What Can You Tell Me About the Shih Tzu Breed?

The Shih Tzu is a companion breed.  My Harley is quiet and sweet most of the time.  He prefers to nap near me.  He goes through the zoomies once a day where he wants to play fetch and run around the house.
It takes them time to adjust to new things.
Have you taken either dog through an obedience class?  That can help with learning their names and knowing basic commands can help everyone out in the family.  Harley likes obedience and is in his 2nd level.
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Do you have any pictures of your Tzus?

The only Tzu I've known was my neighbors' and it was the best dog ever!  Her name was Lady.  I know a lot of little dogs tend to be yippy, but she NEVER barked unless someone rang the doorbell (she'd "woof" a few times) or if they let her out to potty and forgot her in the cold.  She just slept most of the day.  They were one of those families that got a dog just to have the dog and never trained her, but it didn't matter b/c she walked fine on a leash, she was fine off leash (didn't even need a recall b/c she'd never leave your side), she was fine out in the yard with no tie-out or fence - just a great little dog!  She never snarled at anyone or anything, enjoyed being brushed, didn't try to get on the table or counter surf....my neighbor would always say "I think this dog might have a mental handicap b/c she's just too calm and content to be true!"  We would dogsit when they went on vacations and she just slept on our couch. We'd let her out to potty and have to go get her off the neighbor's doorstep b/c she was so used to waiting there.  Sometimes I'd have to call her while I was in the house b/c she was so quiet and never made any trouble, I'd think she was stuck somewhere or dead!  The only bad thing she ever did was pee on the couch when she got old, but they trained her to stay off the couch.  She was PTS b/c she had cancer and tumors.

i like them. my sisters had two, male and female - brother and sister, and a friend of the family had a little male.
they were active and loved to play, which is normal for a puppy. my sisters dogs were always called lazy or little long haired pigs because they did love their food, snorted, and once they grew up werent nearly as active and playful. the female was more vocal than the male. she would bark when people came over or knocked on the door, and she would "Speak" on command. the male would sit up and beg.. and if you wiggled your toes he would run over to you and flop over on his back and rub it over your feet.

my only concern is they have skin and eye problems among other things. my sisters male developed cancer at age 8 or 9 and was PTS.
the female is still alive but i dont know why. she has a skin problem i cant remember the name of. her back and rear look like a disaster area. she's blind,  either from the steroid treatments for her skin problem or just because it was gonna happen anyway. she only goes outside to potty and when she comes back in she lays in one spot on one rug in one corner of the kitchen. she gets up to eat but only a bite or two before going to lay back down. she doesnt bark or show any interest in anything anymore...... she also smells dreadful and when she scratches her itches she whines and whimpers the whole time.
if i thought my husband would let me, and if my sister would let me i would take her into my home and try to clean her up and make her healthy and lively again. my step moms house reeks of this dog.. and because of that i dont think my hubby will even consider me taking her.
everyone else has given up on her, but not so much that they want to put her to sleep.... so i dont understand their logic.

anyway didnt say all that to scare you off. i think what you did is wonderful and i think they stand a better chance with you than anyone else. but the problems i listed are something to think about. not all of them have these issues, and my step mom and her daughters didnt even think they would happen. i guess what i'm trying to say is, do you think you could still love them if they were blind, hairless and smelly?

Thank you all for your comments.  We just lost our Lhasa Jan. 5 who had diabetes and was going blind...she also had horrible skin and dry eye syndrome so I know what it is like to doctor a sick, smelly dog - not nice, but sometimes necessary.  I surely hope it never comes to that with these 2, but one never knows what the future will bring.  We would do all we could to doctor these two thru whatever may come.
These dogs do seem to sleep alot - they find one spot and never leave - sorta like our greyhound that died in April - a real couch potato!  I like that they will be friendly and do not bark alot.
 
Do any of you know if our first shih tzu we adopted will finally adjust to this new one?  How do I repremand her when she growls and goes after her?  The vet said it will take time...I just need some encouragement that eventually the first one will tolerate the new one.  Thanks!
Sherry

Oh...your little black and white one looks EXACTLY like the one we just adopted!  I could put up pics if I were computer savvy...maybe my hubby will help me over the weekend.  I know just enuf about computers to do major damage! ha ha
Sherry

Just curious what are you feeding your Shih Tzu's?  Diet can make a huge difference in skin and coat and overall condition and health.
You mentioned that you had a Lhasa that had skin issues and "stinky".

thats a good point firestorm..
i agree that diet can improve a lot or even prevent a lot more if its a good diet..
but its hard to convince some people of that. they only care about the fact that the dog eats..
in the case of my sisters dogs, they eat big dog food, sometimes ol roy, sometimes pedigree,
and then of course table scraps....

We were feeding Pro Plan but changed to Natural Balance Allergy Formula, but it was too late for our Lhasa.  She had gotten allergy tests and was allergic to human dander (US), so nothing really worked.  She was so bad she had pred. shots every few months for relief and finally developed diabetes and was so bad we had to let her go.  So now our vet thinks we are on the right track to start BOTH Shih tzus on Nat. Balance and  watch their treats, too.  We are trying to avoid all wheat with them.
 
Do you know if eventually our first dog will accept our new dog and any suggestions how to help it happen?  Do we discipline our first dog when she growls at the new one?   Thanks!
Sherry

If theres no blood, I would let them work it out.

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