Don't Be Afraid Of Shih Tzu Breeders

Perhaps you've seen people picketing your local pet store because they were selling puppies. Don't these people have anything better to do with their lives? Actually, no they don't. What they are doing is calling attention to not how the puppies in a pet store or treated, but where pet stores buy their puppies from - puppy mills. Puppy mills are not only cruel and unsanitary, but the puppies that come from there are often sickly, have ingrained behavioral problems and are sometimes sold with false papers.

If you love dogs, then you should never buy Shih Tzu puppies (or any other puppy) from a pet store. You should not even buy any supplies from those shops. Why? Well, here's the Shih Tzu information your local pet store that sells puppies does not want you to know - they buy all of their puppies from puppy mills. These are deplorable places where highly sensitive, friendly Shih Tzus, through no fault of their own, are treated in conditions worse than death.

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.

Not only are you getting your next best friend from an ethical source, a reputable Shih Tzu breeder, you are getting a healthy dog too. Most importantly, you get the assurance that you and your Shih Tzu are matched in personality and temperament.

The pet store employees usually have so much work to do that they cannot give the puppies the individual attention they need at this critical time. A puppy learns best from eight to fourteen weeks of age. When they miss this window, they will have a hard time learning to be a good pet.

Reputable Shih Tzu breeders will also include health certificates, AKC registration, the first shots and worming. They usually have a limited health warranty, but often have a "right of first ownership" if, in the life of the dog, you ever have to give the dog up. The breeder would get the dog back.

How's that for pet insurance! And you can often call up a reputable Shih Tzu breeder to ask for help and advice on training your feisty Shih Tzu puppy.

About the Author

About the author: Rebecca Simpson is an avid lover of the Shih Tzu and owns a popular website where you'll discover how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Shih Tzu. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about Shih Tzu Breeder pros and cons plus a whole lot more.