Once upon a time, Shih Tzu dogs were bred for royalty in China, and they still think they ought to be treated like royalty. Today, they are the 20th most popular breed of dog in the U.S., and having owned one, I can see why. I wouldn’t want to have any other kind of dog!
By Adam Conrad
Shih Tzu are one of the oldest dog breeds known to man. These toy dogs are friendly, clever, playful, spunky, affectionate, and intelligent. But even more importantly, they are great family dogs and companions. Shih Tzus are some of the most devoted dogs in the world. They love to be the center of attention and to be in your arms, wherever you are. They will shower you with kisses… and some dog fur.
There are many ways to get a Shih Tzu. You can adopt one from your local shelter, or from regional and national breed-specific rescues like the U.S. Shih Tzu Rescue. If you want to train your Shih Tzu from a puppy or want to have a show dog, you should look for a breeder. The American Kennel Club offers a marketplace to help you with that. The price range of Shih Tzu puppies varies from 900 to 2,500 dollars.
When purchasing from a breeder, ask about the puppy’s family health history. Shih Tzus may inherit from their parents a hip dysplasia, a patellar luxation, or some eye anomalies. These are the main health problems that Shih Tzus have, aside from not being very heat tolerant. If your breeder cannot give you this information, don’t adopt from them!
I loved owning a Shih Tzu, and I think you will too!
You are not likely to have many behavioral issues with your Shih Tzu, but you may need to teach them the rules of your house. They’re smart, so it won’t take long, but you have to go about it the right way.
These dogs tend to respond best to praise and rewards. They will want you to be happy with them, so positive reinforcement is your best option here. I had some issues with my dog jumping on me and nipping at me when we were originally training and socializing him, but he learned that I would just ignore him until he quit misbehaving. He would always calm down, and then we would try that training again. When he got it right, we would reward him with both treats and praise, and he learned quickly.
These dogs are clever, so if you are lax about training them, they will learn that they can get away with it, so make sure to train them properly.
Shih Tzus are among the exceptional family dogs that are great with kids. However, I recommend waiting until after you have housebroken and trained your dog to introduce them to children. While they are sweet and loving dogs, kids are not always as gentle with them as they should be. Dogs can react to having their hair pulled or being petted too heavily with nipping. You want to avoid that with your kids, so make sure that your Shih Tzu knows that nipping is not okay before the kids come into the picture.
You should also teach your kids the basics of how to handle a dog. These dogs are very companionable, but even they will act badly when they’re pushed too far. Teaching your kids to be kind and patient with dogs will make everybody’s life in your family a little bit less hectic.
When you get your Shih Tzu, make sure to have some high-quality dog food. That means that real meat should be the first ingredient on the ingredients list of this food – not a meat protein, meal, or other byproducts.
You will also want to make sure that the size of the food is appropriate for your Shih Tzu. Despite their big personalities, these dogs have tiny mouths. The kibble that you feed them should be small enough not to choke on it. There’s a lot of food for toy breed dogs in a variety of flavors, so you can pick the best food for your new friend.
Shih Tzus are often called lion dogs or chrysanthemum dogs, because of the way that their hair grows into a lion mane or chrysanthemum pattern.
The time that you save on training these smart dogs, you will likely spend grooming them over your dog’s lifetime. Shih Tzus have a double coat and long fur, which means that you will need to brush them daily to avoid matting. Because of the way their hair grows, you’ll need to stay on top of their grooming or keep their fur in a regularly combed topknot. If you are not willing to brush them daily, you can get their hair trimmed into a simple, very short puppy trim, and that will keep their hair out of their eyes.
Either way, I guarantee that your pet will be absolutely adorable as long as you take care of them and they are happy. My dog loves to be brushed, and would even ask for it when he was feeling grubby. You should use a wire brush and comb to make sure that you get all the way to your dog’s skin when you are grooming them on a daily basis.
You should take them to get groomed, trimmed and bathed approximately every month. Or you could consider buying a pair of dog clippers for your Shih Tzu and some training on how to safely groom. If you notice that your dog’s hair is growing faster and it’s getting in their eyes and causing issues, then you should move that up to just before their fur starts becoming a problem.
Since you’re brushing your dog every day, it won’t be a problem to notice when they are starting to have issues. if you keep your dog’s hair longer, you also may need to bathe them more often to keep their fur clean in the long run, especially if you go on walks in grass or dirt.
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Adam is in charge of a ShihTzuExpert.com website that was recently awarded Best Top 10 Shih Tzu Blog. His Shih Tzu boards are popular on Pinterest.
Read more about Shih Tzus on our Russian Dog website.
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