I want to adopt aShih Tzu puppy, how do I make sure they are not from a pup mill?

[stahshee]

I have a who is Shih Tzu and is a year old, and I love him SOOOOOOO much. I would like to get him a friend. We got my first dog from a friend who no longer breeds. I have no idea how to look for a new one??? Can someone help me??

 

[clh2]

Does your friend know any reputable breeders? That would be the first place I would start.

Also - if you know any people who have shih zuhs - see who their breeders are.

Once I found a breeder - I would make sure that they only breed 1 type of dog. I've heard that you should ask to see the mom/dad. Find out how often they breed their dogs. How long do they keep the puppies? Do they give the puppies their shots?

I know there are other "guidelines" and things to watch out for, I just can't think of what they are.

clh2

 

[doxdogy]

Check if there are any dog shows in your area. Search for a Shih-Tzu rescue group in your area.

 

[Aimeedyan]

There is no reason to buy from a breeder - there are TONS in shelters and rescues! Check out www.petfinder.com - you can choose the breed you prefer (be sure you spell it Shih Tzu).

I have one, too, precious dogs! I also fostered one for awhile and then found her a good home.

Good luck in your search!

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Or you can google your local Shih Tzu rescue and give a sweet doglet a home. Rescues have been fully accessed by a Vet and all medical needs taken care of. We've adopted 5 times through a Maltese rescue and each one has blessed our lives in ways we could never have imagined.

We've even adopted a puppy mill survivor and she's my angel baby.

Best way not to support puppy-mills is not to purchase a puppy from any pet store - absolutely no reputable breeder would ever sell their puppies that way, no matter what the pet store tells you. Do no even buy toy or food in these places - every purchase allows them to stay open and therefore supports puppy-mills - horrific places.

If you only want a young puppy, google your local Shih Tzu Club and they will have a list of reputable breeders in your area.

Hope this helps!

 

[kacaju]

http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/
Check out this site.
On the lower left hand side is breeder referral and breed rescue.
Please know that many breeders breed to dogs outside of their kennel so in many cases you will NOT find both the mother AND father on site.

In our case we show our dog and in our contract with her she gets two stud services. (not the normal pet owner contract) She is in NH and I am in NJ, my dog would never see his puppies when she breeds him.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

With all due respect to the previous poster, I would highly recommend not going through AKC for a breeder referral. It's not that difficult to get AKC breeder registration and it's been known for years that many puppy-mills obtain AKC registration. I work with rescue and although it's well hidden, it is nevertheless the truth.

Please, please find a breeder through a Shih Tzu Club - it is the only way to be sure your puppy does not come from a puppy-mill and from a reputable breeder - not a puppy mill or back yard breeder. I have no doubt you want a healthy, well adjusted puppy.

Please pm or email me if I can be of any help.

 

[1957]

My AKC registered abused, abandoned and rescued Cocker Spaniel gets along just fine with my rescue no-breed mutt. Breeds don't matter, unless you're into Show Dogs. Saw on TV that a shelter in CA, that was bombarded with no-longer-wanted chihuahuas previously owned by idiot Hollywood wannabe starlet types (because they were easy to carry), sent them to the East coast, where they were all adopted.

Adopt a dog or cat from a shelter, pay the adoption fee and have them spayed or neutered, save a life, and gain a friend.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Not everyone is meant to adopt a rescue - and since most important is for every pet to have a forever home, we must respect the family's choice of a puppy or older or buying a puppy from a reputable breeder.

Working with rescue I cannot stress how important it is - we do not accept every family who applies and rarely accept anyone looking for a puppy - puppies go only to our most experienced rescue families who have a history with us or another reputable rescue. Our potential adopters are carefully screened, including a home visit and Vet contact.

Do I wish more wonderful families would consider rescue - of course - but most important is every puppy or older rescue have a loving forever family.

 

[Shih-Tzu]

I don't have any advice, but I'm sure you'll love your fur-baby. Mine doesn't realize it's a dog....she thinks she's a "fuzzy people" - best of luch

 

[gonzo76]

A little OT but when you look on petfinder and they say no small children. What age are the referring to? My boys are 10, 10 and 12.

 

[simba928]

There is no reason to buy from a breeder - there are TONS in shelters and rescues! Check out www.petfinder.com - you can choose the breed you prefer (be sure you spell it Shih Tzu).

I have one, too, precious dogs! I also fostered one for awhile and then found her a good home.

Good luck in your search!

I second that. Rescue dogs are the best. You can contact your local AKC and they should be able to give you a good rescue. Or you could go through petfinder. The AKC should also be able to tell you a reputable breeder.

Definitely go to wherever your dog is. If its a shelter, you should be able to go and see the kennel, visit with the dogs, talk to the staff (and shelter staff know ALOT about their dogs, I can tell you quite a bit about my dogs that I take care of). You should also ask about bringing your dog in to meet the new dog before adopting them. It is VERY traumatic for a dog to be giong into and out of a shelter. If you introduce the dogs in neutral territory, your dog will not be territorial and you will be able to decide if it is a good match. If it is, great and you have a new companion! If it isn't, the shelter dog just goes back inside and had a fun little outing outside, there's no trauma involved.

If you do go the breeder route, go to the grounds. It should be clean and sanitary. You should also be able to atleast meet the mother. If they won't allow you to see the grounds or meet the mother, I would RUN the other way. A reputable breeder should be proud to show off their puppies, not secretive. They also focus on 1 or 2 breeds. They specialize in those breeds and can tell you quite a bit about the characteristics of that breed. They're goal is to better the breeds and they can't do it if they have a dozen different breeds to worry about.

And with the small children, it varies by rescue/shelter. Sometimes it even varies by dog. You're best bet would be contacting the organization, but typicaly a 10 and 12 year old are ok. Alot of the time for small dogs they say no small children, not because that dog isn't good with kids, but because those dogs are so delicate and small kids (2/3 years old) don't understand that. And alot of times small dogs don't have the patience for little kids being little kids. Too much running/noise/whatever little kids do gets them upset and they could very well snap out of being annoyed. They want to be the babies (as I'm sure you're aware) and if you focus on a human little one, they aren't too happy.

 

[amg35]

Not everyone is meant to adopt a rescue - and since most important is for every pet to have a forever home, we must respect the family's choice of a puppy or older or buying a puppy from a reputable breeder.

Working with rescue I cannot stress how important it is - we do not accept every family who applies and rarely accept anyone looking for a puppy - puppies go only to our most experienced rescue families who have a history with us or another reputable rescue. Our potential adopters are carefully screened, including a home visit and Vet contact.
Do I wish more wonderful families would consider rescue - of course - but most important is every puppy or older rescue have a loving forever family.

I'm sorry I have to say that the above is what makes me not want to go to a rescue. I had my heartbroken when I couldn't get the puppy I fell in love with because I did not have a fenced in yard at my apartment. Never mind the dog park directly across the street from me, or the approval of my landlord.

The rules and restrictions put in place by some rescue and adoption agencies are ludicrous and are partly to blame why puppy mills are still going strong. I understand that this is only my opinion.

(happy ending, I am lucky enough to have shared/share my life with two wonderful mutts who were unwanted puppies from a neighbor and a cat from the anti-cruelty society.)

 

[simba928]

I'm sorry I have to say that the above is what makes me not want to go to a rescue. I had my heartbroken when I couldn't get the puppy I fell in love with because I did not have a fenced in yard at my apartment. Never mind the dog park directly across the street from me, or the approval of my landlord.

The rules and restrictions put in place by some rescue and adoption agencies are ludicrous and are partly to blame why puppy mills are still going strong. I understand that this is only my opinion.

(happy ending, I am lucky enough to have shared/share my life with two wonderful mutts who were unwanted puppies from a neighbor and a cat from the anti-cruelty society.)

Please don't let that turn you off totally from shelters/rescues. There are lots of shelters that don't require a fenced in yard. My shelter does require a fenced yard for certain breeds, but most dogs do not require a fence. Call shelters and ask about their policies. Often times breed rescues have much more strict guidelines to adopt dogs than shelters. And do not let that make you turn to a pet store to purchase a puppy. Puppy mill dogs have lots of health issues. They receive little to no vet care so often times they carry parasites/parvo and you don't know that until you get puppy home. They also have a lot of genetic health issues because no concern is given to quality breeding. It's all about making the maximum amount of money and worrying about good lines is too much work for them. On top of all that, puppy mill dogs often have behavior issues. They aren't handled at the vital time (from about 3 weeks, up) and mom and dad are only handled to throw them into another cage to breed. Because they don't get proper socialization from the beginning, they often times have a lot of fear and other behavior issues that you will have to deal with later. About 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters every year. About 4 million dogs come out of puppy mills each year.

 

[amg35]

Please don't let that turn you off totally from shelters/rescues. There are lots of shelters that don't require a fenced in yard. My shelter does require a fenced yard for certain breeds, but most dogs do not require a fence. Call shelters and ask about their policies. Often times breed rescues have much more strict guidelines to adopt dogs than shelters. And do not let that make you turn to a pet store to purchase a puppy. Puppy mill dogs have lots of health issues. They receive little to no vet care so often times they carry parasites/parvo and you don't know that until you get puppy home. They also have a lot of genetic health issues because no concern is given to quality breeding. It's all about making the maximum amount of money and worrying about good lines is too much work for them. On top of all that, puppy mill dogs often have behavior issues. They aren't handled at the vital time (from about 3 weeks, up) and mom and dad are only handled to throw them into another cage to breed. Because they don't get proper socialization from the beginning, they often times have a lot of fear and other behavior issues that you will have to deal with later. About 4 million animals are euthanized in shelters every year. About 4 million dogs come out of puppy mills each year.

Oh, I agree that puppy mills are bad. Mine were from a careless neighbor who's own dogs weren't fixed. I hope she learned her lesson after that.

I did find the anti-cruelty society easier to adopt from, at least the cat. So when I'm ready to bring in a new friend I will probably try there first. I did try a couple other agencies in the beginning, but I gave up after filling out applications and not getting a phone call.

It's just hard when people like me who are so ready and able to love/take care of a dog are turned down.