Shih-poo breeders/owners...I have ????

[Iott Family]

I absolutely fell in love last night at the pet store with a male ****zu puppy. He was so loving and playful. The attendent suggested I look in to the shih-poo because of their health and longevity. I tried looking up breeders in Indiana but had no luck so Im turning to you, my fellow Diser's.

Share your stories, your advice and your abundant knowledge!

Thanks!
Cari

 

[izzy]

I have absolutely no answer for you, but I have to say that when I read the title of your post, I just about died laughing!

I'm sure the good folks of the DIS will be able to help you. Good luck in finding a new furry friend!

 

[daisax]

Shih-tzus are a breed of dog. Anything with "poo" in it is a mutt and can be found in your local shelter for a fraction of the cost and the same level of confidence in its health and temperament (plus you'll be saving a life, which is always a good thing, rather than enrching those who run puppy mills).

No dog should be bought at a pet store, because no ethical breeder would EVER turn over live puppies to be sold by strangers to anybody who can pay for them.

The Shih-tzus I have known have been fantastic dogs. Too much coat care for me, but they're fun dogs.

Here's the website for the Shih-tzu club of America, which has some good information on where to find a well bred dog as well as what they're like, health issues, etc.

http://www.shihtzu.org/

 

[Melisa1]

I had a Shih-Tzu for almost 14 years. He just passed away in August. I am thinking about getting another. They are wonderful dogs, great temperment. I never had any issues with his hair because I kept him cut fairly short year round ( I think the groomer called it a puppy cut). He always looked cute. I would highly recommend getting one.

I don't know anything about Shih-Poo's. Have you tried looking at petfinder.com

 

[WeirdEyes]

I have a Shih-Poo and he is the BEST dog I've ever had...including pure breeds. His name is Barkley and he has the best personality. He doesn't bark a lot and loves people and other dogs. Here's a pic of him.....

 

[bcvgal]

I have a male shihpoo and he is the best dog. Very loyal,playful,great with kids and other dogs. We bought ours from a breeder here in NC and he's been in great health. We have to groom him every three months. Very little odor and shedding too. Just over all a great pet.

 

[CEDmom]

I have a Shih-Poo and he is the BEST dog I've ever had...including pure breeds. His name is Barkley and he has the best personality. He doesn't bark a lot and loves people and other dogs. Here's a pic of him.....

OMG, he's adorable. I better not let DD8 see his picture. Two friends already got dogs for their 8th birthday and she's wondering where her's is .

To the OP I think that's the dog one of her friends just got and they went with a breeder in NC. If you can't find anyone on here let me know and I can get the info for you.

 

[Iott Family]

I have a Shih-Poo and he is the BEST dog I've ever had...including pure breeds. His name is Barkley and he has the best personality. He doesn't bark a lot and loves people and other dogs. Here's a pic of him.....

Ohhh, he is so handsome! Thank you for sharing!

Cari

 

[hiwaygal]

I won't get into the whole puppy mill thing, or buying pets from pet stores, or my personal beliefs about rescue...I think you'll get enough of that.

I will however offer some advice on questions to ask breeders...if your breeder can't answer a significant majority of these questions (i.e. nearly all), you might want to look elsewhere:

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/responbr.html

http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/articles/dogs/019-01.htm

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=302

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1671&articleid=844

In all honesty, some of the questions you should already know the answer to...or know the answer you will accept. All of this just gives you a little more insight into the intentions of the breeder and whether or not the pup/dog you get is "quality" (i.e. health, temperament, etc.).

You might also do some googling on Shih-tzu and Poodle breeds to see what their common "issues" are with regard to health, temperament, dietary needs, training needs, grooming needs, exercise and socialization needs, etc. It's a good bet that with a mix, you'll get a mix of needs

 

[louey]

Just wanted to give an example of what is on petfinder. If you put poodle in your search you will likely come up with the mix you are looking for. Just a thought. Here a cute little guy not in your area, just put your zip code in.

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=9234725

 

[kejoda]

Shih-thus are wonderful dogs. We had one many years ago. He was great with the kids. But boy was he every stupid.The sweetest dog but stuuupid.


The only bad thing that happened to Gimmie was that one morning my sister woke up and one of his eyes were hanging out. She and her kids didn't hear anything strange during the night, never found any blood to give them a clue as to what happened. The vet told us that this can happen with this type of dogs. Having 1 eye never seemed to bother him he was just as sweet as ever.

 

[ZachnElli]

I have a Shih-poo and I love her to pieces! She's very playful and funny. She is not very outgoing and is a homebody. For example, she's gotten chubby lately because my 2 year old keeps feeding her his food and I 've been taking walks with her and she doesn't want to go! LOL! She wants to stay home on the couch! But she is very playful and loving. She adores my 2 year old and she's also sensitive, she knows when someone is sick and will sit with them and whine, she feels their pain! Here she is:

 

[terri01p]

I have a Shih-poo and I love her to pieces! She's very playful and funny. She is not very outgoing and is a homebody. For example, she's gotten chubby lately because my 2 year old keeps feeding her his food and I 've been taking walks with her and she doesn't want to go! LOL! She wants to stay home on the couch! But she is very playful and loving. She adores my 2 year old and she's also sensitive, she knows when someone is sick and will sit with them and whine, she feels their pain! Here she is:

Hehehe...are you sure this is a shih-poo this doggie looks exactly like my cockapoo. I'm talking exactly.

 

[ZachnElli]

Hehehe...are you sure this is a shih-poo this doggie looks exactly like my cockapoo. I'm talking exactly.

Actually, I had a cockapoo growing up and he looked nothing like her. That's the thing about mixes, you never know exactly what they'll look like!

 

[WeirdEyes]

Thanks for the comments about Barkley. He is a cutie! My DH bought him from a breeder who only has one litter at a time as it is just a hobby. Her dogs and puppies were very well cared for and they all stayed inside her house. Thank goodness she had tile floors. I had to send her pictures of Barkley once a year for a while.

 

[Nana Annie]

Of course the pet shop pointed you towards the very expensive Mutt!

A shih-poo is not a breed, which is why you aren't having any luck googling it.

It is a mutt, plain and simple. It is a cross between a shih-tzu and a poodle.

You cannot google info about the dog because you cannot know what you are going to get. There are no standards for a shih-poo. It is no different than your neighbor's dog who got out and had puppies. Just because somebody decided to give it a fancy name, does not make it a "breed" or anything more desirable.

The dog might have traits of the poodle, it might have traits of the shih-tzu. It could have the best of both breeds, it could have the worst. It is the same gamble you take as you do with any mutt.

A 'breeder' does not purposefully breed mutts. At least not a responsible one. All you have to do is look at petfinder.com to see how many mutts are available. A responsible breeder would NEVER add to that population.

However, if you are still determined to throw lots of cash at someone for a mixed-breed dog instead of getting one from a shelter or from petfinders, please find a "breeder" that home raises their dogs. Preferably they do all the genetic tests that are required for each of the parent's respective breeds. And visit the home. Make sure they are not out in crates in the backyard. A home-raised and socialized puppy is the best. A PP mentioned their 'breeder' that seemed to care about their puppies. A good clue to a responsible breeder is one who wants to keep in touch. And will guarantee you that they will take the puppy/dog back if you ever have to get rid of it during ANY time of the dog's life.

Buying from a petshop just means you are getting a mutt, crossed from two probably very genetically unsound puppy mill dogs. Stay Away.

 

[Nana Annie]

Hehehe...are you sure this is a shih-poo this doggie looks exactly like my cockapoo. I'm talking exactly.

Since both your dogs share the poodle in their makeup, they probably favor their poodle side. The dog in the picture certainly looks more like his poodle side than he does his shih-tzu side. I am guessing that your cockapoo is more genetically similar to the poodle too, which is why they probably look alike.

Your question does a wonderful job of pointing how a cockapoo, a shih-poo and any of the designer dogs are not breeds, and can have many different looks within their mixes.

It is actually one of the great things about mixes. You never know what you are going to get. They mystery can be quite exciting.

Just don't ever fall into the trap that believes that all cockapoos are going to look alike or all shih-poos are going to look alike.

 

[WeirdEyes]

The breeder that we bought Barkley from actually breeds Shih Tzus and Poodles. The Shih-Poos were an "accident."

 

[kat3668]

We have a shih tzu and she is the best dog we have ever had.. she is great with the kids and very smart!

 

[Nana Annie]

The breeder that we bought Barkley from actually breeds Shih Tzus and Poodles. The Shih-Poos were an "accident."

The best kind

which also explains the care your breeder put into your puppy and the followup