Shih Tzu Puppies Are So Cute

 What to Know Before You Buy

Buying a pet puppy is a fun and rewarding experience for your whole family, and I have had Shih Tzu’s live well into their late teens, so be prepared  to go the distance with one of these little warriors. 

                Firstly, don’t make the mistake of thinking that “confirmation doesn’t matter” for a pet.  Pay close attention to the young dog’s build, and remember the hips/eyes/teeth that pup is born with are the tools he’ll have to go through his whole life with.  A poorly bred pet can cost you thousands more than a champion stud would, so get any pet from a reputable breeder and research as many in your area as you can.  Buying a pet store puppy is a bad idea for many reasons and never consider buying an unregistered puppy, even in the owner “swears” that it’s purebred.  A friend of mine got a long haired Chihuahua that was supposed to be a Pomeranian that way, boy was she surprised!  And at eight hundred dollars what a shame as well. 

With the Humane Society waging war on puppy mills and the best of breeding programs with equal zeal and wrath, it is more important than ever to make sure your kennel will hold both ethical and financial water.

                Start with the best.  Don’t think that you can just get any girl puppy and boy puppy and have them make babies, I don’t care how small that operation is it is a puppy mill.  Make a business plan to be profitable, because profitability will keep you producing quality animals and not so focused on the bottom line.  Get involved in the breed fancy at least a year prior to your purchase of any dogs and make friends.  This will get you valuable contacts and ease you into a very complex but rewarding profession.  Any dogs to be bred should be shown to champion first, this ensures that your opinion of them isn’t the only one being considered and will keep your product  at a quality we as long time breeders and fanciers have come to demand from those in the Shih Tzu community.  You will need all floors in your house to be non carpet (Pergo or hardwood.) and you will need a kennel license before you get started.

Purebred Rescue can be a great way to make a difference in the community of Shih Tzus, but be sure to keep these things in mind as you get involved with your local chapter.

                I hate to be heartless, but I have a heart for both people and dogs, so here’s to a whole email box of hate mail.  These are culls, plain and simple, they almost never (save some extraneous circumstance) come from a reputable program, and many will be health wise a heavy burden to their owners throughout their lives, costing thousands in unfortunate vet care.   They are not guaranteed like many well bred animals, and if you take one home, I really recommend keeping a fund for unexpected care that they should need, because like a pet store puppy, you really have no clue as to their genetic makeup and must be prepared for whatever cost should arise.