Shih Tzus

or other cute dogs?

google it and click on the images icon on the top right of page. Just type "free shih tzu clipart"

I am considering buying one in March. I love the breed but have never owned one. I have always had large breed dogs. I am trying to be a responsible owner.

Good- Super intelligent (one of mine is excellent obedience… I trained her to off leash level in two weeks flat), non-shedding, small, beautiful, soft, cuddly, playful, don't need tons of exercise, don't eat much, generally healthy, come in different colors, great with most everybody.
They do great in pairs, being very playful dogs, and will provide you hours of entertainment. They are athletic enough to enjoy long spring and fall hikes, but sedentary enough to stay at home all day and not go on a single walk outside of the yard/home. They are small enough to be paper or litter trained, if you so desire, or are disabled, and cannot walk them in bad weather.

Bad- Lots of grooming, either you do it, or the groomer does, no other way! They can have sensetive tummies, their buggy eyes can be prone to damage, and their short noses can lead to respitory problems, or overheating, their long backs occasionally might be prone to back injury. They can be spazzy and yappy! And they will train you when you try to train them, sneaky buggers.
They are occasionally prone to being shy, and one persony -this is because of their high intelligence -if you baby them at all, you could have problems -they see babying as you telling them that the world is to fear, and you are their only protector. Even carrying them in public or sweet talking them when they are scared can be babying to them. Best have strangers feed them treats and pet them, don't hold your dog to meet strangers.

I LOVE these dogs, I have three of them, and I can honestly say, they are one of the best breeds out there. I plan to breed and show proffessionally one day.

Might I add, that, regardless of whatever people here will tell you – is that their name is pronounced sheet-zoo. They were the chinese foo dog… not the chinese poo dog.

my male is one years old and female is about 1 years old too.

I assume you are asking how to be a responsible breeder.

1. Contact a breed club for your breed. Ask for a mentor.
2. STUDY the breed standard. Learn about dog anatomy and ask your mentor to
clarify anything you don't understand.
3. Learn what genetic faults and diseases run in your breed and test for any
that can be tested for.
4. Show your dog in conformation events to see if it is of the proper
quality for breeding. Winning doesn't always mean a dog is breeding quality,
but being around so many others that know your breed and will talk to you
will do wonders for your self-education efforts!
5. Study the past history of great dogs in your breed. You will see how your
breed has improved and progressed since the beginning of the breed.
6. Study the breed standard some more!
7. Join any Yahoo groups about your breed.
8. Live, dream and study your breed.
9. Get a good book on canine reproduction, and educate yourself about the
pitfalls, problems, and proud moments of breeding. Learn about the
physiology of reproduction, such as heat cycles and venereal diseases in
dogs, potential for problems specific to your breed, and what you need to
expect at whelping.
10. Remember that whelping (giving birth) can kill your female. Being used
as a stud dog can encourage bad behaviors common in intact males such as
territorial marking, aggression, and desire to roam from home.
11. Prepare to be broke. Breeding properly is EXPENSIVE.
12. Line up potential homes for any puppies you produce and write up a
contract. Remember to include that you will be willing to take back your
puppies at any time in their lives that they might need you. If you bring
life into this world, it is your responsibility FOREVER.
13. Prepare to spend sleepless nights attending whelping females, caring for
fading puppies or puppies orphaned, and practice cleaning up after 24/7 poop
machines.

I'm sure there are many things I missed because being a responsible breeder
isn't just a job. It's a way of life. You will live dogs. 24/7/365. There
are lots of hard decisions. There is a lot of expense. There will be pain.
But, if you do your darndest to always keep the welfare of your dogs and the
future of any of their offspring, you can go to step 14.

14. Enjoy the love and success of a job well done.

If you want that perfect show dog look in your Shih Tzu you might as well relax to the fact that it involved brushing, brushing, brushing, and daily brushing. A thorough head-to-tail groom is often needed at least every other day if not “daily.” However, Shih Tzu coat textures are very different. You might get by with once weekly brushing if the Shih Tzu’s coat is the type of texture that does not mat and tangle easily.

If you have only one Shih Tzu, grooming should not be a problem. It can be quite pleasurable for you and your Shih Tzu. It can be an excellent time to bond with each other, and have nice close little chats with each other.

Where do you start?

A good place to start grooming your Shih Tzu is on the tummy, the chest and inside the legs…….perhaps……there are other opinions of course, but in this article I will direct you to start with the tummy, the chest and inside the legs.

You will need to have your Shih Tzu lie on his side on the table (be sure you have a nice, sturdy table to groom your Shih Tzu). There is nothing worse than a grooming table that wobbles around, except of course a grooming area that is not organized. You also need to have all your equipment organized and ready to use.

So now that you have your Shih Tzu lying on its side on the table, with his legs towards you (this can be an accomplishment in itself that may take several short training sessions to get done). If the Shih Tzu just will not cooperate with you, you can start trying to train him by having him lay tummy upwards in your lap with his head facing your chest. Do this exercise first for a few days if he absolutely refuses to lie this way on the grooming table.

If the above fails, you might try to groom the chest and tummy while the Shih Tzu sits on the table facing you, holding him up into a begging position by the front paws; this is not easy, since both hands are needed for some parts of the grooming, but you might have to try this as a last resort. If your Shih Tzu mats the tummy will be a prime target for matting.

The tummy side of a Shih Tzu is sensitive also, so be gentle in this area. Check where the legs meet the body, this is a prime target area for severe matting as well. Something you don’t want to deal with is severe mats in these areas. These are extra sensitive areas on your Shih Tzu. The best rule to follow is pay close attention to these areas on a daily basis and never allows the mats to occur. The hair around the male penis can also be a very sensitive trouble spot. It is best to keep this area clean and shaved off. Your male Shih Tzu will give you a sigh of relief when you remove the hair in this area.

How do you remove knots and mats?

If you come across a mat or knot first try to tease it apart with your fingers. Then take a comb and use the end with coarse teeth to tease out the tangle slowly, working from the outside inwards and holding the hair between the knot and the body between your fingers so that you don’t pull too hard and hurt the Shih Tzu. If all else fails, a knot may have to be cut out. Cut into the knotted hair away from the dog several times before gently using the comb to clear away the knot. Never cut across the coat. This will leave an obvious hole. If you will cut down through the length of the coat you will cause much less damage. Note: The hair on the legs is more likely to tangle than anywhere else. So…..pay particular attention to these areas as well to avoid those awful and painful mats.

This article continues in Part II of “Life with the Shih Tzu.”

I live in Houston, Texas and I do not have air conditioning. Will my Shih Tzu be able to stand the heat and humidity?

I understand where you're coming from. I'm in TX, too, and I'm going through my first summer with a maltese.

I have to admit, I was suprised how winded he got a couple weeks ago when I was walking him and it was about 85 out. And today, it's not that hot but it's very humid. He started panting a bit and it was only about 78 in here!

I've been told the important thing, even with central air like I have, is to make sure there's plenty of water available and also to keep him very closely groomed. If this is too expensive, get one of those $30 electric groomers from petco and don't worry about appearance for the summer.

Obviously, ceiling fans help, too. But I've already come to realize that there won't be any outside walks in July and August.

I have 2 Shih Tzus…they are brother and sister. One has straight hair and the other is curly. When I went to the groomer’s I popped the question. And she said Shih Tzus can either have curly or straight hair.

Just curious thanks.

Basset is right. They should have straight hair.

Curly hair is a major genetic fault and it should never be bred. Considering you know that curly hair is in the gene pool, I think the sibling shouldn’t be bred either.

Scratching is a very common symptom in dogs, and you as an owner should aim to nip it in the bud early before self trauma causes secondary injuries to your dog. However, before wondering whether your dog could have an allergy, you must rule out the common parasitic (fleas and mites), bacterial (hot spots) and fungal (ringworm and yeast) infections. See my article Is your Dog Scratching to explore these in greater detail.

Just as allergies have become more common in children these days compared to several generations ago, veterinarians are seeing far more allergies in pets too. It is difficult to explain this phenomenon, theories range from alterations in the content of pet foods to the use of modern day household cleaning products or simply genetic evolution. One thing is certain, whatever the cause, allergic dogs benefit hugely from avoiding the offending allergen or, if that is impossible, appropriate treatment to minimize the itchiness.

Lets start with the presenting signs of an allergy in dogs. Itchiness can manifest itself not only as obvious scratching at the neck and flanks, but also as face rubbing, foot licking or chewing and over grooming. Foot licking, for example, is often perceived by owners as normal, when in fact the dog is responding to itchy feet in the only way it can, by licking them. The skin between the toes may turn red and sore due to the compulsive licking, and in white dogs such as West Highland White Terriers and Bichon Frises, the fur is stained brown by saliva.

Ear infections are another common sign of an underlying allergy. Though general waxiness, hair in the ear canals, lack of ventilation, bacteria and yeast may trigger the infection, an underlying allergy is often the root cause of the itchiness. If your dog gets recurrent ear infections, by eliminating an underlying allergy you may prevent your dog from going over the itchiness threshold and developing full blown ear infections.

So, what are the common allergies in dogs?

For convenience they are best separated into 4 categories.

1)Flea bite hypersensitivity
2)Adverse food reaction
3)Atopic dermatitis
4)Contact dermatitis

Flea bite hypersensitivity is relatively straight forward to cure. It is a simple case of eliminating every single flea on the dog and, crucially, in his/her environment. The itchiness is caused by an allergic reaction to the flea saliva, and so even a solitary flea can trigger a scratching frenzy. To rule out flea bite hypersensitivity, all animals in the house (dogs and cats) should be treated with a reputable veterinary spot on medication monthly without fail, and the house should be thoroughly sprayed with an insecticidal spray.

Adverse food reactions are more difficult to treat as it can be difficult to isolate the precise ingredient responsible for causing itchiness in your dog. Not only that, treating adverse food reactions requires owners to be exceptionally disciplined and motivated in preventing their pet having even a single treat unless the exact ingredients are known to be safe.

There are two ways of diagnosing an adverse food reaction (also known as a food allergy). For those readers for whom cost is not an issue, a blood test can be done to measure for ingredient specific antibodies in the bloodstream. The blood test is quite costly, and if combined with a blood test for environmental allergens is usually upwards of $400 (£200). The company performing the blood test then provides a list of ingredients (chicken, beef, pork, rice, wheat etc) and a score next to them, suggesting which ingredients are best avoided. The owner then picks a commercial diet which does not include any of these ingredients, or indeed a special home cooked diet. The second way to diagnose an adverse food reaction is to conduct a dietary trial. This involves picking a very bland hypoallergenic diet and feeding your dog exclusively that for at least a month, preferably 6 weeks. The author usually suggests turkey and rice, as less dogs are allergic to turkey than chicken. Of course if your dog happened to be allergic to rice or turkey, which is rare but nevertheless possible, you would be none the wiser as the itchiness would continue and you would assume you had ruled out a food allergy having done the turkey and rice dietary trial. Remember if you are doing one of these trials, then your dog must not be given any treats, especially not pigs ears, chews, boneos, dental sticks or any rawhide products. Literally nothing must be swallowed other than turkey and rice (and water!) for the entire trial period.

If you have ruled out flea bite hypersensitivity and ruled out an adverse food reaction, the next step is to consider an environmental allergy, also known as atopic dermatitis. Symptoms of atopic dermatitis usually begin between 1 and 3 years of age, though any age is possible. The itchiness is often seasonal, which is consistent with a pollen allergy, though some dogs are itchy all year round. There are certain breeds which are predisposed to this condition: Boxers, Bull Terriers, Dalmations, English Bulldogs, German Shepherd Dogs, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Shar Peis, Shih Tzus and West Highland White Terriers being the most commonly affected. Diagnosis is usually made based on the history and ruling out all the other causes of itchiness, and many vets will treat the condition on these presumptions. However, definitive diagnosis can be achieved via a panel of injections into a patch of skin, or blood tests. Neither of these are particularly effective and generally not performed unless the owner is prepared to attempt a desensitization programme. This involves a long term course of injections given by your vet on, say, a monthly basis to desensitize your dog to the offending allergen, and so make the allergic reaction much smaller when he/she does come into contact with it.

Contact dermatitis is a skin reaction caused by your dog coming into contact with a chemical that is an irritant. It therefore only tends to affect the stomach, groin and feet of the dog, and is characterized by reddening and drying of the skin in these areas. It can also be seen when owners shampoo their dogs with a product that is not intended for use in dogs. Contact dermatitis is rare, but easily ruled out by careful use of cleaning products around the household. Just think, did the itchiness coincide with the introduction of a new carpet cleaner, washing powder or fabric softener?

By far the best treatment for any allergy is avoidance of the cause. By careful investigation and following the steps above this is often possible, especially for flea bite hypersensitivity, adverse food reactions and contact dermatitis. If avoidance is impossible though, as is the case for many cases of atopic dermatitis, then seasonal or lifelong treatment may be indicated. Steroids are very effective at stopping itchiness caused by allergies, but long term use can lead to undesirable side effects, such as adrenal gland disease. Long term steroid use should only be used as a last resort, when other medications have been tried and failed. These other medications include antihistamines, essential fatty acids and medicated shampoos.

id suggest go to a vet and get it done, b/c if u go too deep, the nails can severely bleed and hurt. Let a Professional do it

I love my shih tzu so now tell me about yours, tell me its name,where you fond,why you got it, and why you love shih tzus. I have a shiih tzu her name is London, i fond mine at a shoe store, i got mine because i thought it was the cutest thing i have ever seen. I love my shih tzu because she is my baby and she is sooo loving and fun to be with she loves other dogs and she loves shih tzus so tell me about your shih tzu.

I have 3 Lady Tootsie, Oliver and, Sir Ozzy Osbourne.
I wanted a dog a few years ago so on my birthday I got Ozzy from a breader.
Tootsie came along as a rescue dog, she was very sick when I got her almost blind bad skin condition, and asthma.
Then Oliver came in to my life, he was homeless as was his owner. He was starving so bad, I felt sick to my stomach when i first picked him up.
All are AKC

I have two 3 month old sister shih tzus. We got them when they were 7 weeks old and they have always shared a kennel. Recently I was told it would be best to separate them and give them each their own kennel? Thoughts? We work during the day so except for lunch hour they are in the kennel 830 t0 415 on weekdays.

Personally I think they are being kenneled for way to long.. My suggestion is to gate off an area of the home (such as the kitchen) and doggie proof it instead of kenneling them for so much time out of the day.. As far as getting a second kennel… the dogs need their own space that they can go to get away from everyone.. I really hope you consider gating an area of your home for your pooches… They are small dogs anyways so they can’t cause to much destruction )