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Once you accept a Shih Tzu into your life, you marvel at how vivacious and friendly they are. They can help you cope with your problems by helping you take a different perspective - theirs. After a couple of years, you begin to wonder how you ever could have existed without a Shih Tzu, because they bring you so much and ask for so little in return. Once you get to know one Shih Tzu, you can’t help but care for the welfare of all Shih Tzus and all dogs.

These torture chambers for dogs are called puppy mills. There, dogs have no exercise, usually no vet care and live in tiny wire cages until they can no longer breed, then they are shot or pummeled to death. One central Pennsylvania puppy mill worker defended puppy mills as saying that “Puppies are biodegradable.” (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer.) Very rarely do people buy directly from puppy mills - they buy indirectly through pet stores that sell puppies and through web sites.

Now, you may be tempted to buy a pet shop puppy just because he or she has been so mistreated and you want to make up for it. Don’t do it - don’t even walk in the shops, don’t even look in the windows. Since they are puppies, some schmuck will buy them because they are cute. Don’t be that schmuck. You also need to keep the long-term perspective in mind for the future care of dogs in general.

Shih Tzu breeders offer you not only a healthy, beautiful puppy, but also access to their treasure trove of Shih Tzu information. Reputable Shih Tzu breeders will never stop being concerned for all of the puppies they sell. They might even make a surprise visit just to check up to see if you are good enough for their puppies. The best Shih Tzu breeders will take back a dog at any point in the dog’s life if you have to give up the dog.

Always buy a Shih Tzu puppy from a reputable Shih Tzu breeder. Think about how a puppy lives in a pet store. They just sit in a cage all day and all night until they are sold. Every day they are fed, watered and their cage cleaned.

The pet store employees usually have so much work to do that they cannot give the puppies the individual attention they need at this critical time. A puppy learns best from eight to fourteen weeks of age. When they miss this window, they will have a hard time learning to be a good pet.

Puppies are highly impressionable from two to four months of age. Whatever they learn during this period usually stays with them the rest of their lives.

How’s that for pet insurance! And you can often call up a reputable Shih Tzu breeder to ask for help and advice on training your feisty Shih Tzu puppy.

Last 5 posts by Rebecca Simpson

• Know About Shih Tzu Breeders - July 17th, 2008
• Don't Be Afraid Of Shih Tzu Breeders - July 17th, 2008
• Shih Tzu Breeder Information - July 14th, 2008
• Where To Find Shih Tzu Breeders - July 12th, 2008
• Imperial Shih Tzu: Cute and Loveable - June 19th, 2008

Tags: Dogs