My mother recently passed, so I gave my 5 year old Shih tzu to my father for company out in Los Angeles. Payton (my shih tzu) is a great pet, very calm, and was even when he was a puppy. Their temperaments are so different from the Yorkie. He wasn't necessarily a cuddler, more of a "contact" dog. He was fine to just lay up against your foot or leg. But he was an independent boy, fine by himself or with others. I have two children that basically grew up with Payton, and they got along perfectly. My daughter thought he was her own personal baby doll and poor Payton was stuffed in all types of outfits, and never did he snap at her. He was a sturdy dog, 11 pounds but still quite small. Compact. Slept through the night from the very beginning. Only barked when someone rang the doorbell. I miss my boy. You'll enjoy your Shih tzu, believe me.
Oh yeah, the potty training took about 8 months to get to the point where I trusted him fully in our home, but once he got it, we NEVER had accidents. He could hold his peepee like a champ. |