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Far too many prospective Shih Tzu owners approach a breeder requesting
a “small, gold and white, female puppy.” Do these things really matter?
What a buyer should be seeking, first and foremost, is an affectionate,
intelligent, healthy, and playful companion. The rest of it is secondary, for
several reasons.
Color
The Shih Tzu standard states that all colors and markings are permissible
and are to be considered equally in judging our breed. This includes the
seldom-seen livers and blues (which have brown or blue pigment and may
have lighter eyes). Decades ago, however, a small group of breeders
insisted that gold and white was the preferred color for our breed. This
fueled an effort to breed for gold and whites and led to the virtual
disappearance of many other colors from the show ring. Today many
breeders would love to have more solid blacks, black-masked golds, black
and whites, and platinum silver and whites with black tippings, but these
colors are recessive and it has become very difficult to find quality dogs
that are genetically capable of producing them. In a breeding program,
blacks and black and whites are especially valued for their ability to
improve pigment, and the more unusual colors stand out in the show ring.
And, for pet owners, dogs with dark faces don’t have the visible face-
staining problem that affects so many of the gold and whites.
Sex
The pet buyer’s desire for a female probably stems from previous
experiences with other breeds. Shih Tzu have always been bred to be
companions to humans. Unlike many larger breeds, Shih Tzu do not have
sex-linked temperament differences. Dogs are every bit as affectionate as
bitches (some say more), and an aggressive Shih Tzu of either sex is
unusual and undesirable. In fact, one is more likely to witness occasional
squabbles over food and toys and ranking in the pecking order between
bitches than between dogs, particularly among bitches in season. Note that
it is best to have your pet Shih Tzu spayed or neutered as soon as
recommended by your veterinarian to help curtail and eliminate undesirable
sex-related behavior and reproductive health anomalies. Males are easier
to keep in coat because they don’t go through periodic, hormone-related
coat loss, making the male the ideal choice for someone planning to keep a
pet in coat or have only one show dog. Also, dogs are much easier to
housebreak. A male would much prefer to “hold it” until he goes outside to
mark his territory in the greater world, while a female seems to think it is all
right to eliminate wherever she happens to be when the urge strikes!
In Conclusion
Adding a Shih Tzu to your household is not something to do on impulse.
Devote time and energy to learning about the breed and how to recognize a
responsible breeder before you begin your search for a dog. This website
(www.shihtzu.org) has a list of questions to ask yourself and a breeder,
breeder referral information, recommended health tests, a picture guide to
breed colors, and articles on many of the other issues discussed here.
Once you have found such a breeder, listen to his or her opinions about
which dogs would best suit your lifestyle. After all, the breeder has been
watching these animals since they were born, not just for a single
afternoon. With the breeder’s advice in mind, you can choose the dog that
appeals to you. After all, your new Shih Tzu will be sharing your life for many
years to come, and you will soon find that color, sex, age, and size are not
the characteristics that really matter.
Resource: www.shihtzu.org
Original articles can be read by visiting www.shihtzu.org.
a “small, gold and white, female puppy.” Do these things really matter?
What a buyer should be seeking, first and foremost, is an affectionate,
intelligent, healthy, and playful companion. The rest of it is secondary, for
several reasons.
Color
The Shih Tzu standard states that all colors and markings are permissible
and are to be considered equally in judging our breed. This includes the
seldom-seen livers and blues (which have brown or blue pigment and may
have lighter eyes). Decades ago, however, a small group of breeders
insisted that gold and white was the preferred color for our breed. This
fueled an effort to breed for gold and whites and led to the virtual
disappearance of many other colors from the show ring. Today many
breeders would love to have more solid blacks, black-masked golds, black
and whites, and platinum silver and whites with black tippings, but these
colors are recessive and it has become very difficult to find quality dogs
that are genetically capable of producing them. In a breeding program,
blacks and black and whites are especially valued for their ability to
improve pigment, and the more unusual colors stand out in the show ring.
And, for pet owners, dogs with dark faces don’t have the visible face-
staining problem that affects so many of the gold and whites.
Sex
The pet buyer’s desire for a female probably stems from previous
experiences with other breeds. Shih Tzu have always been bred to be
companions to humans. Unlike many larger breeds, Shih Tzu do not have
sex-linked temperament differences. Dogs are every bit as affectionate as
bitches (some say more), and an aggressive Shih Tzu of either sex is
unusual and undesirable. In fact, one is more likely to witness occasional
squabbles over food and toys and ranking in the pecking order between
bitches than between dogs, particularly among bitches in season. Note that
it is best to have your pet Shih Tzu spayed or neutered as soon as
recommended by your veterinarian to help curtail and eliminate undesirable
sex-related behavior and reproductive health anomalies. Males are easier
to keep in coat because they don’t go through periodic, hormone-related
coat loss, making the male the ideal choice for someone planning to keep a
pet in coat or have only one show dog. Also, dogs are much easier to
housebreak. A male would much prefer to “hold it” until he goes outside to
mark his territory in the greater world, while a female seems to think it is all
right to eliminate wherever she happens to be when the urge strikes!
In Conclusion
Adding a Shih Tzu to your household is not something to do on impulse.
Devote time and energy to learning about the breed and how to recognize a
responsible breeder before you begin your search for a dog. This website
(www.shihtzu.org) has a list of questions to ask yourself and a breeder,
breeder referral information, recommended health tests, a picture guide to
breed colors, and articles on many of the other issues discussed here.
Once you have found such a breeder, listen to his or her opinions about
which dogs would best suit your lifestyle. After all, the breeder has been
watching these animals since they were born, not just for a single
afternoon. With the breeder’s advice in mind, you can choose the dog that
appeals to you. After all, your new Shih Tzu will be sharing your life for many
years to come, and you will soon find that color, sex, age, and size are not
the characteristics that really matter.
Resource: www.shihtzu.org
Original articles can be read by visiting www.shihtzu.org.