Official Shih Tzu Guide

Okay! Hey everyone! Havin a good Wednesday? (:

My name is Mackenzie & me and my mom were on our way to a cafe this afternoon
when a man came outside with his puppy who was only a few weeks old. We played with her
for about 10 minutes and I FELL. IN. LOVE.
I want a shih tzu so badly now! The problems are that I’m 13 and my mom says little dogs like that have problems, etc etc.

So these are my questions;

1- How much are they typically? I don’t need an official purebred or anything. No champion bloodline. Just a shih tzu! XD What’s the lowest, most realistic price?

2- What are their typical health issues? I know some have several problems. I mean not for the super duper pure-bred kinds that are all wacky morphed to be perfect. So what are the usual health problems?

3- I know they are very sensitive to heat. I live in New England so it’s really not bad, but the summers can get pretty hot. What does that mean, "sensitive"? What will happen if they are exposed to too much heat???

4- My puppy would never be a show dog. So I want her hair fairly short. Not buzz cut but not loooong Rapunzel-puppy. Just slightly shaggy(: Can I trim her hair from home? Is it very hard? How often would I need to trim her hair?

5- Names! What should I name it? If I get it, of course! It will be a female, I love the mix of colors. Like mainly white with black and brown or something. I like Lulu or Tess. Any other sweet names?

Thank you very much!

PS; Answers provided by actual shih tzu owners would be super awesome!
BYB Have Gigantic Hunts;
Excuse me, please don’t twist my words. I never said I didnt care about health issues, if I did why in the world would I be asking about health questions? Silly.
I just meant I dont need a Champion or rare kind.

Dreamer;
Yes, haha, of course I know it takes research!
Of course of course! I just have been interested in
this puppy for about, hmm, 3 hours? So considering
I’ve already asked several questions about this I’m off to
a good start. I know what their personality is, as well, already.
Thank you.

1 - So you don’t care about quality or health, just a breed name and that it kinda resembles the puppy you saw? Then you can get an unhealthy poorly tempered dog from any backyard breeder or puppy mill. Just don’t come back to us when you can’t housebreak the pup and it has massive hip and eye problems. Prices for these types of dogs start at about $350 and go up to $3000.

If you want a healthy puppy, then prices will generally start at about $750 and go up to $2000. http://www.americanshihtzuclub.org/ can help you locate a responsible breeder.

Rescue shih tzus can be anywhere form $25 up to $500, depending on where the dog is rescued from. http://www.petfinder.com and the link above can help with that.

2- Epilepsy, sinus problems, eye problems, hip problems, liver shunts, are a few of the inherited problems. Shih Tzus actually have a HIGHER rate of Hip Dysplasia than German Shepherds do! Buying a healthy dog from a responsible breeder that does the proper health testing will reduce these risks.

3- Sensitive to heat means that you can’t work them hard in heat and you shouldn’t leave them outside when it’s hot.

4- You can keep the dog in a puppy cut. You can certainly try to do this yourself with a pair of scissors and shears, but it’s usually much easier just to have a groomer do it. It’s done once every month or two.

5- Natasha

I’m sorry, my goal was not to attack you, just to wake you up a little bit. I’m not sure you understand the importance of bloodlines and purebred status. Good breeders breed healthy dogs - these dogs are papered and have excellent bloodlines. Each litter will consist of pets AND show dogs. In unpapered poor bloodline dogs, inherited diseases are more common.