List of Things Needed For Grooming

Totally Shih Tzu posted a new article about the things needed in grooming a shih tzu. This article can help you identify the things you need when grooming your shih tzu. The list may not be complete but it can somehow give you an idea on the basic things that your shih tzu needs. You might want to save up for these things as they are necessary in keeping your shih tzu clean. Pictures were also provided for your reference. To know more about it, click here

We Have a New Look

I am proud to announce that Totally Shih Tzu blog has a new look. It's more attractive and more organized. Although I am not the actual author of the said theme, I made some revisions to it. I added some things like Gallery to make it more attractive to the readers. I hope you liked my new theme. You can check it out at Totally Shih Tzu .

Finding a Responsible Shih Tzu Breeder

Let's face the fact that dog breeding is becoming a business for some. They breed their Shih Tzu on every heat cycle. And after selling the Shih Tzu puppies, you will never hear anything from them again unless you show an intention of buying another puppy from them again. So how are you going to choose from these breeders? How will you know if the breeder you are choosing is the right one? A new article has been posted in Totally Shih Tzu to help you have a little knowledge in picking the right breeder for your first Shih Tzu. To read more about the article, CLICK HERE.

Looking for a Shih Tzu Puppy?

I have written a new article entitled "Looking for a Shih Tzu Puppy?" If you want to see the article, please click HERE.

This article can be helpful to those people who want to own a Shih Tzu puppy but doesn't know where to look for one. It can help you minimize the possibility of being scammed by bad sellers.

More articles to come... Enjoy reading!

I Need Support... Please Vote for my Dogs...

Hi guys,

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I will not receive any prizes since I am not a legal resident of US but I just want to join this contest.
I am asking a favor if you can all please vote for my entries.
Here are my entries for the contests:

Category: Purse Dog





Category: Best friends





Category: Sleeper





Category: Smiles and Grins





Category: Tongue/Slobber





Just click on the vote for me icon below the picture and you will be directed to the voting link.
All of these are my entries. You can vote one entry per category so you can vote on all of my entries. ;D
I am hoping for a full support.

Check Out My New Site

I am inviting everyone to visit my new blog. I created a new one using my own domain name. It is still called Totally Shih Tzu and it will be my official blog site. But don't get sad fellow readers, I am still going to update this blog from time to time.

To visit my new blog, CLICK HERE

Want to Breed Your Shih Tzu? Think About It First...

It was one of my busy days when someone called me early in the morning. They were asking for my help regarding their Shih Tzu that was about to give birth. The Shih Tzu was only on her 53rd day which means that it was too early for her to whelp. I instructed them to seek the help of the veterinarian because, according to them, there was already a greenish discharge coming out from their Shih Tzu. However, they still refused to bring their Shih Tzu to a veterinarian. Two puppies already came out without someone assisting their Shih Tzu. As expected, both puppies died. After attending to my own business, I immediately went to their place to check on their Shih Tzu. After long hours of waiting, the third puppy came out alive. Said puppy lasted only for 10 minutes. I was so disappointed seeing their Shih Tzu in that situation. They really don’t know anything about breeding and yet they still had their Shih Tzu mated.

Most responsible breeders spend time studying the Shih Tzu breed--standard, conformation, health issues etc. even before planning their breeding. Planned breeding usually takes months. You have to ensure that your bitch is in pristine health condition. Moreover, you must have enough funds available to cover vet check ups and other health emergencies that might happen during the breeding process. Much, much, more will be required of you once you have initiated the breeding process. It's really great if everyone does planned breeding. Unfortunately, not all are very informed about it and just allow their Shih Tzu to get pregnant without any knowledge about breeding.

Breeding does happen naturally. True. However, letting nature simply decide whatever happens to an adult male with an adult female Shih Tzu might just lead to heartbreaks. I don't encourage irresponsible breeding, yet, for the purpose of educating the clueless Shih Tzu owner who already has a pregnant bitch to finally do the right thing in assisting his or her Shih Tzu, that I am writing this article.

So how will you prepare for the upcoming litter? What do you need to do for your future puppies?

First thing to do is to determine the expected whelping date of your Shih Tzu. Average whelping date for a Shih Tzu is between 59 to 65 days from the date of last stud. Count 59 to 65 days from last stud and that will be your expected whelping date. With this, you can now determine when to file your leave in the office :)

You don’t need to give large amount of food to your Shih Tzu during her first four weeks of pregnancy. The rapid growth of the puppies starts from the fourth to fifth week of pregnancy. During this time, your Shih Tzu needs to be shifted from adult food to puppy food. Do the shifting gradually. You can use premium puppy foods like Orijen or Go Natural (both are grain free), Solid Gold or Eagle Pack.

Next thing to prepare is a whelping box. There are ready made cages that can be used as a whelping box. Just make sure the railings are small to avoid the puppy from slipping in between railings. You can also have your whelping box customized. You can use a carton box, a wood box, or anything that is shaped like a box. Just make sure that your Shih Tzu can still stretch and still there’s a space for the puppies. The sides of your customized box must be low enough to enable the mother to come in and out but high enough so the puppies can’t. Make your Shih Tzu comfortable in her whelping box by filling it with towels. Place the box in a quite place, away from other pets and people.

Other things needed are: betadine, alcohol, hemostat, dental floss or thread, weighing scale, cotton, towels, and a light bulb.

It is also advisable to have your Shih Tzu checked up by a vet two to three weeks prior to her whelping date. You can ask your vet to perform an ultrasound to confirm if your Shih Tzu is pregnant. This can also tell you if the puppies inside are still alive. Another option is to do an x-ray so you can see the number of puppies and also their position. In this way, you can determine how many puppies to expect and if there’s a need for you to prepare for a caesarian operation. Average cost for an ultrasound is around Php 650.00 plus doctor’s fee of Php 250.00. Same goes with x-ray.

One week before your Shih Tzu gives birth, start giving her calcium supplement. You may also trim the hair in the tummy area to make breastfeeding easier. Check the milk in every nipple by pressing it one by one. This is to check if your Shih Tzu has what you call “sour milk”. If you see greenish or yellowish pus coming out from her nipples, inform your veterinarian immediately.

Still doesn’t know if she’s in labor? Two days before the expected whelping date, take your Shih Tzu’s temperature in the morning and in the evening. Normal temperature for Shih Tzu is 38.5 Celsius to 39.5 Celsius. A sudden drop in your Shih Tzu’s temperature means that she will give birth within 24 hours. If, within 24 hours after the sudden drop in her temperature, she still hasn’t come to labor, call your veterinarian. Other signs that your Shih Tzu is in labor are: shivering, panting, and pacing. She will be very unusual of herself, will refuse to eat (in this case, just make sure she always has fresh water to drink), and will nest.

If your Shih Tzu is mature enough, she can deliver the puppies on her own. But be sure to be at her side to assist her in case of emergencies. Usually, when a puppy is born, the mother will automatically clean the puppy and cut the cord. But if she has a large litter, she may become tired. If the mother is too tired to attend to the puppy delivered, you must be the one to remove the amniotic sac by peeling it from the puppy’s mouth towards the tail. Remove the mucus from the puppy’s mouth using your fingers. Rub the puppy vigorously with a clean towel to keep the puppy’s heart beating. Before cutting the umbilical cord, tie it using a dental floss approximately one inch from the puppy’s abdomen. You can use a sterile scissor in cutting the cord but I prefer cutting it with my nails as to mimic the cutting of the mother using her teeth. Don’t forget to put betadine in the cord after cutting.

Let the puppy breastfeed from the mother. This will stimulate the mother to deliver the next puppy. When you see that the next puppy is about to come out, you should place the first puppy in a separate box. The box should be close enough from the mother and that she can still see her puppy. Make sure the box has a light bulb that can produce enough heat for the puppy as puppies cannot regulate heat by themselves during their first few hours.

Always count the placenta that comes out in your Shih Tzu. The number of placentas should be equal to the number of puppies delivered. Don’t let your Shih Tzu eat all the placentas as this might cause her diarrhea.

Remember to weigh the puppies. You will need to record the weight of each puppy everyday for two weeks. This will help you determine if there’s something wrong with her puppies. The puppies should be able to gain weight everyday. Be alarmed if they haven’t gained any weight in a day. So go get a paper and monitor their weight.

Sometimes, your Shih Tzu might want to go out after she gives birth. Let her do so. Give her time, she might want to poo or pee. Make sure she has an adequate supply of puppy food and fresh water. And don’t forget to give her calcium supplement once a day. She needs it especially if she has a large litter.

You thought you accomplished something already by helping your Shih Tzu deliver all her puppies. Well, it doesn’t end here. Now that your Shih Tzu has finished giving birth, this means you have larger responsibility. You are responsible to assist your Shih Tzu in taking care of her litter. You must bottle feed the puppies every one to two hours if your Shih Tzu has a large litter. You need to check on the puppies most of the time especially if you hear them crying. This means waking up almost every hour even if it’s in the middle of the night.

So think twice before you breed your Shih Tzu. Breeding is not that easy. If you are not responsible enough to care for your Shih Tzu and her litter, then don’t breed. Always remember that breeding your Shih Tzu entails a huge responsibility. It requires extra time, effort, money, knowledge and care from you. Should you feel incompetent providing what your Shih Tzu requires, just try to keep out and make the best option to have your pet spayed/neutered.

Breeding Shih Tzu is never a good business for it is not a business at all. Only breed for improvement and be responsible and accountable for the life of your Shih Tzu and its future puppies.

This article was written for Totally Shih Tzu. If you have some questions, feel free to email me at supernesskennel@yahoo.com

The Truth About Show Quality and Pet Quality Shih Tzu... REVEALED (From a Breeder's Point of View)

I often hear these questions from my buyers: "Is this Shih Tzu puppy a show-quality or a pet-quality?" or "How many red marks does the puppy have?". I also keep on seeing ads that say "Show-quality Shih Tzu for sale". Moreover, most buyers prefer pet-quality shih tzu because they are cheaper than the show-quality ones.

So, what really differentiates a pet-quality shih tzu puppy from a show-quality shih-tzu puppy?

Honestly, it is hard to tell right away that a puppy is a show-quality since there are plenty of changes that happen during their growth period. However, experienced breeders have already developed an eye for "show-potential" puppies. Show-potentials puppies are the ones that possess desirable traits while young. Some show-potential puppies grow into show-quality adults, but some also ends up as pet-quality. It all depends how the puppy will turn out to be as an adult. A show quality dog is composed of conformation, attitude and proper care. Show-quality dogs have many red-marks, but not all Shih Tzu with many red marks are show-quality.

CONFORMATION

The Shih Tzu breed standard serves as a guide on what a Shih Tzu should be like--it is the perfect Shih Tzu dog in words. It describes the structure, the proportion, the movement and the over-all look of the Shih Tzu. A deviation from the breed standard is considered a fault, which can either be a minor fault or a major fault depending on the degree. A minor fault can be acceptable, while a major fault can disqualify a dog inside the ring. There is no perfect Shih Tzu dog in the history of the breed, yet it is the goal of a show breeder to strive to produce a close-to-perfect Shih Tzu, that is why a show-quality Shih Tzu may or can have a very few minor faults (acceptable faults).

Each breeder has his or her version of the perfect Shih Tzu picture in mind and their personal preferences also affect their judgment and evaluation of the dog. What is a show-quality to one may not be a show-quality to another--it depends on what a breeder value in a dog. Some breeders prefer the Shih Tzu with large head and will place those with smaller heads as pets. Other breeders give importance to the body structure while others favor shih tzu with warm facial expression. It really is, "the perfect Shih Tzu" in the eye of the breeder... :)

ATTITUDE

Aside from the conformation, attitude plays a vital role in evaluation. The attitude is composed of temperament, confidence and the ability to be trained. Dogs are like people, they have varied and unique personalities. The show-quality shih tzu has a good temperament, does not bite or is not aggressive towards humans and other dogs, full of confidence and eager to learn, and not hard to train. If a conforming show-potential Shih Tzu manifests a negative attitude then they become pet-quality dogs. You don't want to show a Shih Tzu that does not perform well inside the ring.

CARE

Show-quality Shih Tzu are given extra care and require more grooming rituals. A show-potential puppy whose baby teeth have been overlooked and failed to fall off might affect the outgrowth of its new and permanent set of teeth, which might also affect the bite. Incorrect bite or poor dental health are faults that might affect the quality of the Shih Tzu. Accidents or illnesses may happen which may require the dog to be cut-down or shaved, break a bone, etc. which may prevent a show-quality Shih Tzu to be campaigned. The coat obviously will grow in time; however, broken bones might affect the performance of the dog in the ring.

THE PET-QUALITY:

Pet-quality Shih Tzu are usually those that have major faults or attitude issues which prevent them from being shown. They should never be bred as they might pass those undesirable traits to the future puppies. If a Shih Tzu puppy or a dog has more bad qualities than good qualities (again, depending on the breeder's evaluation) then it will be considered as pet-quality.

WHICH IS BETTER THEN?

It depends on your intention or plans for your Shih Tzu or your future Shih Tzu, are you showing or breeding or just spoil like a baby? Whether for show or not, the important thing is to love your dog. They all deserved to be treated equally and loved the same. So don't be disappointed if you have a pet-quality Shih Tzu as it doesn't mean that your dog is ugly and must be loved less. They just can't be shown and bred.

Labeling the shih tzu puppy as show-quality should not be based on the number of red marks the puppy has. Having a high number of red marks does not mean that it is already show-quality. Show dogs also produce puppies that are of pet-quality. So do not focus too much on the number of red marks the next time you are going to buy a shih tzu puppy. Red marks do not guarantee that your dog will be of show-quality.

Keep in mind, "A show dog can be a great pet dog, but a pet dog will never be a show dog." So buyers beware!

If you want me to discuss something that is not yet available in Totally Shih Tzu, just send me an email at supernesskennel@yahoo.com.

AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard

Are you planning to buy a Shih Tzu puppy but don't know what to look for in a Shih Tzu? This article is all about the breed standard for a Shih Tzu. So if you don’t have any idea on what a Shih Tzu should look like, this might help you.

The AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard was approved on May 9, 1989 and took effect on June 29, 1989. The following breed standard can be found at this link: http://www.shihtzu.org/Info/standard.asp?menu=Info but I will post it here for easy viewing:

AKC Shih Tzu Breed Standard

General Appearance: The Shih Tzu is a sturdy, lively, alert toy dog with long flowing double coat. Befitting his noble Chinese ancestry as a highly valued, prized companion and palace pet, the Shih Tzu is proud of bearing, has a distinctively arrogant carriage with head well up and tail curved over the back. Although there has always been considerable size variation, the Shih Tzu must be compact, solid, carrying good weight and substance.

Even though a toy dog, the Shih Tzu must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation. Structural faults common to all breeds are as undesirable in the Shih Tzu as in any other breed, regardless of whether or not such faults are specifically mentioned in the standard.

Size: Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10½ inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dogs is 9 to 16 pounds.

Proportion: Length between withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy nor so low stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty.

Substance: Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good weight and substance.

Head: Round, broad, wide between eyes, its size in balance with the overall size of dog being neither too large nor too small.

Fault: Narrow head, close-set eyes.

Expression: Warm, sweet, wide-eyed, friendly and trusting. An overall well-balanced and pleasant expression supersedes the importance of individual parts. Care should be taken to look and examine well beyond the hair to determine if what is seen is the actual head and expression rather than an image created by grooming technique.

Eyes: Large, round, not prominent,placed well apart, looking straight ahead. Very dark. Lighter on liver pigmented dogs and blue pigmented dogs.

Fault: Small, close-set or light eyes; excessive eye white.

Ears: Large, set slightly below crown of skull; heavily coated.

Skull: Domed.

Stop: There is a definite stop.

Muzzle: Square, short, unwrinkled, with good cushioning, set no lower than bottom eye rim; never downturned. Ideally, no longer than 1 inch from tip of nose to stop, although length may vary slightly in relation to overall size of dog. Front of muzzle should be flat; lower lip and chin not protruding and definitely never receding.

Fault: Snipiness, lack of definite stop.

Nose: Nostrils are broad, wide, and open.

Pigmentation: Nose, lips, eye rims are black on all colors, except liver on liver pigmented dogs and blue on blue pigmented dogs.

Fault: Pink on nose, lips, or eye rims.

Bite: Undershot. Jaw is broad and wide. A missing tooth or slightly misaligned teeth should not be too severely penalized. Teeth and tongue should not show when mouth is closed.

Fault: Overshot bite.

Neck, Topline, Body: Of utmost importance is an overall well-balanced dog with no exaggerated features.

Neck: Well set-on flowing smoothly into shoulders; of sufficient length to permit natural high head carriage and in balance with height and length of dog.

Topline: Level.

Body: Short-coupled and sturdy with no waist or tuck-up. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall.

Fault: Legginess.

Chest: Broad and deep with good spring-of-rib, however, not barrel-chested. Depth of ribcage should extend to just below elbow. Distance from elbow to withers is a little greater than from elbow to ground.

Croup: Flat.

Tail: Set on high, heavily plumed, carried in curve well over back. Too loose, too tight, too flat, or too low set a tail is undesirable and should be penalized to extent of deviation.

Forequarters

Shoulders: Well-angulated, well laid-back, well laid-in, fitting smoothly into body.

Legs: Straight, well-boned, muscular, set well-apart and under chest, with elbows set close to body.

Pasterns: Strong, perpendicular.

Dewclaws: May be removed.

Feet: Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.

Hindquarters

Angulation of hindquarters should be in balance with forequarters.

Legs: Well-boned, muscular, and straight when viewed from rear with well-bent stifles, not close set but in line with forequarters.

Hocks: Well let down, perpendicular.

Fault: Hyperextension of hocks.

Dewclaws: May be removed.

Feet: Firm, well-padded, point straight ahead.

Coat: Luxurious, double-coated, dense, long, and flowing. Slight wave permissible. Hair on top of head is tied up.

Fault: Sparse coat, single coat, curly coat.

Trimming: Feet, bottom of coat, and anus may be done for neatness and to facilitate movement.

Fault: Excessive trimming.

Color and Markings: All are permissible and to be considered equally.

Gait: The Shih Tzu moves straight and must be shown at its own natural speed, neither raced nor strung-up, to evaluate its smooth, flowing, effortless movement with good front reach and equally strong rear drive, level topline, naturally high head carriage, and tail carried in gentle curve over back.

Temperament: As the sole purpose of the Shih Tzu is that of a companion and house pet, it is essential that its temperament be outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting towards all.

This guidelines is basically for show people. But if you are thinking for a pet then any Shih Tzu will do good. Just buy from a reputable Shih Tzu breeder. Pets from reputable breeders are those that come from a Shih Tzu that conforms to the breed standard. It just so happened that the Shih Tzu has a disqualifying fault that prevents the breeder from showing the dog. Unlike those from backyard breeders that breed a pet quality to another pet quality Shih Tzu which I will discuss in my next article.

I hope you enjoy reading this article. Thank you for visiting Totally Shih Tzu.

History and Foundations of Shih Tzu

Since this is my first official post here in Totally Shih Tzu, let’s start my blog about the early development of Shih Tzu. Oh, before anything else, I would like you to know that the plural term for Shih Tzu is still Shih Tzu – not Shih Tzus.

“Lion dog” is the Chinese translation for Shih Tzu. It is also tagged as “chrysanthemum-faced dog” because of its chrysanthemum-like face. Many believed that Shih Tzu originated from Tibet. These dogs were exported as gifts to Chinese emperors. They were given by Grand Lamas as tributes to the Chinese Imperial Court. It was the eunuchs of the Dowager Empress Cixi who started selling some of the palace’s dog to wealthy Chinese and people from other countries. It was believed that these dogs were fed with broken glass to prevent the dogs from going out of the Imperial Palace. Due to the broken glass, these dogs died before reaching their destinations. Cixi’s death in 1908 ended an era for the Shih Tzu. But some private individuals were still breeding the said dog.

As of today, the origin of Shih Tzu can only be traced to seven dogs and seven bitches in which a Pekingese dog, Philadelphus Suti-T’su, was included. Philahelphus Suti-T’su was a black and white purebred Pekingese dog brought into England by Miss Elfreda Evans of Elfann Kennel in 1952. She mated the dog with a Shih Tzu bitch. During that time, only the fourth generation from this outcross can be registered as purebred.

Other foundation dogs consist of three Shih Tzu that were imported from China to England, six imported to Great Britain and three into Norway. Gen. Sir Douglas and Lady Brownrigg brought to England a black and white bitch (Shu-ssa) and dog (Hibou) in 1930. It was also during that same year when Ms. E.M. Hutchins imported a black and white dog (Lung-fu-ssu) to Ireland. While Mrs. Henrik Kauffman imported Aidzo, a black and white dog, into Norway in 1932. She also imported Leidza, a solid gold bitch, which was the only Shih Tzu from the Imperial Palace known to have contributed to today’s Shih Tzu. Another black and white bitch that was imported by Mrs. Kaufmann was Schauder. Walter Ekman, known as the first breeder of Shih Tzu in Sweden, imported a Shih Tzu (name unknown) in 1934. A liver bitch (Tashi of Chouette) was imported in 1938 from Canada into England by Rt. Hon. The Earl of Essex. Lt. Gen. Telfer-Smollett, Lord of Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire, imported Ming, a black and white bitch, from China into England. He also imported Ishuh Tzu, a gray brindle and white bitch, in 1948. A solid gold or fawn dog named Wuffles was brought into England in 1948 by Mr. and Mrs. Fraser Buchanan. Mai-ting, a black and white bitch, was brought into England in 1949 by Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Morris. In 1952, Mr. R.P. Dobson brought His-li-ya, a yellow and white bitch, from Hongkong into England.

Thank you so much to the fourteen foundations of Shih Tzu that are said to have contributed to the early development of Shih Tzu. Without them, we will never have this lovable breed which brings joy to our lives.

I hope you liked my first post about Shih Tzu. Do visit Totally Shih Tzu again.

Blogs All About Shih Tzu

Welcome to Totally Shih Tzu.

This site is dedicated to all shih tzu lovers. All articles will be totally about shih tzu. Here you will learn the basics in owning a shih tzu. Tips and advices will be provided for new shih tzu owners.

If you have questions not covered in Totally Shih Tzu, please feel free to email your questions to supernesskennel@yahoo.com