Shih Tzus make fabulous pets, especially for those living in small homes and don’t have a lot of time to play with their dogs. Shih Tzus make ideal companions for the elderly and for children. It’s no wonder that Shih Tzus are so popular. Unfortunately, this popularity has also lead to some Shih Tzus being treated very cruelly in the name of making a steady buck. Here is the Shih Tzu information your local pet store, selling Shih Tzu puppies, does not want you to know.
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.
Although animal rights activists and politicians like Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell (D) work hard to stop puppy mills, they can’t get them shut down if the puppy mill owners keep getting paid. Those payments come from puppies bought in pet store or Internet sites that only ask you where to ship the puppy and what your credit card number is.
The big advantage to getting your puppy from a reputable Shih Tzu breeder is that you can see the parents of the Shih Tzu puppies. You can also meet the first humans your puppy will be in contact with and help shape their attitude towards life. You can also get to tour the kennel or home of a Shih Tzu breeder to see if the dogs are happy, healthy and treated humanely. Not only is humane treatment of dogs the right thing to do, it also makes for a healthier, better mentally adjusted dog.
If you remember only one thing from this article, please remember this – ALWAYS buy your Shih Tzu puppy (or ANY puppy) from a reputable Shih Tzu breeder. Puppies are not like fish or mice which are very social and don’t need a lot of exercise. All pet store puppies do twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week is sit in a cage and occasionally get to be handled for a few minutes by shoppers. For those of you who are up on your Shih Tzu information, you know this is the WORST possible treatment of a potential 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. This is the perfect time for them to be housetrained, leash-trained and trained for all the things they need to know for their lives as companion animals. With Shih Tzu breeders, the puppies get the education they need at such a critical time.
The best way to stop puppy mills are to only buy puppies from reputable Shih Tzu breeders or adopt from shelters. This auhtor is currently working on a book about all dogs, including a chapter devoted to Shih Tzu information.
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