I used to have a shih tzu.... died of Heart Failure at the age of 12.... he past away on August 8th.... To all owners, once your shih tzu turn senior, do go for more check ups to monitor the heart..... my vet says it happens to shih tzus.....

Yah... I was so so sad to learn that my dog had heart failure..... When reach senior age, vet said anything could happen, liver failure, kidney failure.......

Actually, you can monitor by yourself.... once awhile, put your ear on your dog's ribage and listen.... If it goes "thump thump" then the heart is normal... but when getting near to heart failure, the thump sound is replaced by "swich swich" and is very irregular.

Eyes loh important, always check to make sure no ulcers...

I think all purebreed dogs will have some sort of old age sickness.... like boxers, they will develop tumours and cancers.... many dogs also prone to heart disease and liver problems.... dalmations can go deaf or blind when old... dachshunds can have back problems, bulldogs can get strokes... sigh... list goes on and on....

I grew up with my shih tzu.. was so heart broken when he left... total shock! I cried right after the vet told me he has heart failure and just 2 days after the check up, he died without me at home....

Shih tzuz are stubborn dogs sometimes.... actually, it is true with all dogs. If you got luck, then maybe can get one that is a natural learner. Not all shih tzus behave the same. Some bite, some don't. Some bark, some don't. Some are brave, some are not. So when getting a dog, just study the puppy's character and personality before buying it.

A shih tzu, without cert can easily get for rm500 and with cert, rm800 to RM1200. Depends on what you are looking for also. Not all shih tzus are a good buy, even if the price is cheap, sometimes a breeder can cheat and sell you a mix shih tzu.

Lifespan for a shih tzu is 15 years or more.... Becareful, they need grooming(comb hair) at least 3 times a week. You got to cut the fur at least once in 2 months. Shih tzus are also prone to eye ulcers and heart disease.

Beware ah.... fruit seeds are toxic to dogs... Dogs also cannot makan grapes and raisin... toxic to their body and in long term can be dangerous.

Wahhh... your dog keng... my dog only like pear and apple and some carrot and choy sum sometimes.... but other vege and fruit she won't eat lol....

Wow, congrats!!! Must show some pictures. What colour is your shih tzu?

I dunno why you guys want mini shih tzus. They are NOT STANDARD!!!! Mini shih tzus are the WRONG SIZE! Cannot show. People taking advantage of you if you buy coz it is NOT STANDARD AT ALL!!!!! Why? Cannot show the dog, cannot get MKA cert...

Worst, breed the dog high risk of dying due to small size. Every country doesn't recognize mini shih tzus... people just breed coz of the weird demand in smaller dogs. Pity the dogs... they go thru live as if they are as small as a mouse coz they don't feed the dog properly, like 2 teaspoons a day coz wanna keep the dog mini size.

Please be wise.... mini? You will regret when it turns senior... major kidney and heart problems.... don't say I didn't warn....

For those who think I'm talking nonsense ah... here is the information on mini and imperial shih tzus.

The Myth about Imperial or Tiny Teacup Shih Tzu

The words "imperial" and "tiny teacup" have been used interchangeably when describing undersized Shih Tzu. This is not what the American Shih Tzu Club (ASTC) and the American Kennel Club (AKC) recommend and accept as good breed representation. The terms "imperial' or 'tiny teacup' should be regarded as ....A MYTH.

Maybe you read an ad in your local newspaper, searched the Internet, or know of someone who acquired a Shih Tzu using these words to describe how unusual and special (and even more expensive?) their dog may be. The official breed standard for the Shih Tzu calls for a weight range of 9-16 pounds. Why would anyone want to steer away from the weight called for in the AKC. approved breed standard or to call the breed by anything but its AKC. recognized name? Could it be a fad they have created in order to obtain a higher price? These particular breeders have deliberately downsized an already designated toy breed. By doing this, they risk the overall health and wonderful distinguishing characteristics of our breed.

Many of these less reputable breeders claim that their Shih Tzu possess the 'imperial' gene. There is no proof that such a gene exists. Size reduction occures by breeding the smallest dog in a litter to another small dog of another litter, and son on and so forth. This not only creates an abnormally small Shih Tzu, but also puppies that may have health problems. This is not indicative of an 'imperial gene' but rather of poor breeding practices.

A resonsible breeder does not advertise an occasional 'runt' as an 'imperial' or 'tiny teacup' Shih Tzu. Rather, it is sold as a pet, solely as a companion dog that is not used for breeding. Responsible breeders strive to breed healthy dogs that conform to the breed standard. The ideal Shih Tzu is a sturday, active, healthy dog with good substance for its size. Those desiring a very tiny pet should choose another breed rather than destroying the very characteristics that make the Shih Tzu such an idea companion.

There is no such thing as an AKC Imperial or Tiny Teacup Shih Tzu. Any registry other than the American Kennel Club is not recognized by the American Shih Tzu Club. Breeders using alternative registries may have lost their AKC registration and breeding privileges for various reasons.

We would like to caution everyone reading ads, searching the Internet or who has heard the description of Shih Tzu as "imperial" or "tiny teacup" to conduct further research before making a purchase.

This American Shih Tzu Club website (http://www.shihtzu.org) is a good place to begin or continue your research on our breed. There also are many good books about dog breeds, care and training to be found in most public libraries. Especially recommended is the AKC's "The Complete Dog Book" which has a chapter on every recognized breed of dog.

Taken from http://www.shihtzu.org/Info/imperial.asp?menu=Info

You people may see many websites on imperial and tiny and whatever wrong sized shih tzus in the net, well, all are just bred because the breeders think they are breeding something correct.

Really, do check with proper kennels and dog clubs. If don't mind getting a pup for RM2k that has no cert or background research then by all means go ahead... but just for your knowledge, there is really no such thing as mini shih tzus lah. They are just from improper breeding.

Another good websites on testimonials about mini shih tzus http://www.gloryridge.com/imperials.htm

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Jun 25 2006, 09:28 PM

That is mata sepet? Called cockeye or squinting of eye I think....

Cannot become normal... this is fault loh.... only a few shih tzus get this kind of eyes....

This thread merge since same topic.

Don't get one yet if you don't think can rare.....

Keep shih tzu's hair short... hahaha... shih tzus hair grows forever, will never stay short unless you bring your dog for grooming. Each grooming session may cost RM60 to Rm100 and you gotta bring it once a month to upkeep short fur.

Vet and food, it depends... but keeping a dog.... expect to give out about RM100 a month... that is only small basic expenses.

Yah... super fussy heheh.... oh yah... my friend got a shih tzu for adoption.... female I think.... poor thing need new home. Rescued dog lah..

Please do not discuss sales here. Warn liao.

2 months old need 3 small meals a day.... get to know how much you should feed a small breed puppy.... I can't remember but it should be 100g a day, you devide it into 3 portion and feed....

You can feed every 4 to 5 hours...

A 2 month old pup needs to poo and pee every 3 hours... and it is normally after they sleep, after they eat and after they play....

What brand you feeding? This is the problem with shih tzus, they are no.1 picky eater...

Ohh... Omni pro not nice wan loh.... try and get hold of NutriEdge... I think price almost similar.... it is better quality and tastier.

If you got go Pet Safari, they got sell. You buy the smallest packet and try... less than Rm20 for small pack... I think RM15 like that.... I'm using, I don't mind let you try but mine is for adult, not puppy... so different lah.

PLease don't open so many "shih tzu fan" threads... look for the old one.

We cannot assume what is wrong with your dog. Since you adopted it, if she wasn't cared for then maybe got some skin disorder. You better see a vet to confirm what is wrong, not get our point of view since we will only assume and we cannot touch and see your dog also.

MKA cert is only important if you are planning to bring your dog to dogshows and breed accordingly to breed standard to improve breeding lines and quality. If you are just having a dog as a pet, the cert is not important at all.

The parent dogs got MKA cert? If parent dogs do not have cert, means not registered as purebreed under the Malaysian Kennel Association. If not registered, the puppies also cannot get cert. Why? Well, the cert is actually a pedigree guide, like family tree... grand father, great grand father, this is to track the background and show line. So you cannot apply for cert for you dog if the parent dogs do not have cert. MKA would not do it since you or your friend would not know the background linage... the cert do tell about the breeder, also sometimes with the kennel names.

Since it is your friend, maybe you can trust him. These days many people do not register their dogs coz troublemsome... some do not breed according to standard so they simply choose dogs with no cert to breed.... really up to you. If I were to find a pet quality dog, cert is not a problem. Some of my dogs come with cert, some no cert... I do not really care unless I intend to breed or show... so you think about it.