With its beautiful coat, its bratty charm, and the way it holds itself, the Shih Tzu has been regarded by many as a regal pet. The furry coating they wear makes them so soft to touch and unimaginable great to hug. No wonder so many pet owners, even those who don't own a dog of this breed, are mesmerized by a Shih Tzu. The charm has a lot to do with the beautiful coating you can brush all day, put limited accessories on, and show off - this breed has been called a purse dog, owing to its carry-around size.
When you've not been exposed much to this breed, you may want to consider getting an additional one one, as this is not the usual big or medium sized dog that can deal with rowdy play and being left alone. This breed can be mistaken for a stuffed toy, and may get crushed like one. If it's your first time to own and house-train a dog of this breed, you may explore on your own just how hard it is to force, by punishment over time, a Shih Tzu to do your bidding - you need to create an environment where it will be allured into doing what you want it to do. But it would stay in your lap all day, and that's unquestionably a plus in the small companion dog department.
Shitzu Dogs
Despite these features, from the soft look of that dog that melts many hearts, to the lush coat you want to comb all day and hug, many dogs of this breed end up in a Shih Tzu rescue. These animals are orphaned in many ways - their owners leave them behind when they move out, or are given to friends, and some are plainly found wandering the streets hungry and cold.
Although a majority of the dogs in a Shih Tzu salvage are adult ones, if you visit sufficient shelters, you could get lucky and opportunity upon a salutary liter of pups ready to be adopted. There are consequences to what you settle to do, either way - adopt an adult dog from a shelter and help the shelter allow more dogs to advantage from its resources, or buy from a Shih Tzu breeder to get the breed and genuine bloodline you require.
There is a lot of money to be made in selling puppies designed for whimsical owners with cash - but instead the shelter's staff are providing a halfway house for these abandoned dogs, some of them injured and traumatized. Know his and the fact that many dogs stand to get euthanized owing to limited resources and a growing number of abandoned dogs. When you adopt from a rescue, you make room for other dogs to use the facility to recuperate from being abandoned, emotionally and physically. Let your home be the place they can recover, and your company be the nurturing one an orphaned dog needs.
Because shelters have a cap on their resources, one way to augment their capacity to take in and take care of orphaned dogs is to enlist the help of nurture homes - the dogs live in these homes until they can find a good owner. Be sure to talk to the staff, as they may have good tips on taking care of this breed - that's huge help in case you're new to this breed (as many first time owners are used to bigger dogs).
Shih Tzu recovery - Adopt a Cute and Cuddly Shih Tzu Now