The Most Influential Shih Tzu Breeder in the Early Days of Shih Tzu in North America

The most influential breeder in the early days of the Shih Tzu
in North America was Swedish-born Ingrid Colwell. Noone has
equaled her contribution to the breed. She was the daughter of
Ingrid Engstrom.

Mrs. Colwell's original stock was 80 percent Scandinavian.
Future breedings incorporated English lines. The combination of
these lines, the Scandinavian and English created the
distinctive line of Mrs. Colwell called the Si-Kiang line. The
Si-Kiang line became the most influential and most respected
Shih Tzu kennel in its time. Mrs. Colwell bred shih tzu in the
1960's.

Through Mrs. Colwell's tireless efforts, the shih tzu gained
much of its popularity in the United States. Although the
American public were becoming very interested in the Shih Tzu
there was still little information about the breed available.
Very little research and no documented account of the breed,
either in the U.S. or Europe, was available at this time. As a
result, a great deal of confusion arose about the breed. During
her days breeding and showing her shih tzu, Ingrid had stacks
and stacks of papers on everything that had been written about
the breed at that time, and she handed it out liberally. No one
walked away from Ingrid Colwell without knowing something about
the breed.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Colwell did not live to see AKC recognition
of the breed.

One of the early pillars of the breed owned by Ingrid Colwell
was French Ch. Jungefeldts Jung-wu.

All Shih Tzu Fanciers should cherish Mrs. Ingrid Colwell's
contributions to this wonderful breed and know a little bit
about her.