# My Shih Tzus- Gingerbread and Honey Bun



## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Both of them sitting on my lap. I couldn't fix Honey Bun's "yellow eye".










Gingerbread extreme closeup. lol










My little princess










An "artistic" picture that my husband took. Honey Bun is further back and blends in with my jeans!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

No love for my little Tzus?


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

How cute. Love the close-up of Gingerbread. She has nice teeth and looks like an Ewok. Of course I think all tzus, mine included look like Ewoks. I wish I could find an Ewok hoodie to put on Cassy for Halloween.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I think one of these days I will have a Tzu. Probably after Jonas is no longer with us. My friends have one named Baby who I'm quite fond of.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Thanks! Gingerbread is a boy though.  Thosewordsatbest- I think you would really like a Shih Tzu. They definitely have a more big dog personality. Not yappy or snappy and very calm. Plus there are plenty of them that need rescuing.


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## Jare (Aug 12, 2009)

Her little pinkish brown nose, I love it.

My father has a Shih named Toby, I'll have to some show a photo of him someday.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I have literally liked every single Shih Tzu I've ever met (that number is probably in the hundreds from grooming and rescue) and I search them on petfinder frequently. I have a soft spot for the ones missing eyes. I see loads of them in rescues missing one or both. They could all live with me.

Edit: Unable to adapt to this "cell phone internet" technology.


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## LoMD13 (Aug 4, 2010)

They are adorable! Shih tzu's are really just plain NICE little dogs. Every one I've met (mine included even though she's only half!) has been easy-going, confident, sweet little dogs.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Your dogs are so cute! I love their names. My stepmother has a Shih Tzu; he is a sweet little dog.


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## grab (Sep 26, 2009)

Precious  My husband and I both love Shih Tzus


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Thank you for the compliments! I also see a whole lot of rescue Shih Tzu with one eye. They're prone to eye issues and some of the poor dogs just aren't taken care of.


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I have literally liked every single Shih Tzu I've ever met (that number is probably in the hundreds from grooming and rescue) and I search them on petfinder frequently. I have a soft spot for the ones missing eyes. I see loads of them in rescues missing one or both. They could all live with me.


The first dog I applied to adopt off of Petfinder was a 5 yr. old Shih Tzu puppymill survivor that had been dumped at a shelter once she was all used up and not good for breeding anymore. I was turned down since I live in an apartment instead of a house with a backyard because they thought house training would be an issue. Then I saw Cassy on Petfinder through another rescue and applied for her and was approved even though she was a 3 lb shih tzu puppy with a bladder the size of a pea and I still don't have a backyard. Hopefully, Muffy has since found a home.

Cassy has been a great pup even though I was originally looking for a scruffy adult terrier mix that could go jogging with me. Cassy is my couch potato companion when we're home but still loves going hiking and camping with us at all the nearby recreation areas on the weekend. She's a quiet, happy, friendly little girl that has yet to meet a stranger. Since we won't be able to go jogging 4 miles together like I'd like to start doing again, I will save up for a bike and bike basket pet carrier so she can go biking with me instead.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Fuzzy Pants said:


> The first dog I applied to adopt off of Petfinder was a 5 yr. old Shih Tzu puppymill survivor that had been dumped at a shelter once she was all used up and not good for breeding anymore. I was turned down since I live in an apartment instead of a house with a backyard because they thought house training would be an issue. Then I saw Cassy on Petfinder through another rescue and applied for her and was approved even though she was a 3 lb shih tzu puppy with a bladder the size of a pea and I still don't have a backyard. Hopefully, Muffy has since found a home.
> 
> Cassy has been a great pup even though I was originally looking for a scruffy adult terrier mix that could go jogging with me. Cassy is my couch potato companion when we're home but still loves going hiking and camping with us at all the nearby recreation areas on the weekend. She's a quiet, happy, friendly little girl that has yet to meet a stranger. Since we won't be able to go jogging 4 miles together like I'd like to start doing again, I will save up for a bike and bike basket pet carrier so she can go biking with me instead.


All the ones I typically see are from that rescue I wouldn't even bother applying to because I would never follow their rules. They would probably die if they knew I let my dogs be dogs. There are two at LDDR that come as a package I'm tempted by. They're seniors and their owner passed away.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> All the ones I typically see are from that rescue I wouldn't even bother applying to because I would never follow their rules. They would probably die if they knew I let my dogs be dogs. There are two at LDDR that come as a package I'm tempted by. They're seniors and their owner passed away.


What's the LDDR rescue? I too would love to adopt a pair of dogs. I think that will be my next addition, in a year or so when we get a house. But yeah, I don't think rescues would adopt to me. I only vaccinate every 3 years, I don't give hw pills year round and I honestly have given up dogs in the past.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

luvntzus said:


> What's the LDDR rescue? I too would love to adopt a pair of dogs. I think that will be my next addition, in a year or so when we get a house. But yeah, I don't think rescues would adopt to me. I only vaccinate every 3 years, I don't give hw pills year round and I honestly have given up dogs in the past.


Oop, I just re looked them up and turns out they're Lhasas. And their story is much more sad than I rememer. Almost 14 years old with their separate problems and now uprooted.  

The rescue is Last Day Dog Rescue out here in Michigan. LDDR is a really awesome rescue we'e fostered for and will foster for again. They don't take vaccinations into consideration, or things like year round heart worm because we do neither of those things the "right" way. They are not particularly hard on people and the application isn't over whelming.


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## katielou (Apr 29, 2010)

I owned 2 zu's at one point in my life.

Cute.


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## osdbmom (Feb 15, 2011)

I think I saw those little ones when I was browsing the other day...or else there is another pair of elderly best friends needing a home. I hope someone ends being able to take them together. It makes me think of my dogs, they really are best friends, it is sad to think they could end up in a position like that, lose their home and then each other 

I dont know any shih tzus personally, but last weekend I met two small dogs that were "shorkies". I have never seen such hysterical dogs. My daughter was almost in tears watching them. They would run up to you, and the closer they got to you, the closer they got to the ground, until they were literally shaking their butts and bellies almost to the ground, and once they got within belly rubbing distance of you, they would collapse, bellies up, still butt shaking, to get belly rubs. I mean they did this for hours. It was so funny


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> They don't take vaccinations into consideration, or things like year round heart worm because we do neither of those things the "right" way. They are not particularly hard on people and the application isn't over whelming.


What are the negatives to giving heart worm tablets year round? I only plan on vaccinating every 3 yrs. and I don't think I'll put flea meds on my dog in the winter anymore once snow hits the ground since I didn't notice any bugs up here last winter.


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## JulieK1967 (May 29, 2011)

They're beautiful!!! I love Shih Tzus. Some years ago, I had a wonderful black/white named Oreo.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

Fuzzy Pants said:


> What are the negatives to giving heart worm tablets year round? I only plan on vaccinating every 3 yrs. and I don't think I'll put flea meds on my dog in the winter anymore once snow hits the ground since I didn't notice any bugs up here last winter.


I don't necessarily look at the negatives, as there isn't enough out there for me to absolutely say "Yes, it's dangerous to give heartworm medication all year round." and a lot of people do it and are fine, plus every one should do a lot of research before veering from a safe regiment. I am a LITTLE bit sketchy about how much I put in and on my dogs, but largely we don't do it because in our area it just isn't necessary. We do a heartworm test on every one come May, and then we start preventative June through October- the only months where the weather stays consistently hot enough for heartworm larvae to survive.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

ThoseWordsAtBest said:


> I don't necessarily look at the negatives, as there isn't enough out there for me to absolutely say "Yes, it's dangerous to give heartworm medication all year round." and a lot of people do it and are fine, plus every one should do a lot of research before veering from a safe regiment. I am a LITTLE bit sketchy about how much I put in and on my dogs, but largely we don't do it because in our area it just isn't necessary. We do a heartworm test on every one come May, and then we start preventative June through October- the only months where the weather stays consistently hot enough for heartworm larvae to survive.


Yep, I do the exactly same thing. It saves money and puts less chemicals in my dog. Plus we get hard frosts starting in November, and I promise there are no living insects of any kind around after that. We also don't use flea preventative because we just don't need it in our area with the activities we do. If that changed I'd put her back on it. We also only vaccinate against rabies, mostly because it could save her life if she ever bit anyone and that's a 3 year vaccination.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

kafkabeetle said:


> Yep, I do the exactly same thing. It saves money and puts less chemicals in my dog. Plus we get hard frosts starting in November, and I promise there are no living insects of any kind around after that. We also don't use flea preventative because we just don't need it in our area with the activities we do. If that changed I'd put her back on it. We also only vaccinate against rabies, mostly because it could save her life if she ever bit anyone and that's a 3 year vaccination.


We've had an odd summer where if I had known in advanced I wouldn't have had to give them preventative until now. It was consistently dropping into the low 50s for weeks and now it's just finally staying warm, but we dose anyway. By the time October rolls around it's pretty chilly and our winter months it can be just plain barren. There is a local vet clinic that has a sign stating how many cases of heartworm they've had this year, and the number keeps climbing. My clients at work freak out if they have dogs, and I think they're fear mongering.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Yup, I refuse to do yearly vaccines because I believe it's too much for my dogs' immune systems. I also really wish I didn't have to use Advantix. I only started last week when I found a huge engorged tick on Gingerbread. I go over him every day, but it was right under his hind leg and I missed it. Ticks are serious business because of the diseases that they carry. And I'll only give hw during the warm times a year. I don't see too many mosquitoes in the dead of winter. I also feed them a holistic food and bottled water. I'm working on getting Gingerbread's teeth under control. I'm doing everything I can to make sure they hopefully live as long as possible. And I do think they would automatically disqualify me because I've rehomed dogs in the past. Those were different days and so many things are in place now that giving away animals will not be done. But I don't know if I could convince them of that.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

I only know the rescues I've dealt with, but they don't take it into account. LDDR just requires the dogs to be returned to them and have adopted out to even those who have returned. It's really about finding a rescue that isn't just all about their application and following it with blinders on. I thought I would never be adopted to because my kitten was killed inside of my own apartment. It was a freak accident, but still. I was easily adopted to with no big stink over it.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

That makes me feel much better. It gives me hope that I may actually be able to rescue a dog.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

And I've been denied by rescues. There are ones out there that feel they have the best interest of the dog in mind, but they don't. The GSD I was denied sat in the rescue for another 6 months and the mutt I was denied ended up being returned twice.


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

I was denied 3 times (one of those they were really considering me but then opted to adopt to a family with a house/backyard) and I never heard back about 1 or 2 before finally getting Casbah. I think it will be a couple of years before we look for that second dog we want to get even though I'm seeing some adult dogs I'd really love to apply for.


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