Cross Breeds

what is your opinion on Shih Tzu puppies?

i've always wanted a puppy since i was about 13 & now im 17 & my parents are finally getting me one. lol. a pure breed male shih tzu. what can you tell me about them & any tips i should know about having a puppy as a pet. please help & answer. THANK YOU(:

Public Comments

1. Look under General Information: http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/ What's going to happen to the dog when you go to college?
2. you probably want to learn more about them. There are tons in shelters...pups and adults so don't even bother with a breeder. Do not buy from a pet store...it will probably not live long. And if it does it will likely have issues. Do not buy from breeders without AKC titles (even if they claim to have champions). If you do go to a breeder make sure they can back up their titles...Do not buy from a breeder with no titles. Breeders that post puppies anywhere that isn't the Shih Tzu Club of America website or their own website are fakes. This includes newspapers and kijiji. Most reputable breeders will actually suggest you check shelters first and may give you the names of some local rescues. Try petfinder.com. It will locate local shih tzus in your area needing rescuing. Anyway these dogs tend to be on the more bossy side but are usually willing to learn. They should be brushed every day or every other day to prevent knots. Some stain around the tail and mouth. Eyes sometimes need to be wiped once a week. In general just research the breed. By the way...you don't have a puppy as a pet. You have a dog as a pet. Please consider that you could have this dog or more than five years and he will only be a puppy for one of those years. What will you do with him when you go to college?
3. Shih Tzu's need LOTS of grooming...are you willing to take the time & money to have him groomed. Look up how to care for a new puppy & research the breed at www.akc.org
4. I've had a shih tzu puppy! It was the best dog I have ever had. BUT I would REALLY suggest a maltese/shih tzu mix! I have a maltese/shih tzu mix and it's even better than the shih tzu. I love her to death! Please consider a maltese/shih tzu mix. Their just as small but have better temperaments. I hope this helped!
5. I really don't recommend getting a shitzu they are very high maintenance dogs and they are likely to get ear infections eye infections, they lose eyes all the time and they are prone to seizures, they are hard to train some are really nasty and mean. please do not get a shitzu!
6. don't get a purebred get a mixed.purebreds are so overbred inbred and linebred that reputable breeders have turned into puppymills. i had links on purebred health problems but someones so scare the truth will get out they keep having the links banned from y/a some reference you can get to read up on. All the scientific studies in this area have found that the average mutt is healthier and will live longer than the average purebred. Here are a few references: 1) B.N. Bonnett, A. Egenvall, P. Olson, . Hedhammar, Mortality in Swedish dogs: rates and causes of death in various breeds, The Veterinary Record, 12/7/1997, S. 40 - 44) "Mongrels were consistently in the low risk category" (S. 41) 2) P.D. McGreevy & W.F. Nicholas, Some Practical Solutions to Welfare Problems in Pedigree Dog Breeding, Animal Welfare, 1999, Vol 8, 329-331 "Hybrids have a far lower chance of exhibiting the disorders that are common with the parental breeds. Their genetic health will be substantially higher." (P338) 3) A. Egenvall, B.N. Bonnett, P. Olson, . Hedhammar,Gender, age, breed and distribution of morbidity and mortality in insured dogs in Sweden during 1995 and 1996, The Veterinary Record, 29/4/2000, p. 519-57 "Mongrel dogs are less prone to many diseases then the average purebred dog." (S. 524) 4) R. Beythien, Tierarten- und Hunderassenverteilung, Erkrankungshufigkeit und prophylaktische Manahmen bei den hufigsten Hunderassen am Beispiel einer Tierarztpraxis in Bielefeld in den Jahren 1983-1985 und 1990-1992, 1998, Diss., Tierrztl. Hochschule Hannover Mongrels require less veterinary treatment 5) A. R. Michell, Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationship with sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease, Vet. Rec., 27 Nov. 1999, S. 625-629 "There was a significant correlation between body weight and longevity. Crossbreeds lived longer than average but several pure breeds lived longer than cross breeds, notably Jack Russell, miniature poodles and whippets" (S. 627 - thus only small and toy breeds, as to be expected) 6) G.J. Patronek, D.J. Walters, L.T. Glickman, Comparative Longevity of Pet Dogs and Humans: Implications for Gerontology Research, J. Geront., BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 1997, Vol 52A,No.3, B171-B178 "The median age at death was 8,5 years for all mixed breed dogs and 6,7 years for all pure breed dogs For each weight group, the age at death of pure breed dogs was significantly less than for mixed breed dogs." (p. B173) 7) H.F. Proschofsky et al, Mortality of purebred and mixed breed dogs in Denmark, Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2003, 58, 53-74 Higher average longevity of mixed breed dogs (grouped together). Age at death mixed breeds (Q1 Q2 Q3 mixed breeds 8,11,13, purebreds 6, 10, 12) I've yet to find any research that shows otherwise.