Are You a Shih Tzu Person?

Is the Shih Tzu dog breed for you?

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There is no doubt that you will have to pay attention to your Shih Tzus unique single coat, even if you choose to keep it short. The coat sheds little, unlike that of many other long-haired breeds, and this fortunately means that you will not find great quantities of dog hair around your home. On the other hand, the coat will form knots if left unattended, so you must always be prepared to devote time and energy to this aspect of pet ownership. In any case, grooming sessions can be a great opportunity to nurture the bond with your dog, and you will enjoy spending this special time together. You also will both feel incredibly proud of the end result. To see your freshly groomed Shih Tzu strutting around in all his glory, clearly feeling like a million bucks, will give you tremendous satisfaction. What a spectacular little dog!

You must never, under any circumstances, treat your Shih Tzu harshly. Don't even use harsh words! If you are capable of giving him the respect this smart little dog deserves, you will have a wonderful companion. What's more, your Shih Tzu will always be willing to listen to your secrets with sympathy and understanding, so you may find yourself opening your heart more to your Shih Tzu than you do to your friends!

For certain, the Shih Tzu is a wonderful companion, and his dazzling appearance, with that magnificent coat and elegant topknot, makes him highly popular as a show dog. There is no doubt that keeping the coat glorious will require plenty of time and attention, but grooming can be calming and therapeutic for both parties, and the end result is a pleasure to the eye. The breed should be especially appealing to the hairstylists among us!

Some Shih Tzu take part in agility and obedience work, and their charming personalities make them good candidates for therapy work, too. However, the Shih Tzu is just as delighted to live a leisurely life around the home and will show his love for you in so many ways that you will just know you've made the right decision by letting him enter your life.

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Give us your opinion on Are You a Shih Tzu Person?

bonnie Jackson, New Jersey

1/4/2013 8:22:31 AM

I am not really a cat person. I need alot of affection and I feel cats r aloof. They come to u when they feel like it. Well, my adorable Schitzu is like that. She looks at me when I call her to come up on the couch with me for some hugs and cuddles. She looks at me for a few minutes, I think or know she's debating wheather or not she's in the mood for it. Almost like a cat!! She definitely puts alot of thought into everything she does. Don't get me wrong, I adore her and kind of get a kick out of it now. Talk about stubborn!! I have noticed that as she's gotten older, now approaching 10 mos. old, she's comming around more. She definitely loves the affection I give her, which is alot, I mean alot!! She also now gives me so much affection, which I absolutely love. We adore each other. I think as a younger puppy she was so into every person she saw when being walked and every other dog. She is a socialite!! She loves everybody. She is also very observant of everything. She just seems to be calming down a little to much from what I was used to as a younger puppy, but it's the winter and not all of her friends and their owners r out as much. I live in N.J. and it's a cold winter. But I know as soon as the weather gets nicer. She'll be back to Ms. socialite of the neiborhood. EVERYBODY LOVES GINGER!! HOW could they not!! She is sooo charasmatic. I just love the breed.Best companion u can ever get in my opinion!! Thumbs up for schitzu"s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maxie Parker, TX

11/9/2010 7:19:30 PM

I've had Shih Tzu for over 25 years. I have not bred them, just loved them. At this time I have 3. They are Therapy Dogs. I love the breed. All three have differant responsibilities as a therapy dog. The article described them very well.

Kate Sydney, Australia, AL

10/15/2010 7:35:51 PM

Charlie, my adorable, 13 month old Maltese-Shih Tzu cross (although he is 3/4 Shih Tzu and you can definately tell!) is everything this article describes. He is very intelligent, he is the guard dog of the house, he LOVES his bath, so much so that he falls asleep in the bath! He LOVES strutting around the house after his bath. He uses his paws to do many things, including itching his nose! He is stubborn (he would jump up on the lounge when he thought I wasn't looking, but if I called him to come up he wouldn't jump - I would have to pick him up!) He is definitely the pack leader (I have 3 dogs - Charlie, Lily, another maltese-shih tzu cross, and Freddy the toy poodle), he is sociable, and we have to pick him up and say hello to him first when we get home. He also loves to watch TV, especially the Football, and he loves his sleep!

danielle cleveland, OH

4/15/2010 8:17:23 PM

i really adore shih tzus.