By Alex Vena

Kelly Ripa was not tolerating any shih tzu slander on Wednesday’s Live with Kelly and Mark.

Live honored National Rescue Day on Wednesday by spotlighting some dogs up for adoption. While Mark Consuelos reminded Ripa not to “get any ideas” about bringing another dog home, Live EP Michael Gelman said the dogs “may be too big” for Ripa and Consuelos’ liking, and that there are “no shih tzus” among the bunch.

Consuelos, who took a moment to highlight his love of shih tzus, told viewers about something he read—or rather, he saw on Instagram—”a pyramid of the smartest dogs.” He revealed that the shih tzu is at “the bottom” of the pyramid, baffling Ripa.

“No!” she exclaimed.

Gelman, who also the proud owner of a shih tzu, said that his wife Laurie had a similar reaction

“It depends on the pyramid you look at. I always say that to Laurie, and she gets very offended and says, ‘That’s not true!'” he shared. “And some polls show them higher up.”

Nonetheless, Ripa then went to bat for the beloved breed.

“No, I think because shih tzus decide when they want to activate their brains,” she insisted. “It’s like, just because your shih tzu is ignoring you, they’re just ignoring you. They’re smart enough to be like, ‘I’m gonna play dumb.”

Consuelos and Ripa added that shih tzus were bred to be “royal dogs” who are “true lap dogs.”

“My job is to sit here and allow you to caress me. And then when you stop, I will sneeze in your face,” she quipped. “And I will paw at you when you stop because you’re not done. Keep going.”

Ripa claimed that her and Consuelos’ dog Lena “has us trained,” once again insisting that “she’s smart.”

“Lena is a smart dog,” she added.

Despite his love for Lena, Consuelos countered Ripa’s claim, citing Lena’s difficulty with playing fetch.

“I mean, the fetch thing,” he elaborated. “If you throw it and don’t throw it, she’s like looking around for it instead of just looking at your hand.”

While Ripa said that Lena “always” brings the ball back to her, Consuelos said that this is only “sometimes” the case when he plays fetch with her.

“The first time, she’ll bring it back in arm’s length,” Consuelos said. “And then the next four, five times, she drops it just a few feet away, so you have to get up.”

But Ripa offered up an explanation for this.

“See, you don’t get on the floor with her like I do. I get on the floor. I become a dog. I’m another shih tzu as far as she’s concerned,” she told Consuelos, before becoming smug. “See, you may think she’s your dog. She’s all mine. Because she knows. Because at night, I whisper to her, ‘Remember, Daddy didn’t even want you.'”

Consuelos conceded, “It’s true. It’s true. I did not want this dog.”

Ripa replied, “And now she’s in your life. And now what?”

Consuelos declared that he’s “a shih tzu man,” which resulted in the ultimate compliment from Ripa.

“It takes a big man to say he’s a shih tzu man,” she teased.

Live with Kelly and Mark airs on weekdays. Check out their website for your local listings.