Shih Tzu Puppies and Picking a Winner

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is both cuter and deadlier than a basket of Shih Tzu puppies. Stick your hand in that basket at your own risk, they, like piranhas, can strip a hand of its flesh in less than three minutes. Take it from someone who has been an active member of the toy breed fancy for many years, they are all cute, but only some of them are worth paying good money for. Here are some tips to help you with the purchase of a pup.

How Much am I going to Pay?

Well, that really depends, but the bottom line is you are not going to get a really nice dog for free so shop around and see if there are any good breeders in town.  A good pet is likely to run you about eight hundred dollars, a show or breeding animal usually as little as fifteen hundred and anywhere on up.  Good dogs are worth the money, and one of the things that kind of harks me off real bad is hearing that you shouldn’t make money breeding dogs, because it that was true we wouldn’t have Shih Tzu puppies in the first place.

What to Look For in a Pet Puppy?

                The biggest thing in a Shih Tzu for me is going to be large, straight, well placed eyes.  If you can see a lot of white, or they are staring to either side, I say no go.  Breeders will tell you that a puppy will grow out of that, but I say that is bull.  Good eyes are a must and even a pet has to be able to see.  Other than that, I like a pup with wide hips, Shih Tzu who are narrow in the hips will have pain later in life and perhaps even display hip dysplasia.   Look for a course or oily coat in the parents, this also is fairly undesirable and will be an indicator of skin dermises which is also fairly common in the poorer breeding programs. 

Buying a Future Show or Breeding Dog?

                Buying from an experienced breeder is an absolute must, and a good place to look for one is at one of the larger breed shows.  You will want to champion your animals before they breed, because then you will know your dog’s are of competitive stock.  Breeding unregistered or mixed breed dogs is unethical, you have no clue as to what type of puppy you are going to get, or how it will age as it approaches the end of its life span.