Why An Owner Must Prepare His Home, Habits And Finances When Taking In Shih Tzu Puppies
If you’re looking for Shih Tzu puppies, you can either adopt them or buy them. Going for a specific breed means you want a Shih Tzu breeder. The reason for that is a majority of Shih Tzu rescues and animal shelters take in whatever dogs they can – most of them abandoned adult dogs, and only a small portion of them are puppies. If you want to raise puppies yourself, you need to be aware of the possible problems in purchasing a Shih Tzu from a breeder.
1. You might get tricked into purchasing a pup from a dubious breeding line, and probably an unhealthy pup at that. Because they are driven by profit, some breeders that are pare of puppy mills, defy the usual Kennel-approved breeding guide and breed runt to run to come up with designer dogs smaller than the already small Shih Tzu, and these puppies are often unhealthy. You might be shown very cute puppies by breeders claiming extensive background in taking care of and breeding this breed – but don’t be taken in by the salestalk, and also, most dogs are cute when they’re young, and you can’t detect signs of unhealthiness if you’re not a veteran at taking care of this breed. So that you’d get a list of breeders that are most likely legitimate, you want to start by using the referral services or list of recommended breeders on reputable sites – if a breeder is member of a breeding club, you can check his background and talk to people who can vouch for him.
2. When you do find good breeders offering healthy and standard-bred Shih Tzu dogs, you need to be ready to pay the price. As you may already know, this particular toy dog breed does not come cheap, so if you’re really decided on spending for it, that’s well and good. This love for this breed is one reason there are a lot of puppy mills waiting to con pet owners of their good money. After some hunting around for vouched-for breeders, you need to be prepared to part with a sum of money to get the Shih Tzu you love. If you intend to join dog shows, finding a breeder is crucial, as you want your dog to meet conformation standards.
3. Pet owners new to this small dog breed may have difficulty raising one pup, and a tougher time raising several at the same time. You must be financially prepared to shoulder the expenses this breed can dent in your finances. There are medical expenses to worry about – from check ups to scheduled inoculations. You will need to train the pup to pee and poop where and when expected, by setting up a schedule. This includes right after the pup wakes up from a nap, and after every meal.
Think this over seriously, whether you are prepared to bring home and take care of several Shih Tzu puppies; keep in mind that there are some advantages to adopting instead of buying, and of choosing an adult dog to puppies. You’re in luck with adult dogs, as they are often already potty-trained; so no more mess to clean up all the time at home, no more potty accidents. When you adopt from a shelter, you provide a good home for an orphaned dog and allow the shelter to take in other abandoned dogs.
