New Shih Tzu owner..

I've always had cats, though I've lived with other people who owned dogs and get along fine with them.
My roommate (strange situation) has a habit of adopting Shih Tzus from someone he knows who owns both the doggie parents. He trains them for a few months and then gifts them to relatives.

One week ago Saturday he brought home another one. The proposed new owners don't think they can take her (it was a surprise, they have a brand new baby, plus the dad owns a huge German shepherd who is having to live with someone else for the time being due to aggressive behavior). I'll gladly take responsibility for her. I have a Tuxedo cat, and roommate has a miniature schnauzer and mini dachshund, both many years old.

So far I'm calling her Fergie. She has taken up residence in my room. I never knew the meaning of "lap dog" until now. She is so sweet and when napping wants to lay on my feet, which has gotten her stepped on a time or two. She's adorable, a bit over six weeks old. She is almost completely trained; uses the pad for #1 and scratches at the door to go out for #2.

I haven't bought a brush for her yet. What is the best kind? When she eats, she gets her face all in the food and has sticky hair under her chin and on her face. I've washed it with a wash cloth, but worry about her getting chilled. It that something that can be brushed out, or should I wash it?

I read on a dog training site that in order to establish dominance, one should not allow their dog to sleep with them. What are opinions on that? My cat usually sleeps on the bed at least some of the time. Fergie seems willing enough to follow me everywhere I go.

Thanks for any tips/suggestions/Shih Tzu stories.

Fergie sounds like a sweetie :-). I don't have any experience with Shih Tzus, but have had dogs my whole life (age 56). The best book I know is "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete.

I would also get "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats: Over 1,000 Solutions to Your Pet's Problems" - From Top Vets, Trainers, Breeders, and Other Animal Experts, (Paperback) by Prevention Magazine Health Books.

My dogs sleep with us most of the time and they are Cindy - an 82lb. Catahoula Leopard and Murphy - a 50lb. Australian Cattle Dog. I think if you establish your pack order early while a puppy, this is not a problem.

Good luck and please post a pic when you get time :-).

Since reading the info on dominance, I realize that a former bf who used to brag how he was the "Alpha" to his female lab was no such thing. SHE was the boss in that combo. Also, my rm's mini dachshund is in charge of the house. I've started correcting her when she starts with that incessant barking, and she is already getting used to it and maybe even a little relieved that she doesn't have to be in charge. As a cat lady, this is all news to me. No power struggles with the cat. Except an ex-rm who tried "Gestalt" (his term) on one of his. That cat has now made it necessary for owner to find new homes for two other cats. I don't recommend the therapy for felines.

Thanks for the book recommendations. I'll look for them.

I never heard that you shouldn't have a dog share your bed because of dominance issues. There are other reasons but never heard that one.
Some things you should do to establish dominance:
1. always eat first. Only after you are finished, do you feed your dog.
2. go through doorways first. You're coming home from your walk, make sure you go through the door first, then the dog can enter.
3. teach basic commands, like sit, down, stay. Take an odedience class to make sure you learn how to follow these commands probably. These commands are necessary to make the dog a good citizen and protect him, as well as to establish dominance.

Hey, you forgot the pictures!! ;)

So far, good on the first through the doorway. Eating is still an issue because I feed my cat in my room due to the dog population in the house. She has run him off his food bowl once. But sometimes waits for him before making her move. Now, I have to put his bowl up on the shelf when he's not eating. Sometimes she eats in here, sometimes in the kitchen. This is such a new concept, I haven't incorporated it yet. Guess I'll keep some crackers around. Meal times are chaotic and unscheduled. I have a sleep disorder and when I stay up all night, she wakes about 4 AM and wants a potty break and feeding. I REALLY need help in that area. I think I'll shoot for once every 12 hours for starters.

Likewise on the commands. She's onto "no", and seems very willing to please. I'm under the impression that I need some sort of treats to teach her commands. Still have a lot of reading to do.

I'll get pictures when I can. I changed my Sprint account (how I load pics) for April, but it will be back to normal May 1. She looks like a chubby teddy bear. She loves the cat toys (crocheted mouse, furry tail), which are just about the right size for her. And, since she is still teething, she gets a bone shaped treat thing to chew on instead of me. That was something else I read; don't let them bite on you.

Thanks!

She doesn't hold still for long. I'll try again :silly:

He's so cute he looks like a child's toy.
How have you handled the dominance and bed sleeping issues?

Haven't broken her of nipping my toes. I think it will just take more time for her to gain a better understanding of verbal instructions.

She doesn't sleep with me because she thinks the bed is a playground. She wakes me to take her outside, so that's pretty well done. She wears me out! If I'm at my PC, she sleeps in the closet right behind me. When I'm in bed, she sleeps behind the bedside table. It's always a sigh of relief when she crashes for the night!

I want to get a better pic of her little face. She is itty bitty. I've started calling her "Sissy".
Thanks :D

I have toy breeds and they HATE having their faces brushed. I leave that to the groomer and just keep their faces as clean as I can between grooming.

A basic slicker brush should do fine, as long as you brush her out several times a week.

That's great that at six weeks she's doing well with her housetraining. Sounds like she's going to be one smart girl!

I've been thinking that I need to get around to posting her photo. But I've got to take a short trip, so it will most likely wait till I get back. I did wash it and just held her and dried it with a wash cloth.

I'm not sure what a slicker brush is? Since no one had offered a suggestion, I was just going to ask someone at the pet store. Is it soft bristled?

She is doing very well with the potty training, but I'm having some other discipline problems :D I don't know how to go about it with puppies, but I'll be retrieving my water bottle on the trip, and plan to try that with her. Last night, I resorted to just putting her outside the door and closing it until she nipped to get back in. Isolation. She did knock off the aberrant behavior after a few of those. It requires a LOT more energy to discipline her than my kitty ever did.

She has two speeds, fast go and snoring. Shih Tsu's make funny little noises; cross between snort and oink, squeaks, little growls, and when she is playing she just pants as hard as she can. Funny.

This is a slicker brush:



Most of them have fairly soft bristles, and they're good for keeping the undercoat groomed and preventing shedding.

I have a six-month old Pomeranian puppy and he has the same speeds, frenzied play/sleep. What kind of behavior problems are you having?

is on a low table, and I keep a small tray of vitamins right near me. She grabs the bottles in her mouth by the lid and takes off with them! I gave her an empty one of her own. She LOVES to play. Just now she tried grabbing one, and I only needed to say "no". That's what she got put out in the hall for a couple of days ago. She likewise grabs my roll of TP which I use instead of box of tissue.

She has started digging in the litter box, which I keep clean. I guess that's okay :shrug: ?
She isn't TOO bad about chewing on some of the electrical cords, but will try it every once in awhile. I've got to get her some chew toys too, since she just has a few stuffed 'mice' and a faux hairy tail thing. And a nerf ball. She's really pretty good, but when she determines to do something, she goes into singular focus mode.

I'll post photo in a couple of days. Thanks for your replies!

btw, I'm probably changing her name to LulAnne/Lu'Anne. I tend to call her "little sister", and LulAnne sounds a bit like "little one". I actually looked up "little sister" in Chinese, MeiMei. It doesn't really roll off the tongue :D

My Pom puppy chews electrical cords, too. When he was very young he went into his crate when I left the house - now that he's a bit older, I leave him out but I unplug everything before I go. They outgrow it, but they sure add a lot to your to-do list when they're young.

It's a good time to get your pooch used to chewing on good stuff to distract her from the bad stuff. I don't give my puppy Greenies - I've read too many problems about these lodging in the dog's intestines - and I only give him rawhide once a week or so because that's not easily digestible, either. One thing I've found that he loves and keeps him chewing for hours is dried sweet potatoes. The big pet stores sell it in packages and it's a little expensive, given what it is. I'm going to get a dehydrator and dry the sweet potatoes myself because it would be a ton cheaper. He likes that they're slightly sweet, and I know that he'll digest it well and being a vegetable it's healthier than rawhide.

Puppyhood is such a fun time. They're fascinated by everything and they can find fun in something as simple as a twig they find outside. I've had a blast with my little guy.

That lasted about 1 hour in our house. Nothing is sadder than a puppy, whining his lil heart out in a crate in another room and giving you that sad face. It was hubby's rule to crate him, but guess who broke it ;) Our Manchester now sleeps at the foot of the bed under the covers and he knows 5 minutes before the alarm goes off. On weekend when we sleep in he moves up from under the covers and shares a pillow with one of us (kicking the other of us off the bed of course). Wouldn't trade that sweetness for nothing.