Shih-Tzu

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.