Teddy bear dog breeds

These profiles use each club’s own description. The cards are starting points. A haircut can make other dogs look round for a few weeks, and that does not put them in this group.

On the Shih Tzu, the FCI standard asks for a broad, round head, wide between the eyes, with hair growing upward on the muzzle. The outer coat is long and dense, not curly, with a moderate undercoat. Height is not more than 27 cm (10½ in). The coat, not a bow, makes the face look flower-like. The standard recommends tying the head hair up without adornment.

On the Bichon Frise, the FCI standard asks for loose spiral curls and a tail carried over the back. The Royal Kennel Club measures that coat at 7–10 cm (3–4 in) and allows the dog to be shown trimmed or untrimmed. The roundness is hair standing off the body. A powder-puff clip is a haircut on a Bichon, not a separate breed.

Put those traits together and you get a plush outline. They are still two coat types: long and straight or slightly waved, versus white and curly. Colour is another split. The Shih Tzu standard allows any colour except merle. The Bichon standard is white, with only limited colour on young dogs.

Both coats mat if they are brushed only on the surface. The Shih Tzu’s long coat has to stay out of the eyes, because the standard says the hair must not affect sight or restrict movement. The Bichon’s curls have to be combed to the skin whether the dog wears a rounded trim or a shorter clip.

A teddy-bear haircut grows out. It does not change the breed, and it does not tell you what the coat will look like in two months. If you want the look, plan on coat care for the life of the dog.

A Shih Tzu × Bichon Frise is a mix. It has no FCI, AKC, or Royal Kennel Club standard, so there is no official height, weight, or coat for the cross. Puppies from the same pairing can still differ.

Calling that mix a teddy bear dog is a nickname. It does not make the dog a breed, and it does not tell you which parent it will resemble. If a listing uses the nickname, ask which breeds the parents are and then read those standards. This site has no photograph of a verified cross, so none is shown here.

A round face does not mean a dog is calm, good with children, or suited to a flat. The Shih Tzu standard says friendly and independent. The Bichon standard says sociable, adaptable, and very attached to its people. Those are breed-club descriptions.

Two dogs of the same breed can still differ, and a mix does not follow either standard cleanly. Coat, size, and grooming are visible. Suitability is not. Meet the individual dog.