Home / Breeds / Compare / Shih Tzu vs Russkiy Toy
The glamorous coat is a commitment unless you keep it clipped short. Small dog, enormous attachment. The comparison runs over the measures that matter day to day, from size and exercise through grooming and keeping costs to the health tests a breeder should be able to show.
The widest difference is grooming needs: on the five point scale the Shih Tzu sits at 5 and the Russkiy Toy at 3.
The next biggest gap is monthly cost: keeping the Shih Tzu runs to a modeled $74 a month, the Russkiy Toy to $46.
One more gap worth naming is lifespan, where the Shih Tzu mid-range figure of 14 years stands against 13 years for the Russkiy Toy.
| Shih Tzu | Russkiy Toy | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Toy | Toy |
| Origin | Tibet and China | Russia |
| Height | 9 to 10.5 in | 8 to 11 in |
| Weight | 9 to 16 lb | 3 to 7 lb |
| Lifespan | 10 to 18 years | 12 to 14 years |
| Coat | Long, flowing double coat that needs daily care, or a clipped puppy cut. | Two varieties: a short, smooth, close lying coat, or a long coat with feathering on the ears, legs and tail. Both shed lightly and need minimal grooming. |
| Temperament | Affectionate, outgoing, gentle and merry | Charming, sociable, bright and comfort loving |
| Energy | 3 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Trainability | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 5 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Good with dogs | Good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Well suited | With enough exercise |
| Daily exercise | 30 to 45 min | 30 to 45 min |
| Food per month (model) | $11 (1.1 cups a day) | $6 (0.5 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $45 to $80 | $28 to $53 |
| Monthly total (model) | $56 to $91 | $34 to $59 |
| Yearly total (model) | $675 to $1,095 | $406 to $706 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $6,749 to $19,708 | $4,871 to $9,883 |
| Breeder health tests | 4 recommended tests | 3 recommended tests |
| Health watch | The short face brings breathing and heat risks, plus eye problems because the eyes are prominent. Also watch for kidney disease, hip dysplasia and ear infections. Choose breeders who screen eyes and kidneys. | Hip, eye and patella checks, appropriate to the breed's size and type, are the screenings responsible breeders use. Ask to see certificates for both parents before committing to a puppy. |
Russkiy Toy: takes the first-time-owner score 14 to 13: the rule doubles trainability, then rewards the calmer, easier-kept dog on energy, grooming and barking.
Shih Tzu: is rated "Well suited" for apartment life against "With enough exercise" for the Russkiy Toy.
The children listings and both tie-breaks come out level; supervision and the individual dog matter more than the label.
Shih Tzu: leaves less hair behind, with a shedding score of 2 of 5; the Russkiy Toy scores 3. Treat that as a guide to loose hair in the home only, since no breed is allergen-free.
Russkiy Toy: is the cheaper keep by about $28 a month on modeled food plus insurance: $46 at the midpoint, against $74 for the Shih Tzu.
The five verdicts on this Shih Tzu and Russkiy Toy page follow published rules: first-time owner = 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking); apartment = the apartment rating, then barking, exercise and weight; children = the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness; allergy = lowest shedding, then grooming; budget = the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
The two together would cost $90 to $150 monthly on the modeled totals. Of the five rated dimensions, they tie on trainability and barking; the Shih Tzu rates higher on grooming and the Russkiy Toy on energy and shedding. About 12 months separate the middles of their lifespan ranges.Ask a breeder about 4 distinct test areas across the two panels; 3 appear on both lists. Mid-range, the Shih Tzu weighs about 2.5 times what the Russkiy Toy weighs.
For the Shih Tzu, the published breeder panel lists 4 recommended tests; for the Russkiy Toy, it lists 3. 3 test areas are shared by both panels.
In the Shih Tzu panel and absent from the Russkiy Toy list: Hip evaluation (optional, recorded by careful breeders).
Full panels: Shih Tzu health testing and Russkiy Toy health testing.
Keeping the Shih Tzu costs more on the modeled figures: about $74 monthly once food is added to the insurance midpoint, against $46 for the Russkiy Toy. Over a lifetime the model totals $6,749 to $19,708 for the Shih Tzu; the Russkiy Toy totals $4,871 to $9,883, on its lifespan range. All of these are planning estimates, not quotes.
Level pegging: 30 to 45 minutes a day for each. Energy splits 3 of 5 (Shih Tzu) against 4 of 5 (Russkiy Toy).
Less shedding sits with the Shih Tzu: 2 on the five point scale, where the Russkiy Toy records 3. Coat notes for the Shih Tzu: Long, flowing double coat that needs daily care, or a clipped puppy cut.
The Shih Tzu, on the published ratings: "Well suited" for apartment life against "With enough exercise" for the Russkiy Toy, barking rated 3 of 5 against 3 of 5, and a daily exercise plan of 30 to 45 minutes against 30 to 45 minutes.
The Shih Tzu: its published breeder panel runs to 4 recommended tests, against 3 for the Russkiy Toy. A longer panel is not a mark against a breed; it usually means the breed club has identified more inherited risks that testing can screen for, and it gives you more paperwork to ask a breeder for.
Choosing between more than two? The comparison tool puts up to four breeds side by side, and every written breed comparison is listed on the pairs index.
Breed facts follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed profile. The cost figures are modeled planning estimates, labeled with their basis; they are not quotes, and they are not veterinary advice. Panel contents follow what the breed clubs and CHIC recommend, as detailed on each breed's health testing page.