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 Lady
Brownrigg died peacefully in her sleep on April 15, 1969, and I’m
sure all Shih Tzu lovers will mourn her passing and be grateful to
her for the happiness the dogs have given to so many of us. Nearly
40 years ago in 1940 she and her husband, General Sir Douglas
Brownrigg, KGB, GB, DSO, had imported two of the first Shih Tzus
from Peking. These were Hibou, a dog obtained from a French Dr.
Cenier, and a bitch, Shu-ssa, from a Chinese. Miss Hutchins imported
a dog, Lungfu-ssu, to Ireland at the same time, and these three
became the foundation of the breed in the British Isles and the
start of the famous “Taishan” strain, Although a few dogs of this
type had been known in England before, they had not been officially
recognized by the Kennel Club, as was the Shih Tzu in 1934.
General Sir Douglas Brownrigg had had an extremely distinguished
military career and had been mentioned in dispatches six times in
the first World War. He and Mona were married in 1919. It was during
his posting to the North China Command as Assistant Adjutant and
Quartermaster General, that the Brownriggs, together with several
other Europeans stationed in China, decided to find and bring home
specimens of the ‘Tibetan Lion Dog.” From 1933-34, Gen. Brownrigg
was A.D.C. to King George V, and it was during this time that the
present Queen Mother, then Duchess of York, saw her first Shih Tzu,
and was presented with a black and white dog, ‘Choo-choo” by the
Danish Minister in Norway, from stock imported from China. His
parents Aidsu and Schander, were said to be descendents of pure
Palace stock. In due course, Choo-choo was bred to Lady Langmans “Fu
of Taishan” and produced Li-Ching-Chao who became one of Lady Grey
Egerton’s foundation bitches. Two other Shih Tzus were imported
before the war ”Tashi of Chouette” from Canada by the Earl of Essex,
and “Ming” from China by Gen. Telfer-Smollett, and both these were
bred successfully. It was a pity that several others which came over
either died in quarantine or were never bred.
By the time I came into the breed in 1939, nearly 200 Shih Tzus had
been registered at the Kennel Club. My first glimpse of the breed
was in Thurloe Square Gardens, London, on a very windy day, when
Mrs. Doig, the Brownrigg’s cook, was exercising about eight of them
on leashes, and I thought I had never seen such amazing creatures,
part Chinese dragons, part gargoyles, and I felt I MUST own one! I
called on the Brownriggs at 48 Thurloe Square and met Mona looking
very charming in her Red Cross uniform. The house seemed a fitting
background for these Oriental dogs, being full of Chinese antiques
and pictures. I was told that there was one bitch puppy left which I
could have quite reasonably as it was rather big, and Lady Brownrigg
was so busy just now with her Red Cross work. But I could only have
her on condition hat I bred and showed her. Neither had entered my
mind; however, it was a promise made, and whole new worlds opened
for me in the keeping of it.
 Mrs.
Doig brought “Mee Na of Taishan” three months old, up from the
basement kitchen, second generation from the first imports. She was
beautifully marked, white and black solemn and owl-like, and sat in
the drawing-room doorway looking at me disapprovingly. They told me
she could eat minced meat or fish, brown bread, and sometimes some
scrambled egg. She was the remaining puppy from a litter - Ena,
Mee-na, Mi-na and Mo, by Yangtse of Taishan who had been born in
quarantine, and Tzu-hsi, both of whom I got to know quite well.
Later, when the time came to mate Mee Na, I remember feeling quite
shocked when Mona told me she could marry her own father, and that
“it was alright with dogs!” It certainly turned out alright as Mee
Na had a splendid litter of six, which she reared with very little
help from me except for an abundant supply of food.
 The
Brownriggs often visited my parents’ home in Roehampton, some times
bringing Yangtse with them, who was in the General’s opinion “a very
noble dog.” General Brownrigg was dapper, efficient and courteous,
and the dogs were their family as they had no children. Mona was
always very outspoken, but so pretty and charming that one
immediately forgave her. We used to have great fun as “two officials
of the Shih Tzu Club” going round visiting litters of puppies and
sometimes my heart would miss a beat at her forthright criticisms.
Yet at the same time every puppy was precious to her when it meant
so much to establish a rare breed, and the war years did not help
much. On one occasion we visited a lady in the Isle of Wight; a
beautiful small golden Shih Tzu with black tips ran joyfully to
greet us, and we both pronounced it a beautiful specimen in every
way: Imagine Mona’s consternation when told by the owner that it
wasn’t a Shih Tzu at all—not one drop—but a cross between a Maltese
and a Pekinese!
In 1939 General Brownrigg became Adjutant General to the British
Expeditionary Force to Europe, which terminated in Dunkirk and the
tremendous task of getting our forces back across the channel
safely. In 1946 the Brownriggs obtained a delightful country house,
“Weppons,” under Chanctonbury ring in Sussex, where they planned to
enjoy his retirement together, and it was a terrible blow when
“Brownie” died of a sudden illness later the same year. Mona took a
long time to get over this loss and Shih Tzu affairs reached a low
ebb. I used to visit her at Weppons and help her untangle some of
her dogs’ massive coats. She asked me to help her reestablish the
Shih Tzu Club as the members list had got lost in the move and to
take her husband’s place as Treasurer, whilst she remained
Secretary. We managed to gather together about 40 members at that
time.
In 1945 only two Shih Tzus had been registered at the Kennel Club,
both Taishans, and in 1946, only four, an “Oulton” litter by Lady
Grey Egerton at Oulton Park, out of Li Ching Chao. After 1948 a
gradual increase began. Gen Telfer-Smollett imported another bitch
“Ishuh Tzu” from Mrs. Lennox in China, and Lady Brownrigg and I went
to visit her in quarantine. Later I was able to obtain a coal black
son of her from General Telfer-Smollett. This was Schunde of Hungjao
who was used much at stud and became the property of Mrs. Shiela
Bode when I moved to Northumberland. In 1952 Mona took me to see
Hsi-li-ya, a small pastel and white bitch, imported from China by
Mrs. R. P. Dobson, and in due course I bought a black and white son
of hers “Bimbo” who also sired many litters. Both Schunde and Bimbo
had wide open nostrils and excellent black pigment, two qualities
which were badly needed at that time.
Mee Na went to Weppons for a second marriage, and on arrival ran
across the lawn and straight into the duck-pond which looked like a
green continuation of the grass. She emerged covered in duck-weed
and I shall never forget trying to get this wet slimy creature mated
before her suitor overspent himself!
A dog of hers I admired very much, being short-legged, sturdy and
with a beautiful head, was Ch. Yu Mo Chuang of Boydon bred by Mrs.
Moulton, whom I managed to get mated to Ch. Mao Mao of Lhakang,
daughter of Mee Na. In 1940 the breed had attained championship
status, and the first champion of the breed was the very beautiful
Ch. Ta-chi of Taishan, who became my model, and who has never been
quite equalled. Other champions made up by Lady Brownrigg were Ch.
Pa-ko of Taishan, bred by Shiela Bode, Ch. Choo-ling bred by Gen.
Telfer-Smollett from the Royal Line, and his son Ch. Wang-poo of
Taishan out of Pa-ko. Wang-poo’s litter brother, Pei-ho became the
property of Su Dobson and won two Challenge Certificates in this
country before going with her to Australia, where he became an
Australian champion.
Mona was very particular about keeping the noses short and would go
round the benches at shows, measuring with the end joint of her
thumb to see that none were over an inch. She also constantly warned
against letting the breed get too big, a tendency which the English
climate seemed to encourage. Then some of the later imports,
although bringing in much new blood, were inclined to throw a
proportion of offspring rangier and longer-nosed than was typical.
Most new imports came over “pedigree unknown’ or perhaps with one
generation known, and at this tune in China the breed was far from
stabilized, having been mixed with other types of small Chinese or
Tibetan dogs since the end of the Manchu dynasty in 1912. In 1952
Miss E M Evans introduced a Pekingese cross into English stock which
successfully counteracted undesirable tendencies, and Lady Brownrigg
agreed to use her Ch Choo-ling on the bitch retained for breeding
from the first cross.
Alter Lady Brownrigg gave up active showing and breeding she
remained intensely interested in the welfare of the breed. Sometimes
she would come and stay with me in Northumberland where she enjoyed
helping us exercise our hunters. And her greatest pleasure was still
to visit litters of puppies and assess their qualities, and to give
helpful advice as to how they should be looked after. She always
felt that the breed needed to be kept as house-pets with plenty of
human companionship and she hated to think of anyone breeding them
for purely commercial reasons. Now at a time when the breed is
gaining popularity all over the world and has just been officially
recognized by the American Kennel Club, we can honour her by
remembering this wish of hers and seeing that our puppies go to
homes where they will be kept in a way which would have made her
happy
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