The Shih Tzu breed is undoubtedly cute, but you should worry about buying them from Shih Tzu breeders with dubious backgrounds, who may sell you unhealthy pups. While it’s possible to pay good money for puppies from a good bloodline, and healthy ones at that, it’s more likely to find puppy mill Shih Tzu breeders that find legitimate ones. One characteristic of legitimate breeders is that they are part of breeding circles. When you find out that a breeder is a member, that’s a good sign – they can provice your with documentation pertaining to the pups’ legitimate bloodline.

A Shih Tzu is a specific breed, and if you’re really into that small dog line, then there are no two ways about – a breeder should be the first resource person on your list. There are stories of pet owners who adopt pure bred Shih Tzu from animal shelters and rescues, but that’s a rare occurence. If you’re also looking for puppies to raise, then a breeder is what you’re looking for. It’s possible some shelters chance upon pure breed dogs and puppies, and take care of them while screening potentially qualified new owners, but you might need to scout a lot of shelters to increase your chances of finding pure breeds Also, if you intend to participate in dog shows, which of course has certain conformation rules to adhere to, then getting legitimate breeds from a reputable breeder may be the only way to go.

What’s good about good breeders is that they have references you can check. A trustworthy breeder will volunteer right away, when you interview them, their references which you can of course check – they want you to see right away they are not part of some puppy mill that’s after only profit. You will not be the only one asking a lot of questions, during that interview, as the breeder will also ask you questions. These questions are in line with the breeder’s aim to sell well-bred pups only to those who can provide a good home for them.

A home that’s ready to take in new pets should have clean and sanitary areas for the pups, relatives that understand this breed, an owner financially prepared to shoulder the needs (pet bedding, premium dog food, vet check ups, inoculations, deworming sessions, medical procedures, grooming items, etc.), and a devoted heart on the part of the owner. All of these are vital since this breed has its own share of health problems and a personality that makes it a challenge to house train.

It can be, no, it is – it is time-consuming to groom this dog and always be on the look-out when you need to suddenly bring it to its potty area (that’s if you’re house-training pups). That’s the reason you might be subjected by the breeder to a series of question – he’s not just going to sell these dogs to a waller with no heart. If you’re a responsible owner, you can of course imagine that you’d have the same stringent screening process if you were selling your dogs.

A boom in the popularity of toy dogs has encouraged unethical Shih Tzu breeders to take part in puppy mills to produce whatever in vogue breed is asked for. This type of breeding that cares not for the health of the produced puppies can result in unhealthy breeds. To make sure you acquire healthy pups or adult dogs from reputable Shih Tzu breeders, make sure these breeders are part of breeding circles and that they provide references you can check.