Maltese, Havanese,Bichon Frise, or Shih Tzu, which to get?

I'm sure all the breeds you mentioned are wonderful but I'm somewhat partial to the Shih Tzu. They are wonderful little dogs. Mine get along well with my cats. Any squabbles between them are usually started by the cats. Good luck with whatever dog you choose[]

Just wanted to point out that all those dogs have high grooming needs, you probably already know that, just wanted to make sure.
 

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That brings up another question, I was planning on shaving him myself, is it difficult to do?  Are there any negatives to shaving a dog?
 
Ken

For the first couple of years, I brought my dogs to a professional groomer. I do it myself now. I have to admit I don't do nearly as good a job as the professionals did, but I am getting better. I think it takes a lot of practice to get good at it.
My advice is to bring your dog to a professional for the first few times, that way you can see how it is supposed to look. I don't shave my dogs, just clip their fur down so they still have enough to brush, but a quick brushing daily keeps the matts away on my dogs.
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I suggest you start brushing your dog as soon as you bring it home, to get it used to it, handle their paws a lot so they get used to that and hopefully they won't fuss as much getting their nails done. When you get your dog you'll be bringing them to the vet for a check up as soon as possible, have the vet show you how to clip their nails.
I also suggest you get the dog used to have it's teeth brushed, the sooner the better.

Keeping a Tzu groomed is not the nightmare some would lead you to think. I personally don't much care for a "completely" shaved Tzu. If your going to do that it really does not take much practice just a really good set of clippers. I groom all of mine. They have never been to a groomer. I've just heard of too many terrible things happening there. I usually only have one or two at a time in full coat. The rest are usually clipped in a modified cocker cut. I try to keep the head full and looking like a Tzu and the legs and tail are kept full. Here is a photo of YaYa in my version of a cocker cut. It's a simple cut and really does not take much practice.
 

Shaving? You may mean trimming. Shaving is not  needed and not too pretty. It can cause sunburn and also getting too cold. The doggies' hair is not only beautiful, it protects the skin. I groom my Shih Tzu at home. I brush and then comb her daily and bathe and condtion her weekly. She gets a homemade diet and her hair and skin are very healthy. Make sure you feed a very good food.

They all need to be cared for with daily inspections of the ears (you look and sniff them) and you look at the eyes also. I also brush the teeth and inspect them.

You can groom at home if you learn from a groomer to do it safely or find a very good and nice groomer that will not keep them there all day. Best to bathe at home and then take the dog to the groomer, faster. Some dogs are stressed from the noise and all. You have to make SURE the groomer will NEVER use a cage dryer on them. The short nosed and small dogs get overheated and often die. Horrible.

I love Shih Tzu's. We had a Maltese at home years ago. That hair is much harder to care for than a Shih Tzu.

My Shih Tzu is so friendly and gets along with my bird. She loved our cat also. (Milly lived a long life, rainbow bridge now) They want to please and you have to treat them well, they are inside dogs and were bred to be companions. They are loving and very special.

It is great that you are home all day, they love to be with you. I am a stay at home fur and feather mom also. Trudy loves to sleep late and nap. I have to get lots of rest and she is a perfect little bed buddy. Of course, if you get a pup, they have more energy for a year, so you slowly get them used to your schedule. 

Good luck! Welcome!

ORIGINAL: pokerface

Hi,

I think I narrowed my search down to these 4 breeds, are there any big differences between these breeds?  I'm looking for a very friendly dog that will get along with my 4 cats.  I do stay home all day so he'll get a lot of attention but I go to sleep and wake up 2 hours later everyday so he won't be on a regular sleep schedule.  Any idea which would be the best breed for me.

Ken

Whichever you can find in rescue![] 

Bichon's are super smart and have a need to learn...so spending alot of time training is a MUST.  If you don't give them some sort of a job, they'll assign themselves one, and it's not usually the type of job you want them to have.

Well, as you know, I have the same crazy sleeping schedule and I have two Shih Tzus. I think they're very adaptable dogs. They seem to do equally well with people who are active, taking them to little league games, camping, etc. as housebound elderly people and everyone else in between. Shih Tzus are normally very friendly with people and other animals. I know both of mine are. They're also very laid back and slightly independent while still being very affectionate.

As far as shaving, I keep mine in a puppy clip because it makes life sooooo much easier for me. Gingerbread has a cottony coat and even brushing him everyday it would get matted in between. They aren't shaved to the skin though. That's when they can get sunburn. I would be really careful about trying to shave your dog yourself. When I worked at a vet I saw a lot of home grooming jobs gone wrong. If you don't know what you're doing you can accidentally cut them or clipper burn them pretty easily. It's also expensive to invest in all the right equipment. But if you really want to groom at home then I would have a professional show you how to do it first. Not just watching it on a grooming video, but getting hands on help.

Of the breeds you mentioned above, Bichons are known for having housebreaking issues. Not that it can't be done by any means, but that they sometimes take longer to housebreak. Maltese are very sweet little dogs. I don't think I've ever met an aggressive Maltese. I don't know much about Havanese, so I can't comment on them. I personally think that Shih Tzus are the cutest of them all!

My puppy Riley is half Shih Tzu and his mom was half Bichon and toy poodle.  Best dog I've ever had and not that difficult to groom on my own.  Although I kind of butchered his body coat the first time I did it.  I try to keep his body hair at 3 inches and I cut the face in a teddy bear cut.
[linkhttp://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a113/bluesbarby/riley.jpg]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a113/bluesbarby/riley.jpg[/link]

Bichons are a bit clingy too. and tend to bark a lot. they make good watch dogs though. my mom, i swear, is about half deaf... she cant hear if someone knocks on the door, but the dog can!! she has a Bichon/Maltese she adopted from the shelter.
the poor dog was given up after ten years with the same family. for some reason out of the blue the bichon attacked their yorkie for no reason it seemed.... but when the vet examined her (when my mom got her) she had a bladder infected and was matted real bad. when i groomed her she had matts all over her private area and i am willing to bet that was the reason for the bladder infection. any time she peed it soaked into the hair around that area..... she was a different dog when i got through with her lol

i should have taken the picture before the bath instead of after... she is all clean and blow dried here..



quite obviously i am no pro groomer... but the dog felt a world of difference when she was done!
she came with a warning that she was difficult to groom... but i have seen worse. she struggles to escape - and if my mom is around she is a brat while i'm grooming her - but she doesnt bite or growl. just because the squirm a bit is no excuse to let them look like dirty mops!
this was all done with scissors too. we now have electric clippers which neatens things up and she doesnt look like she ran into a lawn mower lol

I have to say out of those breeds, I'm rather partial to the Havanese.  If I wanted a 'little fluffy dog' (not like my dogs aren't already), I'd get a Havanese.  I've met a bunch in shows and they are just so sweet and so funny.  I also like that their hair is generally kept more natural looking. 

The personality of all four dogs is DIFFERENT.  If you are looking for 'friendly' I'd probably suggest the bichon.  They're smart but tend to be really 'friendly'.  You might want to check out AKC breed sites and check personality.  I like the ASPCA "Complete Guide to Dogs" -- it has a thumbnail on each breed and it tends to be right on target.

 Hi,

I just came across this post.  Did you get a puppy yet?  I have a maltipoo.  Sophie is the best, sweetest dog ever, in my opinion!!  She is so smart, funny and she is a great companion dog.  I also think she is beautiful.  Of course all Mom's think their children are beautiful!!

I keep her in a puppy cut, so that she is easier to care for, but she has a beautiful coat.  Also, she has a groomer that comes out every 6 to 8 weeks, with her own truck that has all her supplies on it, run by a generator.  I take Sophie out to the truck which she parks in my driveway, and about an hour later, she brings Sophie into the house, all beautiful and smelling good!  Sophie knows her now, and is used to her, so I wouldn't change her even though she is quite expensive.  In between all I have to do is brush her daily and give her a bath about once a week.

My shihtzu is extremely friendly and loving, super cuddly (sleeps with me every night).  She doesn't bark much at all, except when playing and gets along great with other animals and all people.  I don't know much about the other breeds, but I would highly reccommend a Shihtzu.  I take mine to the groomer every other week - started them early so they would be used to it.  I keep them in a puppy cut usually as we are i Florida and it's super hot here most of the year.  They are a lot of upkeep, but well worth it!!! I love mine to death!!! Good luck, whatever you decide.