FAQs

My puppies are raised in a playpen as you can see in a lot of my videos. This is the method I used when raising my own dogs as well, when they were puppies. It all comes down to personal preference and family dynamics/needs. There is no right or wrong way. It just depends on what is going to work best for you and your lifestyle.

I understand that most families may need to use a crate at some point. A crate is often necessary for vet visits, road travel, boarding, etc.

As a result, all of my puppies are introduced to the crate. I keep an open crate in the playpen where the puppies sleep once they are about 6 weeks old. The crate in the playpen has comfortable blankets and toys in order to create a positive experience. The puppies can choose between the playpen or the crate to sleep.

Each puppy also gets many crate exposure sessions alone in a smaller crate outside of the playpen. I usually provide a tasty chew, a Kong, or a favorite toy to create a positive experience. I also place a comfy travel crate in the playpen on several occasions to help the puppies get comfortable.

I hope the crate exposure your puppy received under my care makes the training process smooth sailing!

As I mention on my website, my puppies are given an introduction to potty training. This means that I lay the foundation so that potty training will hopefully come quickly to your new puppy once he/she transitions to his/her new home. My puppies are trained to potty on artificial turf from a young age. Artificial turf is common in Arizona because of the climate. Turf is also what I have in my backyard. Once puppies have received their first set of vaccinations I introduce them to an enclosed safe outdoor area that has turf as well. We make frequent trips to this outdoor area daily. I praise the puppies and often offer a treat when they use the outdoor potty area.

Below are some things to remember during the potty training process.

• Be patient and consistent.
• It can take a few months for puppies to completely potty train even if you’re doing everything right! This is especially true with smaller breeds because they have smaller bladders.
• Expect accidents in the beginning. Your puppy needs time to adjust to his/her new environment.
• Take your puppy outside to potty often.
• Praise your puppy and/or offer a treat when he/she potty’s in the correct place.
• Remember, your puppy will eventually get the hang of it over time.

Did you know that a Shih Tzu’s double coat of fur actually provides protection from the elements? You don’t need to feel obligated to shave your Shih Tzu down every summer. It all comes down to personal preference. I personally love the look of a longer well groomed coat. But, I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot of work. A shorter cut is easier to maintain. Just remember no matter what hairstyle you decide to embrace to brush your Shih Tzu’s coat often!

First of all, I want to make sure that each puppy is checked over by a licensed veterinarian before promising a certain puppy to a client. It is important that I make sure each puppy is healthy! Imagine if someone has first pick and chooses puppy A only to find out that puppy A has a health issue. This would be unfair to the client. Also, it is of utmost importance that puppy evaluations are complete before puppies are chosen. I breed Shih Tzus which are a small breed. I complete evaluations at approximately 60 days. The evaluations tell me important things about each individual puppy such as assertiveness, energy level, and nerve strength. Now imagine, an individual with health issues that requires a puppy with low energy getting a puppy with high energy. This could end up being a disaster for the individual and the puppy. This is why its so important that I get to know my clients and their needs/ lifestyle while honoring my puppies and their needs at the same time Evaluations are an irreplaceable tool that helps me make amazing matches!

Here are some of the costs that go into running my program in a manner that I feel honors my adult dogs and their offspring. This breakdown may help clients better understand why I charge the prices I do for a puppy.

• Breeder continuing education
• Health testing
• Dog registration
• Vet bills for adult dogs for the rest of their lives. I don’t rehome adults in my program.
• Vaccinations, deworming and microchips for adult dogs and puppies.
• Whelping/birthing supplies (Whelping boxes, potty pads, Incubators, etc.)
• Puppy raising supplies (bottles, tube feeding kits, playpens, etc.)
• Curriculum/Temperament testing supplies (Toys, tunnels, slides, etc.)
• Adult dog supplies-(harnesses, food bowls, toys, etc.)
• High quality food for the rest of my adult dogs lives and for the puppies while they live here. Fresh pet alone costs $11.99 a tube. I go through about a tube a day when I don’t have puppies. Vital Essentials is about $35 for a one pound bag. I go through about 2 bags a week when I don’t have puppies. Royal Canin Puppy kibble is about $50 for a 13 pound bag. Royal Canin Mother and Baby Dog canned puppy starter is what I start the puppies on during weaning. It costs about $60 for 24 small cans. Also, you need to weigh in treats, chews, and supplements for 8 adult dogs.
• Spay/Secure contracts-I pay $59 per puppy to SpaySecure to promote responsible pet ownership.
• Puppy Essentials go home bags.
• Hired help-My kids appreciate an allowance for helping with the puppies. Also, it’s costs a whole lot to hire someone to watch my 8 adult dogs if we want to go on vacation.
• Taxes

And a whole lot more expenses that I’m probably forgetting.

So as you can see it costs a lot to run my program in a way that I feel honors my adult dogs and gives my puppies the best start in life.

I don’t currently offer breeding rights. All my puppies are either spayed/neutered before leaving my home or sold on a legally binding spay/neuter contract from SpaySecure. I have had no problems with clients breaking the agreement to date, but I will 100% take legal action if the agreement is broken. I owe that to my dogs and my kids who are always asking me about puppy updates.

I obviously have nothing against breeders. I am a breeder after all! But, I would have to know someone on a personal level and know how they operate their program in order to offer breeding rights. I would want to know that their breeding practices and beliefs align with my own personal practices and beliefs.

We all know that there are ethical breeders and non ethical breeders. I couldn’t in good conscience offer breeding rights to someone I don’t know. It would not be honoring my dogs or the offspring they produce.

According to the AKC breed standard Shih Tzus should weigh 9-16 pounds. Some breeders choose to produce puppies on the higher end of the weight chart in order to avoid issues such as low blood sugar and body temperature regulation issues. On the other end of the spectrum, some breeders prefer to produce dogs at the lower end of the AKC weight standard. These little ones make perfect lap dogs for clients that prefer a smaller Shih Tzu.

According to the literature which I completely agree with, not having your dog restrained even during short car rides puts your beloved pet at risk for injury or even death. 

Furthermore, your dogs fight or flight response is likely to kick in after a crash and your injured pet is much more likely to run away.

My adult dogs eat Freshpet Vital grain free refrigerated food from Petco. I usually get the turkey or chicken flavor. I occasionally will switch over to Just Food for Dogs fresh frozen food when I want to rotate. They have a lot of different varieties. They seem to love them all. I also homecook and freeze Dr. Mercola Meal Mixers when I have the time. I rotate my dry food as well. They love Vital Essentials, NutriSource, The Honest Kitchen and Royal Canin.

The puppies start off on Royal Canin when they are at my home. By the time the puppies leave they will have tried all of the food options I mentioned above. I send new owners home with some dry food when they pick up their puppy. New owners will also receive a puppy packet with feeding instructions and other important information. Puppies also go home with a tote of essentials. 

1. Durability
2. Different textures, shapes, and sizes
3. Enticing
4. Keeps puppy busy
5. Treat dispensing toys
6. Teething toys
7. Companion toys (ex. Snuggle Puppy)
8. Interactive toys (ex. puppy puzzle)
9. Toys that promote bonding (ex. ball)

Play pens give puppies a safe place to go to when owners aren’t able to give their undivided attention. 

Puppies will get into everything if left unattended far too long. Remember, they are teething and anything is game!

You can create a comfy place by adding a comfy bed or crate, soft chews, and some fun toys!