Education

My Personal Journey

Did you know that I was a first-grade teacher before I became a Shih Tzu breeder? My first-born son had life-threatening food allergies so I decided to step away from teaching for a while. He was allergic to over 30 different foods including milk, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, lentils, green peas, sesame, chickpea, and the list goes on! His allergies were so bad that one time after eating a small piece of cheese, his face became blue, and was barely able to breathe. The hospital emergency staff got the Defibrillator out and was ready to restart his heart if necessary. Fortunately, the EpiPen was able to reverse the reaction.

My son outgrew some of his allergies and at some point was able to return to the classroom setting. Also, the poor kid was allergic to dogs, cats, horses, etc. Did I mention that he had asthma as well? We used to joke that we should wrap him in a bubble to keep him safe. Fortunately, he is now an adult and only allergic to a handful of foods which is much more manageable.

From the time he was able to talk, he found animals very fascinating. His very first word was dog. My daughter was allergic to dogs and cats as well. Our middle child somehow was able to escape the allergy plague. As the children grew older, they began begging and pleading for a puppy. All of their friends had a dog. The kids didn’t understand why they couldn’t have a dog to play fetch with. I kept trying to explain that it was too risky. After all, I had to dose with Zyrtec or Benadryl just to visit my father and his cat to prevent a full-blown hive attack in two of my three kids!

The begging and pleading went on for a couple of years. Our friend’s children had animal allergies as well. I started talking with my friend about hypoallergenic dog breeds and how they’re less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

I had my children visit and play with Kona their hypoallergenic dog. I bet you can guess what happened next! Yes, we got a puppy! Izzy our very first dog was a Shih Poo. It’s worth mentioning that Izzy is partially responsible for my business name, Arizona Sunrise Shih Tzus & Poos. Izzy isn’t part of the breeding program, but she was our first dog and deserves recognition!

I think you can guess how the rest of the story goes. We wound up purchasing a purebred Shih Tzu puppy so Izzy would have a friend. Ruby was a whirlwind of personality. She was larger than life itself! Anyone who met Ruby fell in love with Ruby.

Ruby’s temperament was phenomenal. Also, the kids were head over heels in love with both of our dogs. The shocker here is that I fell the hardest for our two new adorable pets. My love for these two dogs was no secret. On several occasions, I had friends tell me that I had a way with animals and should become a breeder.

My fascination with dogs didn’t stop at this point. I seriously was thinking about dog breeding. I had a passion for teaching and always thought I’d go back to it someday. But, home was where my heart was calling me. I could think of nothing I would like more than spending my days with my family and dogs! I began reading everything I could in regards to the Shih Tzu breed and breeding in general.

I also took as many breeding classes as I could. If I were going to be a responsible Shih Tzu breeder someday, I was going to have to do everything I could to learn as much as possible. After all, everyone had the right to own a Shih Tzu puppy with a temperament as amazing as Ruby’s! I was on a mission to make this dream a reality! The idea of providing families with their next best friend was so enticing!

The more classes that I took, the more I began to realize that puppies share a lot of things in common with human children. Puppies like children are little sponges that love to learn. Furthermore, puppies learn the most during their first 12 weeks of development. WOW, what an opportunity I had to shape and mold these little ones before sending them home to families!

The classes on puppy curriculum were worth every penny when Ruby’s puppies made their debut. The puppy socialization activities were a big hit with the puppies. The Shih Tzu puppies were learning critical skills during their most crucial time of development. The bonus, I got to plan puppy curriculum activities like I once did for my students! What a great opportunity to share the gift of knowledge with these little sweet souls. Watching these little bundles of joy learn essential life skills through the puppy curriculum was amazing! The gift of knowledge is very powerful to humans and animals alike!

I hope you had fun following along on my journey! It has been the ride of a lifetime. I wouldn’t change being a first-class Shih Tzu puppy breeder for anything in the world. I truly love what I do! Who would have thought that the woman with children with dog allergies would become a Shih Tzu breeder? It’s a small world and anything is possible. I am forever grateful to my children who did not give up on the idea of getting a dog. I also owe a lot to my husband who puts up with all of my dogs and loves them unconditionally. The kids were right, everyone should have the chance to love a dog.