My family all have dogs crossed with shihtzus and all of them are great.

In our family we have;

Shihtzu x poodle (mine)
Shihtzu x jack russel (mine)
Shihtzu x Laso Apso (mum & dads)
Shihtzu x maltese (nan & Gramps)

All of these crosses are great family dogs. My poodle cross is the most loving dog in the world! He even sits outside DD's door at night when she's asleep (melts my heart) an she was pulling at his fur today and trying to eat his leg and he didnt bat an eyelid!!

They can be a bit of a yappy barker but only if there is a reason for it. For example when someone comes to the door, when they hear the postman, but we like this as they are a bit of an alarm for me (security) and its part of their job.

Also surprisingly, DD sleeps through their barking but I think she got used to it when she was in the womb...

The other great thng about these dogs is they dont shed hair as they have wool coats. So nice to cudle up to and not be left covered in hair (I have enough of mine falling out and covering me that I dont need the dogs hair as well).

HTH