Half a cup to one cup for a palace-sized appetite
An adult Shih Tzu, generally between nine and sixteen pounds, needs roughly half a cup to one cup of a complete dog food across the day. Two meals of a quarter to half a cup suit most dogs, with an active youngster who enjoys real walks near the top and a serene older dog who prefers laps near the bottom. Shih Tzus were bred as companions rather than workers, so their engines run gently and their true needs sit below what the loving expression at your feet suggests. Weigh the food for a week to learn what the right amount actually looks like in your bowl, because guessing at this scale is always generous.
The coat that hides a growing waist
A Shih Tzu in full coat can look unchanged while quietly gaining, since the hair supplies the outline and the body fills in beneath it. Check condition by touch every week or two: ribs should be findable under a light covering, and you should feel a waist rather than a straight barrel from chest to hips. Extra weight is unkind to a small, short-faced dog, adding to breathing effort and to the load on little joints. If your hands find more padding than last month, trim the ration slightly and audit the extras first; in most Shih Tzu homes the treats, not the meals, are the expanding part of the diet.
Grazing versus proper little meals
Leaving kibble down all day feels kind to a small dog, but it makes the daily total unknowable and lets food go stale and uninteresting, which owners then fix with toppers. Two measured meals at set times give a clearer appetite signal, make changes in eating easy to spot, and suit a breed that thrives on routine and company at mealtimes. Some Shih Tzus are leisurely, picky-seeming eaters; put the bowl down in a quiet spot, allow a calm twenty minutes, then lift what remains without fuss or upgrades. A healthy dog who skips one meal is usually fine, but refusing food for a full day, especially with low energy, merits a veterinary call.
Puppies, flat faces and the senior years
Shih Tzu puppies need growth food in three or four small meals and steady, lean growth. Adults with flatter faces may prefer a kibble shape that is easy to pick up with a short jaw, and meals should be followed by rest rather than boisterous play, as for any short-faced breed. Senior Shih Tzus generally need the lower end of the adult range, though an older dog losing weight or muscle should be seen by a veterinarian rather than simply served more, since appetite and weight changes in old age carry information worth checking.
Little dog, shared care, one clear plan
Shih Tzus often live with several adoring people, and small extras from each of them add up to a second diet that nobody intended. Agree one daily ration, keep treats tiny and counted, and mark meals off as they are served so the next person knows the bowl has already done its rounds. Change the amount by a spoonful at a time and judge by touch and the monthly scale, not by the coat's silhouette. Writing the ration, treat rule and completed meals into KinsLe Care Teams keeps a Shih Tzu's feeding gentle, measured and the same for every person who cares for the dog.