This great little breed started out as a chance crossing of a Maltese and Lhaso Apso in the San Francisco area in the 1950's. This combination produced an attractive but distinct little dog which caught the attention of several individuals, one of who was Harriet Linn. She acquired several of these dogs in 1965 and began to seriously line breed them. By 1972, there was enough interest in them to be formally recognized as a breed.

Harriet named them, using the Tibetan word for dog (Kai) in honor of the Lhaso and the Latin word for Lion (Leo) in honor of the "Maltese Lion Dog". Personally, I see the look of a styilzed Chinese Lion in Frodo's little face. He also is "Lion Hearted", considering he is only ten pounds but believes he's a "heavy weight", weighing in at 100 pounds or more.

The most common colors for this dog are black and white or gold and white; Frodo is what is known as a tricolor or brindle because he has tan, black and grey along with the white.

Kyi-Leos are lively and alert and blessed with catlike quickness. Frodo is able to jump onto a chair or into my lap as quickly and gracefully as any cat I've ever seen but he's smaller than most cats. One thing about Frodo which continues to amaze me is the fact that HE DOES NOT SHED, no, not a hair! He can sit on my lap with me wearing a pair of black pants and there will not be a hair left on me when he leaves. I shed much more than that!

The one comment I get more than any other is, "Oh, what a darling Shih-Tzu!" People never think Frodo is a Lhaso or a Maltese, but a Shih-Tzu! Go figure...

Kyi-Leos are happy dogs with bouncy personalities and my Frodo is no exception. He dearly LOVES people and is always ready and willing to make a new friend. While out on a walk, he's Brave Heart when we meet a dog of ANY size, responding with a series of yaps and noises resembling either Donald Duck or a Parrot, but if that dog starts to come toward us, Frodo hids behind my legs, clearly saying, "Help Mom, he's a little too big for me!"

Frodo is the PERFECT dog for me because he exercises himself! Any time he feels the need, he starts running around the room at top speed until he's out of breath, and then lies down with a pleased expression. This little guy is so small that he doesn't run into furniture or bump into walls. Another way he excercises is by throwing his toys and then chasing them. He grabs a stuffed toy, most often a little sheepskin mouse which seems to be his favorite, and shakes it viciously like it was a live rat and he a rat terrier. He makes ferocious growling sounds while he's shaking his toy and then, if he throws it somewhere where he can't retrieve it, he sits looking at it while calling me with a special bark reserved only for this purpose. He has been known to toss his toys on top of the book case, behind the couch, under the table or directly THROUGH the flame of a burning candle!

Frodo is somewhat of a clown and is always making me laugh, or at least smile. He has such a small mouth that he can't chew anything very large. If he gets something more than bite-sized, he runs around the house with a pitiful little whine, trying to bury the imagined "bone" under the pillows on the couch or in his bed. He has this natural instinct to dig a hole but neither the size or the claws large enough to do the job...poor little guy!

My original reason for changing my thinking from large to small dogs was because of my MS, but I'm also getting older and live alone in an apartment. Frodo is the absolute PERFECT dog for Senior Citizens in this situation! He is not only a very easy dog to keep exercised and fed (he eats more like a cat than a dog), but he is FUNNY and FUN to have around. He has a very distinct personality, making him a great little companion dog. Also, like most small dogs, he is very attached to me. He likes children and other adults but sticks closer to me than my shadow. I would highly recommend this breed to the Seniors who are craving companionship, for people living in apartments and for the disabled. I walk Frodo with me in my power chair and he on his leash. It's quite comical, as it looks like he is my miniture sled dog!

The most obvious reason being he's a dog for a Hobbit OR a Hobbit-sized dog. Hobbits have large, furry feet; my Frodo has small, furry feet. Hobbits are small in proportion to humans; Frodo is small in proportion to dogs. Hobbits have great, albeit usually hidden, courage; Frodo has courage which he really should keep more hidden. The entire survival of Middle Earth depended on Frodo, the Ring Bearer; absolutly NOTHING depends on Frodo, but he depends on me...which I'm greatful for.