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Anyone know anything about them?
I have a friend of mine is wanting to get one. She has two children they are 5 and 2 years old.
She just wants to know how they are with kids?
She has heard people say they are good with kids. She is wanting get a small dog and this was her first choice of breed.
She might be adopting a puppy later on this month. The people have them think they are purebred but not totally for sure. They know the mother is a purebred.
Let her know that she will need to keep the dog groomed regularly. Shih tzu's coats matt easily and they especially get problems of gunk around the eyes if not cleaned often. She will need to have time to brush the dog several times a week and either groom him herself or take the dog to a professional groomer monthly. I know this is not the question you asked but when getting a dog like that you have to know *everything* you're getting into, which includes grooming...which is a lot of time and money.
From my experience many shih tzu's I've groomed have been quite nippy, but not all of them are like that...they are usually really friendly. I'm sure with lots of care and training they could be good with kids. Just make sure the kids know how to gently handle the pup and they don't tease him/her!
- they don't need much exercise
- playful
- friendly with people/pets
- stubborn :D
- separation anxiety
- snore
- need frequent brushing
The ones I know seem to be good with children, of course they were well socialized. They aren't the least bit nippy. The only problem I see in getting a small dog around small children is that the kids are the ones who tend to hurt the dogs. She's going to have to watch her children and teach them how to be gentle with a small dog. They are going to see this little puppy and see a rag doll to dress up and play rough with, or a small puppy to put in with their toys. She'll have to get a little pen or crate when she can't supervise them together, but she should have a puppy area set up anyway. She'll have to work with the puppy to not be food or toy aggressive. I'd say if she's ready for a shih tzu, grooming and puppy training and all, and she's going to watch her kids, then she's picked a good breed.
I will show her this thread. I know her kids are good with dogs.
I know she said she plans try and groom her pup herself.
Oh, and she will have plenty time to train the puppy. And watch her kids with the pup. She will never leave them alone together.
While I'm not fond of shih-tzus (they just aren't appealing to me) my neighbor has one. They are VERY laid back pups and my neighbor has two children and her oldest boy (he's... eight??) is SO ROUGH with this poor dog.. but he sits there and takes it. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if the kid got bit or something one of these days with the way he treats that poor dog...