Shih Tzus are not recommended for homes with children under the age of 5 because the Shih Tzu puppy strongly resembles a stuffed toy and is treated as such by some young children.  Shih Tzus are "high-maintenance" dogs that must be brushed and combed daily (please use spray-on conditioner or de-tangling formula) and/or taken to a groomer once a month, as their beautiful, silky coat tangles and mats easily.  If you cannot afford the maintenance, you might consider another breed of dog.

All puppies must visit your veterinarian within 48 hours (business days) in order to activate your one year congenital defect guarantee.  If your veterinarian detects any life-threatening congenital problem, please send me his written findings and I will be happy to replace your puppy with another puppy of equal value and sex.  I reserve the right to get a second opinion from another veterinarian.  If your puppy receives a good check-up, I do not need to see the vet's papers.

Do NOT buy a puppy younger than eight weeks old.  I have heard very sad stories of puppies dying of hypoglycemia because they were too young to leave their mothers!  I would also caution against buying a puppy who weighs less than 2 lbs.  Please see letter at the end of this page from one of my readers.  Also, do not put your puppy on the ground where other animals have been until he/she has had ALL three sets of shots.  Otherwise you risk your puppy catching Parvo or some other contagious disease.  It takes all three sets of shots for your puppy to be immune to disease.

The most important rule is to always have food and water available to your puppy at all times AND to be sure you actually see them eating OR hand feed them every 3-4 hours from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed until they weigh 2 to 2 ½ pounds.  A high quality food is a MUST, as well as keeping a tube of Nutra-Stat or Nutra-Cal, canned goat milk and Pedialyte on hand at all times.  You might want to offer them “treat” food in the morning and at bedtime, such as meat baby food (any variety but turkey - turkey contains tryptophan  which is dangerous for small dogs), and 4% milk-fat cottage cheese, with a teaspoon white sugar sprinkled on top of all items (do not stir different foods up).  If you do this every day until they reach 2 to 2 ½ pounds, you will not have to give Nutra-Stat or Nutra-Cal.   Luckily most healthy breed-standard Shih Tzu puppies weigh at least two pounds when they come to you (please see my section on "Imperials").  Do not buy from flea markets, side of the highway dog mills, etc. questionable dog breeders.  Comtesse has small puppies and I will not let a puppy go to its forever home until it weighs at least 2 lbs. which will probably be more than 8 weeks old for her litters.

Shih Tzus must replenish their energy more frequently than larger puppies.  Hypoglycemia (sometimes called sugar shock, low blood sugar, sugar down) is a condition where the blood sugar level drops to an extremely low level, usually due to lack of food, or by using up all stored energy without it being replenished (such as playing/running for extended periods of time, shivering out of nervousness or being chilled and stress).  Without eating to replenish their energy Shih Tzus can end up with Hypoglycemia.  Shih Tzus are prone to this because they have such tiny digestive systems and can only store a little bit of food (energy) in their bodies at one time. Creamy peanut butter on the roof of their mouths a few times daily, works wonders!

It is always easier to PREVENT hypoglycemia than treat it.  Make sure your Shih Tzu is eating every 3-4 hours, even if you have to hand feed him/her. Just having food available is not always good enough.  Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat (a low volume paste vitamin/mineral supplement for show, working, or dogs under stress) is highly recommended to feed 1-3 pea size amounts 3-5 times a day, especially first thing in the morning and last thing before bedtime,  If your Shih Tzu is handled a lot by other people or has a rousing/energetic time of play, then give some Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat in the middle of playtime or at the end of playtime before he lays down to take a nap.  When your ShihTzu reaches 2 to 2½ pounds he will not need Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat supplements and should be able to go 3-5 hours without eating if not having a super active day.  It is a good idea to have a tube of Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat with you when you are traveling with your Shih Tzu for the day as it is easy to feed.  Monitor gum color and body temperature.  Shih Tzus under 2 pounds cannot properly maintain the correct temperature and frequently get chilled, especially if they haven't had enough to eat.  Feel the ears.  If the ears are warm they are alright, but if the ears are cold the puppy is cold.  If you are not sure put your finger in the Shih Tzu's mouth.   It should be very warm, almost hot.  If it isn't, warm the pup with a towel or blanket out of the clothes dryer and watch for Hypoglycemia signs.

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia:

Your puppy may exhibit one or more of these signs.  The gums of a normal puppy will be bright reddish/pink just like human gums.  Gums that are pale in places or light pink mean the blood sugar levels are dropping.  If the gums are white your pup needs quick attention to avoid a hypoglycemic coma.  If they are white I recommend light Karo syrup on the tongue (1tsp) every 10 minutes until the gums return to normal and your pup is acting normal.  If they are pale pink or pale in spots, Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat (5-6 pea sized amounts) work to restore blood sugar levels quickly, or 5 to 8 drops of honey on the pups tongue will bring them around in about 10 minutes.  Other signs are vomiting on an empty stomach (clear liquid or bile) or salvia (foamy at the mouth), acting listless and tired, sometimes walking with an unsteady walk as if drunk, shakiness, falling over, and in extreme cases even laying on their sides and being totally unresponsive.  If your Shih Tzu has not eaten in awhile, give him/her Nutra-Cal or Nutra-Stat, creamy peanut butter, light Karo syrup, sugar-water or honey immediately.  If you do not see improvement and your Shih Tzu is not more alert in 10 minutes repeat and give more sugar of some form.  Then if you see no signs of improvement or responsiveness and your Shih Tzu appears comatose RUSH to the NEAREST veterinarian office for glucose by injection or I.V. to save its life.  When your pup perks up and feels a little better give him/her a protein based meal such as meat baby food (except no turkey) so the Shih Tzu's blood sugar will level out.

Bathing/Grooming

Never let your puppy get cold.  After bathing, be sure to dry her thoroughly and use a hair dryer on low until she is completely dry.  A heating pad set on low with a towel on top is a MUST for your new puppy.  Use your finger tips to pull hair from the ear canals and use ear drops in the ear canal after each bath.  You can buy these special ear drops from the pet store or your veterinarian.  Shih Tzus are especially prone to yeast infections in their ears.  Gently comb the hair above the nose between their eyes into a top knot on top of their head held with a coated small rubber band (found in most drug stores in the hair section) and put eye drops in their eyes if the eye appears red or irritated.  These drops can also be found in pet stores or from your vet.  The rest of the hair on their faces can be combed down into the classic Shih Tzu mustaches.  Comb or brush your puppy daily to keep the beautiful coat from tangling or matting.  Always spray on a conditioner or de-tangling formula (found in pet stores or baby section in grocery stores/pharmacies) before you brush or comb the coat.  Brushing or combing a dry coat will damage the coat.  When they are older than six months, you can take them to the groomer for a hot weather puppy cut if you wish, but leave the hair between their eyes long so you can pull it up into a top knot to keep it out of their eyes.  Never trim the hair around their eyes short because it will stick into their eyes and cause eye irritations/infections.  Leave the hair around their eyes long to pull up into a top-knot and down into the Shih Tzu mustache.

Never, never leave a dog in a car alone.  If you crate your puppy in a wire crate, take her collar off while she is in the crate as it might get caught in the grate.  Shih Tzus tend to get overly-heated/dehydrated in hot weather due to their thick double coats, so do not leave them outside in the summer without permanent shade and lots and lots of cool, fresh water.

Warning....if you breed your female puppy, keep other females away from their puppies.  Unfortunately, female dogs are very jealous and will kill puppies in other litters!  This is very heart-breaking and I don't want this to happen to you.

It is normal for your puppy to be a little nervous the first few days and may have diarrhea.  If it lasts more than two days use Endosorb and contact your veterinarian.  If your puppy won’t eat for the first day or two, try our feeding routine above.  If she weighs less than 2 1/2 lbs. you may have to force-feed her meat baby food (except no turkey - tryptophan is dangerous for small puppies), mixed with a teaspoon of regular white sugar.  Put mixture in a 35cc catheter syringe and squirt small amounts into the far back corner of the puppy’s mouth, 3 to 4 times a day or more if the puppy is throwing up or has diarrhea.  Afterwards, place the puppy on its heating pad and make sure fresh water is available at all times.  Never restrict food or water for your puppy and make sure she has enough sleep and rest time every day.  When you graduate your puppy to puppy food, use only the best brands that are high in meat content (avoid turkey) and rice, but avoid corn or soy products. Since every breeder uses a different brand, I don't recommend any one brand.  Check with your veterinarian if you have questions.  Personally, I use Nutro Ultra Puppy food, dry and/or soaked with canned goat milk.  Plain yogurt helps aid in digestion.  Don't change puppy foods and avoid people table scraps.  The salt/sodium/preservatives are very bad for your puppy.

Going crazy with all the Shih Tzu scratching and itching, just can't figure it out, nothing has changed with bathing products, but all of a sudden your Shih Tzu puppy is in sheer misery with intense itching and scratching. You try some new shampoo, powder, etc. but nothing seems to relieve the itch.  Well, rest easy, it is not the end of the world. Your Shih Tzu puppy has probably picked up a mite from the grass outside. In late summer and fall, grass and other vegetation can become infested with tiny mites, that can attach to dogs, cats and other animals, including humans. They cause intense itching, and usually cannot be seen on the animal. They are also called "walking mites" "walking dandruff" as well as the clinical name of Cheyletiella mite. If the infestation on your Shih Tzu dog becomes heavy, it will appear as dandruff. Skin can become irritated, and lesions can appear from the intense scratching and chewing.  Now is the time to seek help from your veterinarian, mites will not disappear, they are a parasite and live and reproduce on our Shih Tzu pets as well as cats and other small animals.  Shih Tzus can easily get mites in their ears that appear as small patches of black tar.  If your puppy is shaking her head, take her to the vet to be treated for ear mites....they won't go away on their own!

It is strongly suggested that you be extremely careful when treating small or young Shih Tzus, as they can be very sensitive to treatments, and can have allergic reaction to some products.   Always consult your veterinarian when in doubt.

Follow the above directions and you and your Shih Tzu will have a long and happy life together.