Shih Tzu For Dummies Book

Introduction     1
About This Book     1
Conventions Used in This Book     2
What You're Not to Read     2
Foolish Assumptions     2
How This Book Is Organized     3
The Quest for the Perfect Shih Tzu     3
Opening Your Home to Your Shih Tzu     3
Caring for Your Chinese Charmer     3
Training Your Shih Tzu     4
The Part of Tens     4
Icons Used in This Book     4
Where to Go from Here     4
The Quest for the Perfect Shih Tzu     5
Shih Tzu and You     7
The Lowdown on the Shih Tzu     7
What Does a Shih Tzu Need?     8
Companionship, and a lot of it     9
Shelter...and a little luxury     9
Healthy food     10
Exercise     10
Training     10
Medical care     12
Grooming, grooming, and grooming!     12
Are You a Match?     12
Why a Shih Tzu may be perfect     13
Or why a Shih Tzu may not be your ideal dog     13
Quick Questions to Ask Yourself     14
Why do you want a Shih Tzu?     14
Areyou a homebody, a couch potato, or an amateur athlete?     14
Is your home Shih Tzu-friendly?     15
Do you like to do hair?     16
Can you afford a Shih Tzu?     16
To Know a Shih Tzu Is to Love a Shih Tzu     17
Picturing the Shih Tzu: How Your Dog Should Look     17
Considering pedigree     18
AKC breed standard     19
The Shih Tzu in England     23
How Shih Tzu Should Act: Personality     24
Hopelessly devoted to you     25
No yip zone: The Shih Tzu's Zen-like tranquility     25
"So this cat goes into a bar...": Shih Tzu sense of humor     26
Love the one you're with: The adaptable little dog     26
My crown, please: The Shih Tzu's natural arrogance     26
Looking Back at the Shih Tzu's History     27
Ancient Shih Tzu: Tibet versus China     27
Go West, young Shih Tzu!     29
Shih Tzu today     30
What You Need to Know Before You Buy or Adopt a Shih Tzu     31
Understanding How Breeders Differ     33
Recognizing Good Hobby Breeders     33
Searching for a Good Breeder     36
Ask the appropriate questions     37
Pay a visit      39
Adopting an Older Shih Tzu     44
Shih Tzu rescue groups     45
Animal shelters     47
"I Want That One!": Finding Your Shih Tzu     49
Basic Questions to Ask Before You Start Looking     49
Puppy, teenager, or grown-up?     50
Do you want a male or a female?     53
Do you care about color?     54
Beginning the Inspection: What to Look For     54
Checking the dog's health     55
Evaluating for temperament     56
Tapping the wisdom of the experts     58
Chemistry and intuition: Letting the dog choose you     59
Dealing with the Paperwork     59
Sign on the dotted line: Contracts     59
Put your mind at ease: Health guarantees     61
The proof is in the pudding: Registration papers     61
Tend to your Shih Tzu: Care info     62
Future guidance from the breeder: Get those digits!     62
Opening Your Home to Your Shih Tzu     63
Stocking Up: What Every Shih Tzu Needs     65
Eyeing the Necessary Supplies     65
The right food     65
The right dinnerware     66
Grooming supplies     67
Kennels and crates     68
Bedding for a good night's sleep     69
Collars and harnesses     70
Leash     70
Toys and playtime     71
Baby gate     72
Yard pen and fence     72
Travel bags and carriers     72
Other important stuff     73
Living in the Lap of Luxury: Fun, Extravagant Supplies     73
Fancy food and high-end treats     74
Fancy grooming     74
Home furnishings     74
Bling and couture     75
Prepping for Your Shih Tzu's Arrival     77
Making Sure Everyone Is Ready     77
Shih-Tzu-Proofing Your House and Yard     78
Avoiding poisons     78
Eyeing other potential dangers     80
Protecting your belongings     81
Putting Your Home in Order for Your Shih Tzu     81
Her boudoir: The kennel, the dog bed, or your bed     81
Daytime quiet area     84
The dining area     85
The pooping and peeing area     85
Scheduling the Vet Check-up     86
Picking Up Puppy     87
Buckling Up: Making the Trip Home     88
Welcoming Home Your Shih Tzu with Open Arms     89
Introducing Your Dog to the New Digs     89
Showing your Shih Tzu the important areas     90
Letting your dog explore safely     92
Making Proper Introductions     93
Meeting your other pets     93
Meeting the kids     96
Getting Through the First Night     99
The whining and crying is only a test     99
Potty breaks     100
Getting Through the First Few Days     101
Making a Good First Impression     101
Setting Up a Daily Routine: Your Shih Tzu Day Planner     102
Chow time     102
Housetraining on time     104
The daily groom     104
Training and socializing     104
Exercise and playtime     105
Nighty-night     106
Start Training, Without a Pro     106
Remembering your Shih Tzu's primary directive: companionship     107
Using positive reinforcement: What a good dog!     108
Saying "No"     108
Kids can follow rules too     108
Is this behavior a problem?     110
Caring for Your Chinese Charmer     111
Feeding Your Shih Tzu Nutritious (and Yummy) Food      113
What Your Shih Tzu Needs, Not What Your Shih Tzu Wants     113
Different Diets for Different Dogs     114
Choosing the Right Food for Your Dog     116
What your Shih Tzu used to eat     116
What your vet recommends     116
Organic options     117
Reading the Label     117
AAFCO statement     117
Ingredients list     118
Considering Your Main Choices for Dog Food     121
Store bought     121
Homemade and delicious     124
Mixing it up     124
Don't forget water     125
Developing a Regular Meal Routine     125
Giving Treats     126
Choosing healthy treats     126
Avoiding not-so-healthy treats     126
Giving Your Dog Supplements     127
Monitoring Your Shih Tzu's Waistline     128
Portion size     129
Watching for signs of obesity     129
Looking out for signs of an underweight Shih Tzu     129
Making Your Baby Beautiful: Time to Groom     131
Teaching Puppies to Love Grooming Now     131
Considering Your Style Options     133
Long and lovely      133
Short and sassy     134
Doing the Grooming Yourself or Hiring a Professional     134
Going it alone     135
Seeking out a groomer     135
Grooming Tools and Products: A Primer     136
Grooming on a Schedule     139
Taking Care of Your Dog's Coat     140
Brushing and combing the coat     140
Bathing your baby     141
Styling the "do"     144
Handling Other Grooming Tasks     147
Body check     147
Face up     147
Teary-eyed     148
Toothy grin     148
Paws for a moment     149
Get to the bottom of it: Maintaining the rear     150
Socializing and Shaping Your Shih Tzu's Behavior     151
Drum Roll, Please: Presenting Your Shih Tzu     151
Starting your dog's socialization     152
Meeting (and greeting) other people     153
Meeting other strange animals     154
Party on: Throw a puppy shower     155
Hanging with Your Shih Tzu     156
Nipping Potential Behavior Problems     157
Shhhh!: Keeping your Shih Tzu quiet     157
Tackling biting problems      159
Guarding their goods     160
Overcoming extreme shyness     161
Separation issues     162
Delusions of grandeur     163
Identifying When You Need Help (and Who Can Help)     164
Your veterinarian     164
Puppy classes     165
Obedience classes     165
Animal behaviorists     166
Animal behavior consultants     166
Keeping Your Shih Tzu Healthy and Safe     167
Finding the Right Vet     167
Knowing What to Expect at the Vet's Office     168
The first vet visit     169
Subsequent puppy visits     171
Regular check-ups for your adult dog     171
Getting the Right Vaccinations at the Right Time     172
Puppy shots     172
Common vaccinations     173
Adult or booster shots     175
Keeping an eye open for vaccine reactions     175
IDing Your Dog     176
Spaying or Neutering Your Shih Tzu: Yes or No?     177
Considering Holistic Health Options     178
What is holistic health?     179
Locating a holistic health vet     180
When Your Shih Tzu Slows Down: Senior Care      181
Handling Important Shih Tzu Health Issues     183
The Attack of the Parasites (And How to Avoid Them)     183
External parasites     184
Internal parasites     187
Emergency, Emergency! What to Do ASAP     190
Recognizing emergencies     191
Giving pet CPR     192
Identifying common Shih Tzu emergencies     193
Understanding Common Shih Tzu Health Issues     198
Dental problems     198
Allergies and other skin problems     199
Breathing problems     199
Eye problems     200
Joint (and back) problems     201
Juvenile renal dysplasia     201
Liver disease     202
Traveling (Or Not Traveling) Safely with Your Shih Tzu     203
Taking Your Shih Tzu with You     203
Riding in cars with dogs     204
Leaving on a jet plane     205
Finding pet-friendly lodging     206
Packing your Shih Tzu's suitcase     207
Leaving Your Shih Tzu at Home     208
Finding the right dog sitter     208
What your caregiver needs to know     209
Boarding Your Shih Tzu     210
Finding a good boarding kennel     210
The doggy daycare option     211
Training Your Shih Tzu     213
Building a Partnership: Rules to Train By     215
News Flash: Your Shih Tzu Is a Dog     215
How to speak Shih Tzu     216
How to show (or not show) your dog what behavior is okay     217
The Magic of Rewards: Keeping That Paycheck Coming     217
Rewarding good behavior     218
Not rewarding bad behavior     219
Why punishment doesn't work     220
Who's Training Who?     221
Being in charge     221
Making training a daily habit     222
Housetraining Your Shih Tzu: Oops, She Did It Again     223
Housetraining from A to Z     223
Using tools: Crates, leashes, puppy pads, and more     224
Staying upbeat     225
Watching for warning signs     225
Sticking to a Schedule     226
The Amazing Crate     228
Paper or Litter Box Training     229
Dealing with Setbacks     231
Why your dog had an accident     232
Catching your dog in the act     233
Determining if your dog is trained     233
Housetraining an Older Dog     234
Cleaning Up after Your Shih Tzu     234
Mastering the Cues: Sit, Stay, Come, and Others     235
Choosing Your Training Methods     235
Luring and rewarding     236
Clicker training     236
Catching the good stuff     237
Starting with the Basic Cues     238
Sit     238
Come Here     239
Stay     241
Down     242
Drop It     243
Leash walking     244
Trying a Few Good Tricks     246
Shake     246
Speak and Shush     247
Roll Over     248
Moving Up with the Truly Talented, Trainable Shih Tzu     249
Making a Canine Good Citizen     249
Performing competitive obedience     250
Taking things less seriously: Rally     250
Considering agility: That Shih Tzu sure can jump!     251
Conformation shows     251
Training a certified therapy dog     252
The Part of Tens     253
Ten Shih Tzu Legends: Believe Them or Not!     255
Ten Tips for Showing Your Shih Tzu     259
Index     265