HOW TO PICK a Shih-Tzu Puppy
 Updated 3/1/09
DON'T GO BY PRICE!!!!!
I see the some of the WORST Breeders have HIGH PRICED DOGS!

 Here is an example of a pup we choose to breed:



Also: heavy coated, fabulous proven genetically clean pedigree,
Great head, loving, curious personality, large enough to carry pups in a healthy way,
small enough to love on lap. Symmetrical markings, white feet, tail, blaze, even mask,
flat face, square body.
More Cute FACES HERE


"Glory Ridge Patriot Miss L"
  

I look at the net and CRINGE!!!! Sure, not every pup is a beauty,
 but some are down right DOG FACES!
Excuse the pun....
THIS is how I pick a GOOD pup from heads to toe (and I am PICKY and only breed THE BEST, and THAT is why our pups are superior).

#1. Nostrils NOT slits or they MUST be surgically opened to prevent heart disease from lack of 
Don't buy the line they will "outgrow" it. 
They may snort at 12+ weeks due to teething, but NOT gasp for air out of it's mouth!
Minus 10 for pinched nostrils (10= DEAD DOG)
NO SNOT. Green/yellow discharge NOT GOOD!
I don't CARE WHAT American Shih-Tzu Club Says on this.
I have been raising shih-tzu 23 years and am an expert on these dogs!
You want a dog that snorts and has difficulty breathing OR a
dog that is FULL of ENERGY because it gets enough OXYGEN!

#2. Eyes: clear pupils (clouded means WORMS or WORSE)
MINIMAL white around the pupils. Not life threatening, just plain ugly.
NO BUG EYES! This is what we call WALLEYED and they are prone to injury. 
This also can mean they are HYDROCEPHALIC! (see #4)
The eyes should NOT droop and should be spaced not too close.

#3  MOUTH:
BITE: If a bite is OFF dead center at 8 weeks, it will be OFF at 1 year.
The bottom slightly forward from the top is breed standard
...but I only breed dead level top and bottom at 12 weeks.
EVEN then it sometimes get throw off.
OVERBITES a SEVERE FAULT and can cause some chewing problems.
This is not real bad, but the dog shoul be discounted and you should know BEFORE you
accept delivery!

GUMS: PINK. White gums = anemia form severe worm infestation! HOOKWORMS!
Crooked mouth is called "wry mouth". Defect.

#4. Head. OPEN fontanels cause small dogs. They tend to be hereditary. They close in time, 
but you must watch blows to the area. 
NEVER let children handle these dogs until this fontanel closes
. If they drop them, they are dead.
These small dogs can also have water on the brain which is signaled by bulging eyes.
"Imperial Shih-Tzu"  seem to fit the bill often. TAKE a LOOK.
 
5. Joints: VET examined for stability and NO LAX joints at 8 weeks.
NEVER, EVER, EVER, get a dog before that exam!
Loose knees , "Grade 1" usually improve with exercise.

6. Legs; NO BOWED LEGS in pups. Some older dogs will bow if raised on vinyl wire floors,
 but this happens. NOT in PUPPIES!
A "swimmer" lays on it's chest and walks bowed. Defect.
Hip dysplagia is a recessive gene. Dominant always overrides recessive.
Shih-tzu have rare occurrence of hip dysplagia.
Improper FEEDING in LARGE BREEDS will cause most hip dysplagia in 
LARGE BREEDS. SO FEED Large Breed Puppy Food to LARGE breeds!

7. Abdomen: NO BLOATING! Signals WORMS or Coccidia or liver disease.
NO hernias unrepaired. Hernias (inguinal and umbilical) are prevalent in shih-tzu
and are NOT LIFE THREATENING if repaired. If a breeder doesn't want to spend $$ to get it fixed BEFORE you get the pups, you can fix them when you have the dog spayed or neutered,  but CHECK the extra charge from your vet. 
You should NOT have to pay for something the breeder should have paid to do, 
unless you agree.
Purple line on the belly of a pup signals heart defect.

Kidney Disease
From ASTC website:
One may become suspicious of renal dysplasia in puppies older than eight weeks if excessive thirst, excessive volumes of urine, and pale urine are noticeable. Normal Shih Tzu puppies drink approximately one ounce of water per pound of body weight daily when eight to ten weeks of age, but dogs with severe renal dysplasia may drink as much as five times that quantity. Such puppies may also demonstrate reduced body weight and stature compared to normal puppies. They commonly weigh less than three pounds at five months of age and progress to renal failure quickly. Moderately affected puppies may appear normal until five or six months of age and then follow the same course, with chronic debilitation and death at nine to twelve months. Many animals with the disease, however, are only slightly affected and will live a normal life with normal renal function. Nevertheless, they can pass on some degree of the defect to their offspring.
There is now a DNA test to determine Juvenile Renal Disease


8. Stools: Firm. NO BLOOD, mucus or worms, diarrhea.
Pups can get "stress" diarrhea from new food and change of environment.
it is usually coccidia or a bacterial infection from stress.
You need ALBON to cure this. I would request Albon from the breeder if your
pup was not treated with ALBON or MARQUIS for at least 30 days
before you get Fido.
Pale gray feces indicates liver disease.

  9. Tail: Up and curled. Wagging after a few minutes of meeting you.

10. Skin: No dandruff, scales, or hair missing. 
Hair missing signals pup was on antibiotic injections.
This is fine if the breeder TELLS YOU. 
NO FLEAS! RUN!
Put should be treated for mites with Ivomec before you get it!

If the skin does not retract quickly when you pull it up, the pup is dehydrated.

11. Ears: no scratching, no foul smell. 
NOTE: we have found some pets need liquid benedryl after a flight
for a couple of days. If it does not clear up, you need to see your vet for an antibiotic.
Our pups are treated before they leave.

12. Coat: lush and thick. Thin coats means ???? about the pups true background.
. "Imperial" shih-tzu  have thin coats.
This goes with the "rare" gene their producers they claim they have.
FOR MORE ON: "IMPERIALS"
This also signals possible sickness as a pup. AGAIN, this is ok, if you know about it.
Color varies and changes more often than not as the pup matures.
 

13. Attitude: bright, alert, playful after 8 weeks.
Lethargic, thin, weak dogs are SICK dogs.


13. Rear end: testicals must both be down at 8 weeks or THEY AREN'T coming down.
If this dog is not neutered early, it will develop cancer, GUARANTEED.
Don't buy the line they will come down.
This is a hereditary defect.
Anus should not be swollen or red. This signals diarrhea and trouble.
Always keep hair trimmed around this area or you may get a blockage
from matted hair and then you have a mess!

14. Feet: dewclaws should be removed by the breeder. 
They hook on things and can get ripped off.
Surgical removal is painful to the dog and should have been done by the breeder.
They can hop like a bunny, but should not walk like a duck.

15. Attitude: Shih-tzu should NOT bite. They teeth, but that's a stage and it's OVER.
Males are more loving that females but WILL hike their leg to mark territory if not neutered VERY YOUNG.  By VERY YOUNG, I suggest BEFORE 12 weeks.
Females can come into heat at 6 months. GET spayed before heat cycle. 
Don't believe the line she should have a litter. 1 litter increases her chances of BREAST CANCER.  I have had it in several dogs and KNOW it is prevalent in breeding dogs.

16. Eating: I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
Shih-Tzu  DO NOT TOLERATE SOY PRODUCTS.
THEY ARE NOT HUMAN.
WRONG FOOD CAUSES URINARY STONES AND PANCREATITUS IN THIS BREED,
SKIN ALLERGIES,  AND  BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.
SPEND $$ ON FOOD, OR SPEND IT ON THE VET...
Pups need to eat solid food for their intestines to function normally.
DO NOT BUY A PUP who is not weaned 2 weeks.

I have had TERRIBLE PROBLEMS in SHIH-TZU with:
Royal Canine, Science Diet, Nutro Max.
I HIGHLY recommend
PEDIGREE,
IAMS/ EUKANUKA.
 


17. Vaccines/Wormer
Puppy should have at least NEOPAR PARVO vaccine before leaving.
1 Distemper/Adenovirus at 8-10 weeks before you get it and wormed at least twice.
I like Panacur because it gets all worms and giardia.

This was from another website:

You want a new animal. But where do you get one from?

A Reputable Professional Breeder!!!

Here are some reasons to choose a Professional Breeder as your source for your next animal:

The Answer is, Buy an Animal from a Breeder that knows what they are doing, not an inexperienced Breeder that doesn't understand all of the health issues for their breed or even the proper breed traits and conformation of the breed, and has only seen a limited number of litters!!! Would you trust a doctor to perform an operation on you, if they had only done it once a year? Of course not!!

Buy an Animal that is REALLY cared for.

Buy one from a Professional Breeder

 QUESTIONS CAN BE SENT TO

gloryridge@myturbonet.com

NURSERY

Animal Rights Activist
These are the people who help animals "escape" from confinement, to be hit by cars and starve to death.
They contribute NO money to the welfare of animals and education to breeders.
PETA paid for billboards across America at Easter, 2003,
depicting a hog with the words next to it,
"HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS. EAT VEGETABLES"
Jesusveg.com

THIS IS BLASPHEMY!
DO NOT SUPPORT PETA!
THEY ARE A group with a religious agenda,
NOT animal welfare people!

USHS confiscate animals to RESELL to forward their agenda!

   These people should be out getting legislation to mandates ALL pets be spayed and neutered and all breeders (that means ONE litter) should be licensed.
 There are too many abandoned mutts!

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