent at all. However, you shouldn’t be surprised if your canine is on the quieter side.

2. They are rare.

While Pomeranians and Shih Tzus are quite common, Shiranians can be exceedingly rare. Not many breeders are purposefully mixing these dogs, which often means that finding one is a stroke of luck.

3. They need plenty of attention.

Often, these dogs are advertised as easy to care for. After all, they don’t require much exercise or anything of that sort. However, they are people-oriented and need a great deal of attention throughout the day. Otherwise, they can become noisy and destructive.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a puppy that will always be up for cuddles, you may want to consider this breed. They are family dogs, first and foremost. They love attention and bond closely with their people.

That said, they aren’t the smartest dog out there. They can be hard to train, especially when it comes to house training.

However, that’s about all the maintenance that these dogs require. They are easy to take care of, as long as you keep up with their grooming needs.

Featured Image Credit: (Left) carlosleucipo, Pixabay | (Right) EugeneEdge, Shutterstock