Mi Joi - A Puppy Comes Home

This is quite a bit a tribute site to the dogs that went before but the story isn't over.  Introducing Mi Joi:

She's at most ten or eleven weeks old in this picture but she's getting a whole lot of love and she's even paper-trained already.  You can't cut their hair at that age and it's cute how it grows until it seems the dog is just a nose surrounded by whiskers!

Maggie in the Summer Time

Here's Maggie in the start of a collection of candid shots.  You can see more formal shots of each of the dogs in the tabs at the top of the blog or just scroll on down to see them.  But first some candid stuff and hopefully more if I can turn up any more pics of them.

Maggie at Christmas

It's one thing to put a few bows in your lion dog's hair.  It's quite another to get dressed up for Christmas.

The picture on the wall might seem a bit out of place but there's a long story behind that.  It has nothing to do with Shih Tzu so that story will keep for another time.

So how do you get any cuter than this, huh!

Maggie Hanging Out

When the other dogs are bigger, if you're going to take it easy then hanging out under a chair works well.

Maggie and Molly Looking for Treats

Maggie (left) is smaller than Molly (right) and Maxwell but she has a charming spirit.  Here she's looking quite determined and Molly is looking goofy which is about right.  She's little but don't push her around!

There are no pictures of it but Maggie got it in her head that bouncing on her rear legs if she heard the lid of jar of peanut butter was quite a good way to earn a treat.

(Ed:  it worked?)

Of course it worked!  You've never seen anything so cute!

Max and Molly have never figured that one out but Maggie knows lots of things she only tells the Mystery Lady.

Molly Dreaming About Tomatoes

Well sure I need a haircut but what I'm wanting is some tomatoes!

Molly and Maxwell - Inseparable

They came from the same litter so they're never far apart.  Molly is on the left with Maxwell on the right.  Both of them are in need of a haircut but who has the big bucks to take the dogs off to the beauty parlor once a month!

This is a shot of the Beauty and the Rascal and it looks very much like the Rascal is onto something and the Beauty wants to know what he's found.

It cracks me up that they love tomatoes so much.  Maybe that's what he's got spotted.

Why Are These Dogs Backwards to the Camera?

You might wonder why you're seeing the wrong end of these dogs and that would be quite understandable.  What you don't know, however, is what's on the other side of the fence and that would be the Mystery Lady's tomato plants.

(Ed:  Dogs eat tomatoes?)

You bet they do!

Now they know they can't go over the fence but if they can figure some way through it then those tomatoes will be gone just as fast as they can eat 'em up!

Maggie the Cutie

Maggie's Eyes Seem Sad but She is Just Tired of this Photography!

She has no use for photography and never had any need to have a camera on her.  The only sadness in this picture is in waiting for the posing to finish!

Maggie Getting Just about Old Enough for her First Haircut

Maggie Can See Far Beyond her Backyard

Maggie is a dog with more love in her heart than many people will ever know.  She really didn't much like this photography business but she was so biddable and loving that she let it take place.

Molly the Beauty

Molly, the Beauty

Molly at about Eight Weeks

Molly has always been the prettiest of the three and she is almost as much of a rascal as Maxwell but she gets by with it much easier!

Molly gets All Dressed-up

Today Molly is full-grown and before she has a haircut, if she is lying on the floor you can't tell the front of her from the back of her!

She now has all the time she needs to chase butterflies and she will be loved forever.

Maxwell the Rascal

Maxwell, the Rascal

Very young Maxwell with Molly

These two came from the same litter and one is never far from the other.

Maxwell was a rascal from the day he was born but he is the most adorable rascal you would ever hope to meet.

Never Buy a Dog from Petland Pet Shop

Mystery Lady's Story (see the next story for Shari's contribution)

It was apparent fairly early that Maggie was sick. She had a kennel cough that required antibiotics to stop. (Kennel cough is highly infectious and is quite common in puppy mills.) She had some rectal bleeding but this turned-out to be due to some ham-handed care from the veterinarian who saw her.  She has some extra teeth that will require surgery to remove.  (You may wonder why the Mystery Lady bought her and the answer is that she wasn't coughing at the time and we didn't have enough experience at the time to check her teeth, etc.)

She never received the papers that were promised and she discovered the price charged was almost twice as much as is typically charged by professional Shih Tzu breeders. We needed to research the purchase better but never dreamed we could be making such a mistake in dealing with an apparently harmless pet store.

There is hardly a word that was told to her by the people in Petland that was true.

If you are not familiar with the criteria important in evaluating the dog, take it to a vet. You wouldn't buy a car simply because you liked the color, so don't buy a puppy just because you like its coat. And don't be so sure that the puppy's coat color will remain true! Check the look of both parents because that's the only way you're going to be sure you'll like the appearance of the puppy when s/he is an adult.

While they shed very little, their hair does grow very quickly and the cute puppy color may change completely by the time s/he becomes an adult.  If the parents have unruly hair, you can expect a great deal more maintenance. Their hair mats very easily and all the more if the hair is programmed by genetics for unruliness.

The following information regarding the Shih Tzu's overbite / underbite was contributed by Charlee B from the Puget Sound Shih Tzu Fanciers:

It is not terribly uncommon for Shih Tzu to need to have baby teeth pulled. When you buy them, you will have no way of knowing if this will be an issue, as it is not until their adult teeth come in that you see baby teeth not coming out as they should. They should be removed at 6-7 months if they do not come out on their own. If you are neutering the puppy, it is good to combine procedures at this time.

Also, Shih Tzu are actually SUPPOSED to have an underbite- though it is better if it is slight. It is even called for in the breed standard, and what would be considered a good bite in another breed is a fault in Shih Tzu!

Check the dog for an inguinal hernia. While this is fairly common in the breed, you should be aware of the potential before you buy the dog. You will risk subjecting your dog to surgery to cure the problem otherwise.

It's difficult to tell with a puppy but the stance of the dog is important. It should be cocky without being aggressive.  This is another reason to work with a professional breeder as they can always show you how the parent dogs look and behave.

Don't take a puppy home before it is eight to ten weeks old. To move them out quickly, some backyard breeders and large-scale puppy mills will wean them very young. The puppies are extremely cute at that age but you do them no favor if you take them home too soon.

If you're not a breeder, don't plan on becoming one as a hobby. It isn't a hobby, it's a profession and should be left to professionals. The Mystery Lady isn't snooty about extensive breedlines but dogs without a good pedigree are more likely to wind up in the pound or the vet for the problems they may carry with them.  All this is stuff we discovered later on.

The Mystery Lady didn't get the 'best' dog, at least according to papers, but she was still a great pal and remains one.  You should always deal with a professional breeder. Ask for pictures of the parents and perhaps the grandparents as well.

In closing, please don't let this story deter anyone from buying a Shih Tzu. They are absolutely charming little dogs. As with just about everything else, deal with professionals.

Letter from Petland Store Owner

An indignant letter was received from an owner of a Petland store and he claimed his is not run like the one described here. Perhaps not but there are two of them within five miles of the Mystery Lady's home and both of them work the same way: their salesfolk work on commission and they sell extremely over-priced, badly-kept animals.

Shari's Story

Shari sent the following email and gave her permission to reprint it. Her last name has removed to protect her privacy.

I bought a blind shih tzu puppy. He's so sweet. I paid $700 for him. After the vet faxed them a declaration about his condition, they had the nerve to call me and tell me they would give me back $450 and sell me the blind puppy for $150. Talk about slime.

Shari in St. Louis

Follow-up email after requesting permission to add her emails to this page:

Oh please make my day. They finally agreed to give me 2/3 of my money back - they actually charged me $150 for my little blind puppy. I quit trying to dicker with them. Now since this happened, I went back in a couple of petstores, and it is just so blatant that these petstores, like Petland, are perpetuated by animal cruelty. I didn't believe it until this happened. I didn't think people would sink that low. Petland was bright and cheerful. We have named him Chocolate - and he is so precious. They wanted us to bring him back and exchange him - and we said no way because they would just destroy him in some horrific way - ( I read what they do). The vet said that something was wrong with the nerve in his eyes, I hope they didn't hit him or throw him around. Lucky we have the other shih-tzu. They play all day and Gizmo is always protecting him. He'll be just fine. Everybody thinks he is so sweet. Thanks for everything you do

Shari in St Louis

Doctor Maggie Works in Elder Care

The Mystery Lady works in elder care, helping old folks during the day so they can spend the evenings and nights with their families. Many of the clients have serious disabilities such as Alzheimer's, etc., but respond very positively to Maggie.

In fact, the clients usually respond too positively! At a time when the world has pretty much given up on them, the old folks never get tired of playing with a dog who has no shame about begging for treats or, at a minimum, table scraps.

This must be where Maggie learned to bounce on her back legs while she waves her front legs at you. It's too cute to watch but the other pups don't do it so perhaps the old folks taught her.

Note: In general, you should not feed your Shih Tzu anything but the chow recommended by your veterinarian. Problems such as pancreatitis and other such maladies may befall the animal otherwise.

Choosy Shih Tzu Choose JIF

If you're having trouble getting your Shih Tzu to accept medicine, there is one surefire solution: Hide the pill in some peanut butter! The dog will not even notice the pill and will come back for more. Be careful, tho', as with any 'human' food, excess is as bad for them as it is for us.

The dogs quickly catch onto the sound of the lid being unscrewed from the peanut butter jar and will react immediately to ensure they don't miss out on a treat. All three will drop whatever they're doing and array themselves in front of me; two will sit patiently waiting while Maggie dances around on her rear legs, apparently thinking this will give her an edge.

They take it in turns when the peanut butter is dispensed. I give each a little taste from the end of my finger. If it's fed too fast, it can easily choke them so be careful! Anyway, I take them one by one: Maggie, Molly, Maxwell, Maggie, Molly, Maxwell... Each steps up to the plate, takes a turn and then backs off for the next.

Note: In general, you should not feed your shih tzu anything but the chow recommended by your veterinarian. Problems such as pancreatitis and other such maladies may befall the animal otherwise. Always consult your vet.

Shih Tzu - The Secret Shopper

Bank offers Shih Tzu a gold card

A dog has been offered a card with a £10,000 limit.

The Royal Bank of Scotland sent an application form to Raymond Slater's pet Shih Tzu, Monty.

Monty, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was offered the plastic and the chance to earn air miles.  It might be a clue that banks are getting out-of-hand when they start sending credit cards to dogs!

An RBS spokeswoman said: "We have apologised for any inconvenience caused to Mr Slater."

"We bought the name from a list broker and have no idea why Monty's details were provided.  His name has now been removed from the database and we are sending a dog hamper to Mr Slater by way of apology."

Note:  This story was reported years ago and the Royal Bank of Scotland has been in the news for rather different reasons lately.  Given the above, it's a little easier to understand how that could be.

Dyed in the Woof

When puppies are quiet, they're asleep, they're destroying a shoe, or they've discovered some new form of destruction. In this story, they've discovered something new: Silk flowers, to be exact.

The puppies, Maxwell and Molly, live in the same area and, even when let out of their enclosure, are almost inseparable.  They often sit shoulder to shoulder, moving nothing but their heads as they watch whatever is going on around them.

I have no idea how they found the flower but they somehow got it into their water bowl and then shredded it, making a great bowl of dye. When I found them, their moustaches, necks, front legs, and paws were a brilliant shade of magenta.

They looked like someone had forgotten to separate the colors from the whites before the wash cycle but the funniest thing was the expression on their faces because they had no clue why I was laughing so hard. They just sat there, shoulder to shoulder, with their heads cocked to one side, trying to get a grip on what was so funny.

Shih Tzu from Jack in Cincinnati

 The Shih Tzu of Jack in Cincinnati

These the Shih Tzu of a friend in Cincinnati with whom we jammed musically sometimes.  He loved them as his babies just as do many of you.  Zoe came along later on the pictures show her as a very young pup and then a little bit older pup.  He so loves those dogs!

Flor and Joe Junior

Zoe

Zoe, just a wee bit older

First Coast Shih Tzu and Fur Baby Rescue

It's lovely to see the successes at First Coast Shih Tzu and Furbaby Rescue and you can see there many dogs that have been saved from terrible lives.

First Coast Shih Tzu and Furbaby Rescue is not specific to Shih Tzu but rather to all small-breed dogs such as Lhasa Apso and so many others.  It's a private organization so you will see a request for support.  I'm not associated with the organization although it would make me proud if I were.  Take a look at the pictures on their site and you'll see why the recommendation to visit has been on my Shih Tzu site for many years.  The organization is stable, dedicated, and determined.

We salute the charming and honorable work these people are doing and it lifts our hearts to know this is happening. If you're looking for a Shih Tzu, you would do well to check out this site as you may well find one who has literally been dying to give someone some love and you could be the one he or she has been hoping to find all along.