How long do shih tzus live?

12.7 years (IQR 8.7–14.3, range 2.0–19.9)

typically 13.3 years

Shih Tzus are documented with a median age at death of 13.3 years, and a more recent UK study reported a life expectancy from age 0 of 11.05 years.

• A more recent UK study reported a life expectancy from age 0 for Shih Tzus of 11.05 years, comparable to UK dogs overall (11.23 years) and other small breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier (12.54 years) and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (10.45 years).
• One analysis reported the median age of Shih Tzus overall as 4.1 years (IQR 2.1–7.1, range 0.3–20.4).