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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 want a Shih Tzu or a Shih Tzu mix, then you are best off getting your puppy not from a pet store or an Internet site that sells puppies with no questions asked (except your method of payment), but from reputable Shih Tzu breeders or an animal rescue shelter. The puppies and their parents from Shih Tzu breeders are kept in ethical conditions an receive great veterinary care, often get to live inside of a house and come with health guarantees. These are some of the many advantages of buying from Shih Tzu breeders or adopting from a Shih Tzu rescue.

Now, you may be tempted to buy a pet shop puppy just because he or she has been so mistreated and you want to make up for it. Don't do it ' don't even walk in the shops, don't even look in the windows. Since they are puppies, some schmuck will buy them because they are cute. Don't be that schmuck. You also need to keep the long-term perspective in mind for the future care of dogs in general.

Shih Tzu breeders offer you not only a healthy, beautiful puppy, but also access to their treasure trove of Shih Tzu information. Reputable Shih Tzu breeders will never stop being concerned for all of the puppies they sell. They might even make a surprise visit just to check up to see if you are good enough for their puppies. The best Shih Tzu breeders will take back a dog at any point in the dog's life if you have to give up the 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. Reputable Shih Tzu breeders will quiz you extensively on your Shih Tzu information and if you've ever lived with dogs before. Don't be surprised if you are asked for personal references or have to have your home checked! Reputable Shih Tzu breeders, in living so closely with the puppies and their parents, will know the quirks of each puppy's personality and match them to yours.

Reputable Shih Tzu breeders will also include health certificates, AKC registration, the first shots and wormings. 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.