Crate size by breed / Toy group
Shih Tzu crate size
An adult Shih Tzu weighs 9–16 lb, which straddles two of the manufacturer's bands: 22 in for a dog up to 12 lb and 24 in above that. Measure your dog's length before choosing.
Which crate for a Shih Tzu
The chart below is MidWest's iCrate sizing, the most common wire crate in US pet stores, with the Shih Tzu's weight range marked. Interior lengths are the figures the manufacturer lists, not the nominal size, which is why a "36 in" crate is 36.6 in inside.
| Crate | Label | Interior L × W × H (in) | Dog weight | Shih Tzu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 in | Toy | 17.68 × 11.7 × 14.22 | 1–6 lb | Too small |
| 22 in | Extra Small | 22.5 × 14 × 16 | 7–12 lb | Fits the 9–16 lb range |
| 24 in | Small | 23.6 × 16.7 × 19.1 | 11–25 lb | Fits the 9–16 lb range |
| 30 in | Medium | 29.7 × 18.6 × 21 | 26–40 lb | Larger than needed |
| 36 in | Intermediate | 36.6 × 21.9 × 24.5 | 41–70 lb | Larger than needed |
| 42 in | Large | 41.9 × 29.5 × 30.3 | 70–90 lb | Larger than needed |
| 48 in | Extra Large | 47.76 × 29.6 × 31.7 | 90–110 lb | Larger than needed |
Crate dimensions and weight bands: MidWest Homes for Pets — iCrate product sizing (manufacturer), checked 2026-10-20.
Measure before you buy
Weight bands are a shortcut. The dimension that decides whether a crate works is body length. Stand the dog, measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail (not the tail tip), and add 2 to 4 inches; the crate's interior length must be at least that. For height, measure from the floor to the top of the head while sitting and add the same allowance. For a Shih Tzu this is the measurement that settles the 22 in-or-24 in question: a dog measuring 21 in or less fits the 22 in; longer than that needs the 24 in.
The welfare rule is the one every shelter and trainer repeats: the crate must be large enough for the dog to stand up and turn around. Bigger is not better for house-training, because a crate with spare floor space invites the puppy to soil one end and sleep in the other, which is why the adult-size crates in this chart ship with a divider panel.
Puppies: buy the adult size and use the divider
A Shih Tzu puppy reaches 16 lb at maturity. Choose the crate for the adult weight above, fit the divider so the puppy has room to stand, turn and lie down and no more, and move the divider back as the dog grows. The Shih Tzu puppy feeding chart shows the growth stages the divider will follow.
Bed size for a Shih Tzu
Using Orvis's rectangle-bed fit guide, a 16 lb Shih Tzu takes the Small (28 × 18 in). Dogs that sleep stretched out need the length of their body plus a few inches; curl-sleepers can go one size down in a bolster bed. Full chart on the bed size page.
How the Shih Tzu compares
By mid-range adult weight, the Shih Tzu ranks 9 of 49 breeds on this site, with 40 heavier and 8 lighter — a small breed in the size classes used here.
Breeds of similar weight, whose crate answer is the same or one size off: Poodle (Miniature) (10–15 lb), Miniature Schnauzer (9–18 lb), Dachshund (Miniature) (up to 11 lb), Havanese (7–14 lb), Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (13–18 lb).
Adult height from Wikipedia breed infobox/body; adult weight from Wikipedia breed infobox/body; both checked 2026-10-20. Height is at the withers in inches; weight in pounds for adult dogs. Where a breed standard states a figure it is used first (AKC, then FCI); where the standard is silent, the Wikipedia infobox or VCA breed page is used and named. Metric figures were converted and rounded to the nearest half inch or pound. Where the source gives only a maximum, the range reads "up to" that figure.