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Pam Crump
Shih Tzu |
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Buying a Shih Tzu |
Why choose a Shih Tzu ?
If you are looking for love, kisses and companionship
in a lap-sized package, you are looking at the right breed. The Shih Tzu is a true companion. He lives to sit in your lap and give you
kisses. His happy, out-going and
affectionate manner make him a great house pet, even in a small apartment.
However:
· Families with small children should always supervise play time with the dog. The Shih Tzu is sturdy, but the small size puts him at a disadvantage.
· If the family owns another animal that could become dangerous for the Shih Tzu, that other animal should be securely separated from the Shih Tzu at all times. We normally avoid selling a puppy to a family with such an animal.
· The coat requires at least 15 minutes of grooming at least every other day. To reduce this frequency of grooming, you may decide to get your Shih Tzu a “puppy cut”. Your dog will be happy, but will no longer have the appearance of the “show” Shih Tzu, and thus cannot be shown.
· The Shih Tzu must live indoors in a cool (not cold) temperature. His long thick coat would keep him too warm outdoors (even with a “puppy cut”). The coat will also become more quickly dirty and matted when the dog spends much time outdoors. Most importantly, the short nose can make breathing difficult while he is outdoors in the heat.
· If the dog will have access to a swimming pool or other body of water deeper than 12 inches, please select another breed – one that swims well. A Shih Tzu will drown very quickly.
· If you are buying a pet as a gift for someone, please make sure the recipient is the one who selects the pet before purchasing the pet. Surprise gifts too often do not work out, and the animal is the one to suffer the consequences.
Click
here for our thoughts on surprise gifts.
We encourage
Buyers to come to our home to see the
Shih Tzu they have selected from our website.
We ask only that the Buyer is fully ready to commit to the purchase
before they come to our home. That means
that anyone else who has a say in the purchase has
been consulted and agrees to the purchase (including others in the family or a
landlord). We will have your selected
Shih Tzu fully bathed and groomed and the paperwork prepared so your Shih Tzu
will be ready to go home with you (unless of course you select a puppy not yet
ready to go, in which case your deposit to hold your puppy for you is expected
when you visit us).
Factors to consider when selecting a Shih Tzu (click
on the links):
Preparing for arrival of your Shih Tzu
Shipping
(or Delivering) your Shih Tzu
You should always insist on a good written health guarantee
(or warranty) for a puppy you are buying.
Make certain that the terms and conditions placed upon you, the buyer,
are reasonable, and then make certain that you fully comply with those terms to
avoid losing the benefits of the guarantee.
Most such guarantees provide only for a replacement puppy (or a credit
toward another puppy) rather than a refund of the purchase price. In most cases when you get an unhealthy puppy
from a breeder, you would rather not get another puppy from that same breeder. Also make certain that the limitations on the
conditions covered are reasonable (and not so restrictive that they effectively
preclude any real protection). Make
certain that the coverage extends for at least a full year after you get the
puppy. Far too many sick puppies are
sold. We hear horror stories frequently
about a puppy that dies within days after the buyer gets it home, and often
after incurring large vet bills trying to save it. When you buy a puppy, you are not really
looking to get your money back; you are just wanting to get a healthy
puppy. The best assurance that the puppy
will be healthy is the willingness of the breeder to give a reasonable
guarantee. If a breeder is unwilling to
give a guarantee, then the breeder likely realizes that the puppy may not be
healthy, and the lack of a guarantee should effectively warn you that you may
be getting a sick puppy.
We at Pam Crump Shih Tzu reserve the right to refuse to sell a dog to anyone whom we believe is not motivated by the best interests of the dog or is not likely to properly care for the dog for the remainder of its natural life.
We recommend reading a good book on Shih Tzu before buying a Shih Tzu. There are two that we continue to use often, and include references obtained from The American Shih Tzu Club website http://www.shihtzu.org .
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