Shih Tzu

have 2 for my kids. Dummer than a box of rocks. A GOLDFISH IS SMARTER... Xtremely wimpy to boot.

I've had my Shih Tzu for 5 years now and got her when she was 8 weeks old. She is by far the best dog and I would highly recommend this breed although finding a responsible breeder is just as important. The pros: She was very easy to house break using piddle pads for the first few months. This was convenient as I didn't always have someone home to take her out. She is a loyal dog, protective and affectionate. I barely ever use a leash. She stays close to me when outside and comes when I call her if she gets too far away from me. Not really cons but more like an fyi. Training to go outside was a bit more challenging as she does not like rain or even wet morning/evening grass. She is protective and has bitten. This is usually the response of someone coming in late at night and startling her. I try not to yell at her as I see this as somewhat desirable behavior. (although my husband didn't..lol) She usually sleeps at the bottom of my bed or my kids beds. If someone checks on th... Read more

A mop without the stick. About as useful and about as pretty. They're stupid and mean. And those are the good qualities.

I hate this breed of dog. Aesthetically unappealing, exceedingly stupid, hyperactive freaks, useless, with the superiority complex of a shit-eating monkey. I've known people who've owned this breed of dog, and I often wondered, why? It's such a waste of time. I would never own one, even if you paid me.

we had purchased a black and white shih tzu when he was 9 weeks old. we have had him for about 4 weeks now and he is potty trained and he is very noble. were are getting a second one that is white and, dark liver (brown) nose,mouth,paws and some hair. i strongly recomened shih tzu's. We had a shih tzu named Tiara she by all means was the best dog ever she is the reason we just love shih tzu's the reason also we got the black and white shih tzu and were gettin teh whit and liver is because she decided to just run away when we were at the beach she was getting took very good care of by our grandfather and she jerked the leash out of his hand and her collar came off and we havent seen her in about 1 month. we got the black and white shih tzu from http://bonnersshihtzus.blogspot.com/ they will have another litter in early september check the page out ours is the first black and white one

I recently purchased my Shih Tzu when she was 8 weeks old. I drove to the middle of nowhere to purchase her from a reputable breeder that I had researched. She was more expensive than most of the pups I saw in the newspaper, but she was exactly what I was looking for when I first laid my eyes on her. She is a pretty chocolate color. Potty training has been challenging. She knows to go outside and she does. She is starting to let me see she needs to go--however, there are times she will pee right in front of me in the house. She loves tearing apart toilet paper, paper towels and kleenex. If it is made of paper, she wants it. I told my children not to leave any homework laying around. She follows me everywhere and I love her to death. I have never seen a dog who has so much love to give everyone. She loves licking me. She loves other dogs and cats. She is not afraid of anything. She attacks my cat. She loves playing in leaves. She loves children. She does not bite or act aggressive.... Read more

Ok as a companion and strickly a house pet. They are friendly, out going, and trust everyone so they make an ideal pet for families and inner city people. However, if you don't like grooming and maintenance this may not be the dog for you. I doubt that the insurance company will mind if you have a Shih Tzu on guard duty.

Stupid, mean, horrible dog REALLY??? I don't thinks so. I've owned several breeds over the years but my little Shih Tzu is the best of them all. My daughter brought him home as a Mother's Day gift last year and I am totally in love with him. He did become a bit distracted during the potty training phase but we crate trained which worked great. He is almost a year old now and he stays out 12 hours a day in the house and never has an accident or destroys anything (well as long as it's not laying around in the floor). He has a lot of toys so he thinks anything lying around on the floor in the living room belongs to him. He is sweet and loving and makes friends easily with any human or animal. He rarely ever barks unless someone new comes to the house. The only challenge I've had with him is he is terrified of water. It has taken me several months to get him to the point that he will let me bathe and dry him without him totally freaking out. He starts shaking as soon as you tell... Read more

I got my Shih Tzu without really knowing much about the breed. I went to the pound with a friend to collect their runaway dog and saw the Shih Tzu who locked eyes with me and that was it! So I got her and now would hate to be without her. It took a while to accept that she was always going to be at my side, I used to think go away get a life!! but now if she is not there I have to go and find her. Luckily I work mainly from home so she is rarely alone and we take her with us when ever we can, loves car trips. We even go away on holidays with her. Luckily we have found a small dog friendly kennel that we can leave her there when we have to go away on business or overseas trips. She loves to go swimming every day at the beach, chasing balls and running up to 5 ks a day - but in the real heat of summer I do not run long distances with her. Need to be clipped every 6 weeks or so (we live in the tropics). Tends to scratch a lot - no reason, tried lotions and potions but she still does it. I... Read more

i have a shih tzu for 6 months and i love him to bits!! such a sweet little dog. He wakes me up every morning and just lives to bask in your attention. he is not one of those barking mean little dogs that ppl hate yet still makes a good watch dog. he will bark a bit when someone new comes through the door but will make fast friends with anyone willing to play. Is definitely intelligent. Learned a variety of tricks and can put away his toys when told to. He has a sneaky side though, he tries to sneak up the stairs like a ninja (not supposed to go up) even when i told him to stay if he know you are upstairs. Cannot bear being lonely. He also sniffs your hand to check for signs of treats before performing tricks which i find funny but i guess none of us would go to work for free either right? Good first time dog due to a sweet and peaceful nature but will require your presence and lotsa love also plenty of hair cuts. It was a harder to potty train but has got the hang of it now.... Read more

Shih Tzu's are great dogs and most people would realize this if they only give them a chance. My husband always talked bad about small "stupid" dogs and told me to get a dog that has a purpose, but once I got my Shih Tzu, he has completely changed his mind and loves that little dog like no other. My Shih Tzu Lilly is 1 and half years old and is the most loyal and loving creature. She does require a lot of attention and always has to be right near me, so make sure you have time for your Shih Tzu before you get one. Growing up my family had a male Shih Tzu and my sister has a male Shih Tzu now, and from personal experience my little girl did take a little longer to potty train than the boys, but she was completely potty trained at 6 months and never has accidents in the house. My Shih Tzu loves to play outside, go on walks, and loves water (our past shih tzus werent too fond of water). These breeds are awesome dogs and if you are nice to them, give them affection and play they will do ... Read more

MY Shih-Tzu should wear a helmet. He is borderline retarded. I love him and I think he is a great dog, but he is an absolute idiot. If you throw his bone and hide in a closet he will look all over the house and then break down in tears because he misses you. He sleeps EIGHTEEN hours a day. It's hilarious when we are playing catch or he is eating and he suddenly just falls over and goes to sleep. He snores very loudly. He loves to cuddle. It takes FOREVER to get him to poop. We just walk and walk and walk. And he struggles against the leash because he is lazy and hates being outside in the elements. He loves playing in piles of leaves, which is extremely cute to watch. Every time I think he is house trained, he pees on my floor again. He is so dependent he will follow you everywhere. He will cry if you go into another room and close the door. I can't take a shower without him trying to jump in the shower to be near me. Mostly, he just sleeps. Again, I really love my dog, but he is an id... Read more

Shih Tzu's are furry little flat nosed geniuses. I like them and they like me.

Wow, some harsh reviews here. I have to say I love the breed and have had my Shih Tzu for seven years. Like some have mentioned, any dog can be hit or miss, regardless of breeding. The personality traits of any breed can often be emphasized or de-emphasized with good training and patience. Many of the negative comments on this site appear to be posted by impatient individuals, and possibly those who have no business owning a pet if a bit of work is too much for them. A pet becomes a member of the family, as much as any human child or relative is. As an owner, the dog is dependent on you for its welfare, that having been said, if you're serious about owning a dog and researching one, don't dismiss a breed if you aren't honest enough with yourself about the care and commitment you are prepared to give. Half-baked commitment on your part will be met with the same attitude from this breed. It is independent, but very affectionate when treated right. This dog is intelligent, and stubborn, ... Read more

very stupid breed. sorry excuse for a dog.

Gentle, sweet and fairly easy to train. Cuddly. Not so easy to potty train, but worth it. Great dog for older people.

my shih tzu is the best dog i ever had, i've had a lab, rottweiler, st bernard, poodle, basset hound and none of them can compare to the temperament of my shih tzu. she's so gentle, NEVER biting, never angry. she hates cats, though, but towards other people and dogs, she's well behaved, always expecting to be loved. when your shih tzu is being hostile towards you, then either: 1) you are a bad dog owner, or 2) you bought from a disreputable breeder. take your pick. but blaming your shih tzu for hurting you is so lame. i could expect those comments from pitbulls but shih tzus? to all dog owners who think your shih tzus are bad pets, consider that the problem may actually be due to your irresponsibility! they're dogs, they live only to be good companions to us humans, not scapegoats for our ineptitude.

Bailey is part of the family. He was so easy to train. He rubs the door with his paw when he needs to use the washroom and will not do #2 in our yard at all. He goes down the road when we walk him...Unreal. I had doubts at first because he liked to bite on my fingers but he was only teething and his mouth was sore. I cannot imagine our lives without him. Cheers, Conrad

I have 4 dogs and I am a dog walker and I also board people's dogs when they go out of town, etc. so I am familiar with a wide range of dogs. I own 2 Bichons, a shih poo, and a shih tzu. They are all different and of course dogs differ even within the breed standard. But in general I LOVE my shih tzu so much. I have had and continue to have house training problems so I gave 4 stars. But I have a real connection with her that I have seldom had with a dog. OK< I did have it with a deceased Bichon and a deceased Sheltie, but it's rare and she is highly intelligent and just senses my moods, or it seems that way. She can be asleep and I'll stare at her and she'll wake up and look at me. She would never bite anyone. I do think that for my 4 dogs they keep each other from being bored, to that's important. We also have a huge backyard so they can get all of the exercise they want. We had 2 Labs before this and they were awesome, also, but I just love the companion dogs.

My mom got a Shih Tzu last April and I was like, "Why are we getting one of those ugly ankle biters?" Well, we got him, he's pure bred and I love him so much. He was the runt of the litter, luckily he looks more like his mom than his dad. I'm not gonna lie, he looks like an Ewok from Star Wars (look it up and you'll agree). He's super nonchalant, if he does bite someone it's only playfully and we tell him kisses only and he licks us instead. He isn't mean to anyone and is a lot more active than some of the other people said theirs were. I dunno, maybe he's just special. You have to remember though, it really matters how you raise them and train them. Even though he's a pure bred, he isn't a jerk like the 'normal' personality would be.

I think that the dog that the Obama entourage ran over during the New Hampshire Primary was one of these dogs. I will admit that the little bastards bite so maybe Obama was just getting even.

If someone had told me years ago that I would be an owner of a Shih-Tzu I would have thought.... "yeah right"!!!! The pup that my wife and I purchased is very loyal,was easy to house-train , loves to play but he knows how to rest when we do . This breed is very intelligent . We bought a male at 4 months old because we wanted a companion dog for my wife . She has Fibromyalgia and deals with a high level of pain and we heard that any dog is a good therapy dog , but if a dog is going to want to sit on my lap it better not be a St. Bernard ( We had one many years ago ,she was beautiful,but real dumb and real klutzy). The Shih-Tzu breeders say that if you want a companion dog for a woman , the male dog would be the best choice , and female for a male . We have had "Buttons" for 10 months now and we liked him so well we purchased another male Shih-Tzu and even at 11 weeks old we were able to paper train him so we wouldn't have to make "potty runs" outside when it is cold . He is an incr... Read more

People with all the negative comments..Shih tzu are definitely not the worst dog in the world. It's either the dog was judged quickly before you actually go to know them or you did get a shih tzu but the dog was badly bred. From my experience, I've always wanted a dog since I was a child, I wanted big dogs like a German Shepard or a Husky, but my friend arrived one day with a tiny little dog in a cute little red bag my first thoughts were "Oh great...a shih tzu" I always thought they were ugly, useless, and pathetic. But now I had mine for 4 years and she's great, she actually makes a wonderful watchdog and they are actually not as dumb as some people say, if you actually have the time and the patience to train these dogs you will get wonderful results, best way to train these animals are in a crate, it only took her 2 months to finally understand and she rings the bell to tell me she has to use the potty. They do make great companion dogs, she loves being at my grandmothers side. Basi... Read more

After reading the reviews here I'd have to say that very few conservative, F-150 driving Southern males own a Shihtzu. Fine - I imagine all of these men have small penises. They can have their pit-bulls and rotweilers and german sheppards and other dogs that spend their days chasing cattle and sheep and frisbees around to the endless delight of their proud, real-Amercan owners. I'm a straight male from the Great State of Texas and I've been the proud owner of 3 Shihtzus. The have all of the traits of 'real dogs' except pointless aggression, a willingness to perform inane tasks on command, slobbering on everything and everyone in sight, assaulting women's crotches during their periods, destroying large pieces of furniture, producing ten pounds of poop everyday that has to be periodically removed with a bulldozer, a compulsion to kill rabbits, cats, sheep, goats and quail, a seemingly endless ability to hallucinate non-existent threats and bark at them until muzzled or kicked in the h... Read more

I know that the shih tzu got bad reviews, but I am going to be as honest and helpful as I can. I own a shih tzu and a rat terrier. I got them both as babies. The shih tzu is not very bright and seems to be on her own agenda. I researched the breed and spoke to breeders, I read and was told what a great companion breed they are. I can tell you this, she is very hyper and it takes about 15-20 minutes for her to calm down, she doesn't listen even though she has had training, she is a year old and still doesn't get that we go potty outside (the rat terrier is younger and tells me when she needs to potty). She attacks the rat terrier if she gets a toy or any attention. I'm not impressed with this breed at all. If you are considering a shih tzu make sure you research the breed lines. The rat terrier learns things in a matter of minutes and she loves being a part of the family. Most people are surprised when I tell them that the shih tzu is 10x more hyper than the rat terrier. Wha... Read more

i have a 10 week old shih tzu and when she wants she can be the loveliest dog ever but she has a problem with biting and is getting nasty with it it doenst matter how many times i tell her no and smack her nose it just makes her worse and everyone is telling me shes going to be a nasty dog, i have asn 8 yesr old son and hes getting scared to play with her, can anyone help!! i have a male shih tzu who is 18 months ande never had this problem he is so well behaved

I read the reviews below and I just can not imagine my Shih-tzu acting like some from the previous post. I have two and they have never growled, snapped or acted unfriendly to anyone. These dogs to require attention, they are not for people who are gone for long hours. I have several friends who have Shih-tzu's and they have never had any behavior problems. I do feel that some posters have given the dog a bad review, one person did not even own one, they were commenting on thier sisters dog(probably sensed the poster did not like them). I have two boys ages 12 and 7 and these dogs have never been aggressive, very playful. As for the not listening, they are stubborn you have to use a firm tone, they want to please thier owners. Housebreaking was time consuming, but did the crate training and it has paid off big time. Great dogs!

Its sad to read negative comments about shih tzu's as i have 2 of my own and can't imagine living without them. I remember myself having some trouble with potty training and crying but with consistent regular training, followed by a healthy stable environment they both settled down and are the most loving and friendly dogs possible. Besides from the usual training, i believe it is vital that these kind of dogs have another friendly furry companion to keep them occupied and avoid developing a neurosis commonly seen in lonely dogs. I have had them since pups, trained them to sit in cars, taken them to children's parties to get used to the noise and attention and they have NEVER bitten anybody, been destructive to our property or displayed the kind of behaviour that has been indicated below. What i'd like to know is whether these dogs have been spayed? Here in New Zealand it is strongly recommended and most responsible owners do so, not only for health reasons but also it dramatically... Read more

From a former pet sitter. I do not like this breed. Both of my sisters have them and I don't understand what they see in them. My sisters knew nothing about dogs. They just wanted a dog and thought Shitzus were cute. One of my sisters regrets getting hers. It bites her all the time. If they had to do it again, they probably wouldn't choose this breed. I am currently sitting one of my sisters dogs and he has snapped at me a few times. Once for trying to wipe his paws and once for trying to wipe his face (after vomiting). He won't stop barking until he gets what he wants. He is lazy, stupid, and aggressive. I do not recommend this breed around children, especially small ones.

I HATE MY SHIH TZU SHE IS RETARDED .

I have a two year old shih tzu and it's the best dog I've ever had (much less met). She is brilliant, understands literally a hundred commands and tricks. What amazes me most is her understanding of human language (not tone of voice). The mere mention of "leash, walk, car, store, let's go upstairs/downstairs, back door front door, and on and on. She heard the sentence and is ready to go. She did take awhile to housetrain, but was perfectly trained at 6 mos. She's a wonderful companion, fuzzy friend and deeply committed to her family and friends (both human and canine).

I  have a boy shi tzu named Ralphie. He is 2 and 1/2. I love him more than some of my family. I never thought I could love an animal this much, being its my first pet. My Shi tzu is very smart. We cant use certain words around him because he knows. The only thing I am not liking is the aggresive attitude. He will snap at almost anybody, includin myself. Another thing is my wife has to groom him, because of his snapping. Sometimes she cant even do it. Still I love my dog.

Shih Tzu's are pathetic pets! Very stupid, almost retarded, never listens to anything, very stuck-up, refuse to go potty outside in yard,only goes on a walk that's an hour long or in the house!, very NON-playful, lays around like it's dead, tries to bite if you groom it or trim its' nails, etc., horrible begger, never listens, thinks he's the boss.

Great dogs. My sister has one and it is so loving and fun to play with. These dogs have lots of energy and love to play. Sometimes alittle slow to figure somethings out, but all together wonderful dogs.

I have had my shih tzu for 3 months now & I am about to go nuts! If anyone can offer me any suggestions on how to make him listen...I'd be so greatful! I love this little dog to death but he is impossible! You can call his name & he just ignores you, he runs off...he doesn't tell you he has to potty in a way you can notice if your not directly staring at him because all he does is stand by the door! And he is constantly wanting to jump & greet everyone he sees which I find annoying! Any ideas pleaseeee ????

my wife finally agreed to a dog, but with stipulations= no shed, minimal drool, not big. well, there goes the bulldog, lab, or even pug (prolific shedders)...didn't know what to get and went looking at others dogs..and i met a shih tzu at a cousin's house. well behaved- a blast outside- playing with everyone and everything, responding to commands, only barked when the doorbell rang and stopped when answered, followed them around and hung out for great companionship. i got one and have found the same to be true with our boy. he is awesome. his only issues are...not super friendly (a bit more discriminating) with those who come right at him and expect the labrador jump up and greet (which i find annoying and non-dog folk find scary). its interesting b/c they think he is unfriendly- not the case, just not wanting you in his face till he trusts. additionally he can get defensive with dogs who jump and are in his face- fine with the old butt sniff and check out scene in general..an ama... Read more

More than most other breeds, Shih Tzus need a great deal of companionship and do not like being left alone for more than a few hours. They tend to express their unhappiness through destructive chewing. If you work all day, this is not the breed for you.

Amazing dogs. Mine is two years old. She is the most loyal, intelligent dog Ive ever had.

Shih-tzu's are a bad, bad breed of dog. My girlfriend has one and she is an absolute little monster. She whines and cries if she isn't being held or petted, and she is constantly begging for food whenever we are eating ( and will whine and sometimes bark if she doesn't get anything ). If we are out in the yard, she will cry and bark constantly because she can't stand being alone, then we let her out and she wants to go back in again to repeat the same process. And she is always trying to bite and attack my dogs ( I have two 90 pound Labs ). She is so insanely jealous of them that she is constantly trying to fight them and be aggressive. Luckily for her Labs are so docile that they haven't attacked back, but eventually one of them will because they are getting tired of it. Part of the problem is the way the dog was raised ( my girlfriend spoiled her to death and let her do anything ) but that is still no excuse for the dogs behavior. I hate the dog and cannot wait for one of my Labs to ... Read more

I've owned my male Shih Tzu, Sandy, for 6 years now and despite fighting the initial purchase of a dog in general, I seem to love this dog more than anyone in the family. I suffer from allergies to fur and because this dog has hair, I'm not at all allergic to him at all. He is a light beige with little areas of white hair (looking like sand...). He is protective of our family and is agressive to strangers, mostly men, and that can be annoying when they aren't robbing your house, but he really thinks he is a big dog and has no problem chasing much larger dogs off the property. The agressive behavior actually started in Sandy's first year. We didn't think the dog even knew how to bark until we had someone come over to measure the windows for blinds. He accidentally stepped back and stepped on Sandy's paw. Sandy started barking at him and pretty much treats all men like they will step on his paws. Sad. He is a loving dog and I've rewarded him with small pieces of american cheese i... Read more

My girlfriend has a 13 yr. old Shih tzu (dooty). She lets me babysit him and I fell madly in love with him...so much so I bought him a girlfrind (Bunny). She is playful, loyal, absolutely passionate about ALL people and other dogs. Shih tzu's are companion dogs, nothing else. They soak up love like a sponge. Provide no work and DEMAND to be treated like royalty (they are holy dogs). I have seen grown men shed huge tears telling me about losing their beloved Shih tzu. I hear stories constantly about losing them and never getting over it. Trust me. They are lovable. But, hard work, the care is constant, brushing, skin irritations, potty training, biting are hard to control for me. I am sure it is my lack of knowledge. But the love is unbelievable, totally worth it.

I like them but they can get smelly if they don't get a bath like every other day lol.

I have had my shitzu since she was seven weeks old, she is now 3 months old and I absolutely adore her. Her name is Diamond and she is the most caring, playful, loveable dog in the world. Before getting her, I researched many small breed dogs and found that I shitzu would best fit my needs and personality and so far this is true. I really do not understand how someone can not like this breed of dogs.

I have had my shih tzu for 1 month now, and i was reading this thread and was amazed that some people think they are stupid. I think that the shih tzu is one of the smartest dogs, ever! It took my shih tzu one week, ONE WEEK to housetrain. She hasn't had an accident since and she quickly caught on and knows how to obey several commands.

We got our Shih Tzu from worse than a puppy mill, a neighbor with no business breeding puppies. Then the mother dog had nothing to do with the puppies. He came with that baggage. My husband a bigger problem, he has let the dog do as he pleases for over a year, now he's a horrible little ill mannered, disobedient spoiled monster. He won't train him, and he won't get rid of him. Fighting over the dog has caused me to hate both of them. I've had it!!!!

Shih Tzu is a breed which is considered a holy creature, existing longer than some civilizations. The fingers of Buddha reached out and created the small lion dog. The lines were created by the Buddhist priests, with the star and saddle marks of Buddha.To have a Shih Tzu as a family member is a privilege and honor. Behavior problems in a Shih Tzu are due to the family, not the Shih Tzu. The breed is high maintenance and requires an appreciation for the breed. When I read people referring to a Shih Tzu as having low intelligence, I was outraged. Research studies have shown a Shih Tzu has an IQ equivalent to a child of nine years-old, while the average dog compares to a 3-4 years-old child. The person who stated their family dog runs into walls was ignorant the Shih Tzu may have sight problems. DO NOT ADOPT A SHIH TZU - IF YOU DO NOT PLAN TO SPEND THE MONEY, TIME AND ENERGY TO CARE FOR A SHIH TZU. Popularity in the breed has caused too many cases of abuse. I have rescued far too many to ... Read more

Don't understand why these people hate Shih Tzu so much. They are the most affectionate, intelligent, fun and obedient pets we have ever owned! My husband had raised other dog breeds before, and so far he adores our 6 Shih Tzus the most. We spent a whole first year just to train them to the way we would like them to be. They have been cooperative and wonderful ever since. Of course, once in a while they would make mistake, but immediately they knew that they had screwed up. And never see them do it again. To our opinions, they try very hard to please us human! This breed was made to become human companion, so of course they always love to play with us as well as get lots of attention. Why? Because that's what they are supposed to be! We need to bring an important issue to you "Shih Tzu haters" is that the pet's temperament is greatly depending on where they come from. If you purchase your pet from a flea market, pet store, or backyard breeder then you deserve a bad dog which will be y... Read more

I got my first shih tzu in December from a rescue organiization. She was 8 weeks old at the time. In the past, I have had German Sheps., Rottweilers, and Amer. Staff. Terrier(pit bull). Sadie is just as intelligent and trainable as they were, plus she's more laid back, not hyper at all, hardly barks, is low shed, loves everyone, loves other animals, loves kids, I could go on and on. Not to mention, I can't even shop with her without getting mugged by people wanting to pet her............A five minute trip to the petstore turns into an hour.I find that a lot of the "training" problems people have is actually fault on their part, not the dogs. Instead of worrying about the intelligence of a specific dog breed, more people should worry about their own intelligence and knowlege of dogs.