A Shih Tzu has been bred to appeal to people who generally desire an indoor dog – a canine who is quite happy pottering around your home for much of its time on earth.

Then Millie, a shih tzu and cavalier mix, stomped by, but unlike her owner, she made no impact on the snow. This showed the surprised owner just how tiny her dog is.

Shih Tzus are small, one of the low-energy dog breeds and were bred to be indoor dogs. But you can’t get away with simply allowing them to play within the house or even in the yard.

The Shih Tzu is a generally healthy little dog, but like many small dog breeds, it is prone to a condition called patellar luxation. “This is where the patella, or kneecap, slides out of its ...