I have a dog whose name
is Rascal. He’s a little ornery, but can be sweet when he wants to be. I remember
the first time I saw him. It was my thirteenth birthday and for
months I had been strongly hinting to my mom that I wanted a kitten.
After all the festivities, my little sister and mother came in with a
medium sized box. I could hear faint sounds coming from the box. This made me
anxious to see what was inside.
So after getting the
go-ahead from my mom, I opened the box and looked inside. “Why is there a chubby
gerbil in here?" I asked my mom, but before she could answer my sister
interrupted. “It’s not a gerbil! It’s a puppy!" My little sister
seemed so defensive that I could already tell who made the decision to buy
it. Both my parents said it would take a lot of hard work to train my puppy and
that I should get started right then and there.
Unfortunately for me, I
had no idea how to train or even take care of a puppy. So I decided to do
some research on it. I had few good tips from my neighbors who have had
their dog for quite a long time. I wanted to know more about my new dog,
so I went to the internet for help. After searching through Google
images for different breeds, I found a picture of a dog that looked very
similar to mine.
I had soon found out
that my little dog was a shih-Tzu and that he needed certain things that other
dogs might not. So, I went to the library to see if they had any books on Shih-Tzu
and fortunately for me they did. This book had tons of information that helped
me raise my little Rascal. I decided to note some things that I think would
help others take care of their Shih-Tzu. Some of these tips can apply to other
dogs too.
1. You should only bring
home a Shih-Tzu who is eight weeks or older, because that's when they are old
enough to leave their mother.
2. It's important to
find the right type of dog food for your pet, Some canned brands are mostly
water, while semi-moist food often contains lots of sugar. Dry foods are usually preferred among pet
owners because they are usually more cost-effective.
3. Your puppy will need
to be fed solely puppy food until it is eighteen months of age, then it’s time
to switch it to adult food.
4. When your Shih-Tzu is
around seven or eight years old it’s considered a senior. Seniors, though
having no single best diet, often do well with light or senior diets. Others do
better on puppy or special premium diets. All and all, it’s probably best to
consult a veterinarian on what’s best for your dog.
5. Water, like
food, is essential for your dog’s health and keeps it properly hydrated. During
housebreaking, it is important to keep an eye on how much your dog is drinking.
After proper training you should let your dog have full access to water.
6. If you want your Shih-Tzu
to have long hair then it is important to groom your dog daily or they might
get mats. If you don't wish to groom your pet on a daily basis then it’s
important to schedule regularly trips to the groomers.
Shih-tzu , if not trained
properly, will act like tiny dog demons, and make your life miserable. A properly
trained Shih-tzu will be sweet and caring to its owner, so remember to take the
extra time and effort in training your dog.
Cunliffe, Juliette. Shih Tzu.
Allenhurst, NJ: Kennel Club, 2003. Print.
