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 idiot. He is so docile, I wrestle around with him and try to get him to play and he will just roll over on his back and whimper. He is such a wuss. I used to have a terrier that was just a ball of energy. This dog acts like he is in the last throes of death, sleeping all the time and afraid of dying alone. I wouldn't trade him for the world!
:)

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, hence it is the job of the owner to be patient and train their dog. Dismissing the Shih Tzu as a "stupid" or "terrible" animal is just lazy. Granted there will be the odd few that are somewhat troublesome, but consistency and patience are the key to discipline, just as you would a human child. What makes a puppy so different? They come into the world needing instruction, just as humans do. Personally, I love my Shih Tzu, and have found her to be the best of any of the dogs I'ver had and acted as dogsitter to, of which the list is LONG. I've had a labrador/golden retriever mix, a German shepard, a toy poodle, a bordercollie/ labrador mix, dogsat a st. bernard, several different types of sheep dogs, akitas, labs, boxers, and more. Out of them all, the most loving and loyal dogs I have ever been blessed to own are my Shih Tzu, bordercollie/lab and my retriever/lab. They all rank beautifully. Focusing on the Shih Tzu, she's intelligent, quirky, full of antics, loyal, sweet, absolutely beautiful (that rare cinnamon colour with brandy colored eyes) and playful. I won't say there aren't health risks that this breed are more prone to. Definately be sure to look out for the eye problems. In general, as with any dogs, yeast infections in the ears due to water, and in older female dogs who have not been fixed, lumps on the mammary chain. These are some of the issues my dog has had, but we've taken good care of her and done regular vet visits. Overall, a wonderful and loving dog for those patient enough to have one, and commited enough to be a dog owner.

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 purchased my Shih Tzu about a year ago at 6 weeks of age from a friend of the family. We've realized that when you get the pups at about 6 weeks the dog turns out to have a much better personality when its older. However, it is difficult to get a pup this young because its still a baby, but with the right feedings and attention the pup will be fine. I, atm own 6 dogs (A Labrador, an English Springer Spaniel, a German Shepherd mix, a Boxer, a Rat Terrier and my Shih Tzu.) Out of all of them, my Shih Tzu is my number one baby. He's the sweetest thing ever, completely spoiled and bratty. He's a dork and very funny. He was a little difficult to potty train but he finally got the hang of it at 12 weeks of age - since then we've never had an accident! He's an inside and outside dog who demands attention. I cannot go to the restroom to take a shower without him pawing under the door wanting to get it or barking at the back door demanding that you let him in. These might be habits that some people consider bad but they don't bother me so I let them go. One thing I did find interesting is that we recently bought our 6th dog...my 9 week old Boxer named Casey about 3 weeks ago and we did notice him get a little depressed at first but a couple of weeks later he got over it and has now become a puppysitter. He has taken over that title and we can literally say "Gizmo, I want you to lay down with Casey and go to sleep" and he will right there and then do it. Its very funny and he seems to enjoy having an important job of taking care of our pup. This breed is not for everyone! They demand attention and would probably die without it! My Shih Tzu cannot spend 2 minutes without being in someone elses arms or too far away from me! He seems to be a one owner dog or it might be because he spent most of his puppyhood only with me....I'm not really sure. He will play with my 10 year old sister on the trampoline but if I walk too far away he'll stop playing. They're great dogs for anyone who leads a calm life but is at home most of the time!!!

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 incredible little pup and answers to "Logan" . Having purchased him for a playmate for "Buttons" we are never short a laugh with these two. They make us smile all day long and are always worth a laugh . If laughter is good for the heart as they say , we might even outlast these little guys . They live to be 20 years old , so who knows they might out last us . We have owned other dogs , but none even come close to these pups . A positive note : we neutered the first pup at 8 months and never learned to hike his back leg and will always squat . We have a male Snauser and he will hike in the house , now he stays outside full time because of it .

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. Basically from my opinion I think these dogs are being judged harshly...you never know until you actually try.

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 head, the ability to eat entire sections of fences to get to the dog next door or are bred to plunge their teeth into other dogs or children or the aged until their their heads have to be sawed off after they've been shot. Yep, Shihtzus aren't real dogs. They aren't manly dogs. They're just loyal, sweet-natured little dogs with big hearts, big personalities, a great sense of humor, that exist to make you happy. If you want a dog that is fascinated with wrestling or NASCAR a Shitzu won't do.

Sure, a lot of people question the size of my testicles. Everytime some macho nitwit like the illiterate anti-Shihtzu dolts that post here make my balls just a little bigger. Funny thing - evertime George Bush talked on TV one of my Shihtzus howled at the TV until I changed the station. Who says they aren't smart?

I'll never have a different breed. They make me smile. They make me happy. They are cute. Girls love them. My mother loves them. My deer-hunting dad sleeps with them. They are good with kids, they are good with other dogs, they are good to everyone they've met.

Sure, there are bad ones. Sure, they are small and can appear silly or snappy or undignified at times. But I can guarantee you that for every bad one there are a hundred good ones that do nothing but make their owners feel loved and appreciated. Isn' t that what a good dog does?

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. What really kills me, it that when you give our shih tzu a command (that she knows) she looks at you like she is flipping you off and runs in the other direction.

I am a passionate dog lover, but lately I am doubting the generalizability of my love for dogs as I got married and my husband has a Shih Tzu. That is the devils dog. My husband adviced me that the animal was kind of different but not the extent of it, and I treated it like my own until.... that animal bit me one day and since then he bit off three of my nails, I had many infected and very painful bites in the past (too much blood). The dog is a growler and a bitter and then shakes his tail as nothing happened. That dog is useless, he just lays on the floor or whereever and seems like if it was dead. I have seen other dogs from the same breed and they are not very happy animals. That does not even look like a dog it is just deformed with a very uggly mouth that has caused a lot of damage and mental trauma. I just hope that the animal will leaves my home soon. I also have to say that I have seen very pretty and not common Shih Tzus they just have a weird personality.

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 changes their behaviour, mostly for the better!
Believe me, they have still a while to go but once you get a dog, they a member of the family and as such, you shouldn't give up on them. They really are worth the effort and there are so many unloved unwanted pets out there, don't add another to the statistics!

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 amazing dog- loads of fun- learns tons of tricks- and no..he doesn't poop and pee all over- has only had a couple of accidents which were our fault for keeping him in too long after work without a business break outside.
lastly, we keep him in a slightly longer, but still a short cut for a shih tzu- we brush him rarely and he isn't overly in need all the time of hair care- an every 5 -6 weeks for bath and a brush afterward and sometimes one brush in between- not high maintenance at all....

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 finally snap and break her little neck and end it. This is a bad, bad dog and they are not recommended to ANYONE, EVER.

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 in response to performing various tricks. He has a large repetoire? of tricks now and will even retrieve and 1 of 10 stuffed animals when I call them out - Lamb, Cat, Squeak (which he bites and squeaks), bear, snoorlax (a pokemon character - lol). He stands, jumps, rolls over, goes in his cage, lays down, gives paw (any of the 4), howls, barks, gives five, high five, gets the mail (takes it from my hand and brings it in the house), scratches to let us know he wants to come back in the house and makes a distinct woof sound to let us know when he wants to go out. He has a very large vocabulary and understands things like go to the front door, back door, where's the fly, get the bunny, etc I think he over thinks certain things and gets nervous about fireworks, thunder, lights that blow out, and other noises. Things that don't make sense to him get him nervous. Sandy is a member of the family and it will be sad to see him pass some day. We use a wireless collar to allow him to run aorund the entire front and back of the house and it took him only 1 or 2 mild shocks to learn the boundaries of the property. He learned that the beep means come back toward the house. He barely needs the collar and knows how far he can roam but we use it just in case he needs to be reminded with the beep. I tried the collar first and it doesn't hurt - just designed to get his attention. I love him too much to lose him or allow him to get hurt.

My advice would likely be, if I had to do it all over again, buy a Shih Tzu, but get a female so you have all of this fun and intelligence without the aggressive behavior. I'm assuming it females are less aggressive.

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 live with my pure breed Shih Tzus of U.S.champions. Choose a different breed or a gold fish with a short life span.

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 yappy, snappy, disobedient, stupid, and outright ugly!!! But if you are willing to spend some time and money to find a reputable Shih Tzu breeder, like the way we did it, to buy your Shih Tzu, you will not be disappointed. Good luck to those who are on a mission to find a life long pet. Be educated and practical. How can one expect to get good pet from a puppy mill? There's a saying:"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree". Pick a good healthy tree to harvest your sweet apple!

A mop without the stick. About as useful and about as pretty.

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.

Shih tzus are the best dogs in the world. They are very smart and easy to house train. If a shih tzu is throwing up alot then they need to see a vet. This is NOT common and there is probably something medically wrong with the dog. As for chewing things, most dogs do this if they are not trained. Yes you do have to be patient with them because they are smart they have to know there is a reason you want them to do something. Some peoples comments sound like they just don't like small breed dogs. If they don't that's their perogative but that does not mean the small breed dog is ugly or stupid. The problems mentioned (chewing things, trouble house training, biting, nervousness, etc) are found in all breeds of dogs and is due to lack of proper training not stupidity on the part of the dog, or a traumatic experience they've been through. There are some people out there who should not have dogs, especially sensitive, smart dogs like shih tzus. They are the most intelligent, loving and loyal, beautiful, with the best personality of any breed. They are definitely the royalty of the dog world.

shih tzus are wonderful little dogs. of all the small dogs, i think they are the smartest with the best personalities. they just adore people and want to be with you all the time. they are a little challenging to train and mine has a couple of quirks that are kind of annoying, but overall they are excellent dogs. they are NOT stupid, NOT yippy, NOT untrainable! they require a lot of your attention and a lot of patience in training. mine's name is linus and he is such a little love. also, he doesn't bark unless he has a reason to and he and my cat play together a lot. he also gets along with my big black lab very well. they just love everyone and everything and bring a great attitude to any home. (also, not much beats them in the cute arena!! :)

I happen to have a beautiful, 3 month old Shih Tzu puppy named Radar, and he is the nicest, most caring, compassionate animal in the world. I love him to death and wouldn't trade him for anything. He's also adorable. For all you who say they're "ugly and stupid", you're very wrong. They're only ugly when they're all made up for shows and stuff. They're adorable when they're groomed properly and being a normal house pet.

shiz zu is a cute dog and is a lovely breed a bit snappy though but cute

I have a west highland white terrier and a lahsa apso, for me all kinds of dogs are good if you are good to them, some of the morons on here, calling these dogs, stupid and ugly, all share one characteristic, there all sharing the same singular brain cell, the owner is stupid not the dog. It dosent matter if a dog is small or big, toy or terrier, sporting or working, they all share wonderful hearts, which only bad owners can destroy, just look at some of the stupid comments on this site and you'll see people who should NEVER have a dog.

my mom had one of these and she dressed it and wherever she went people would want their picture taken with him. his name was mischief and my mom loved him dearly. she bought him all types of toys better than what we got as kids and all he did with them was put them under the bed and played with one toy only

This breed has a fantastic reputation. the are sweet, loyal, smart and soooo cute. But you MUST get one from a reputable breeder! I got my Shih-Tzu from some woman, who had little credibility. My dog was too cute- i got her, and didn't consider that a dog that cute could be bad. Make sure you see your dog WITH other dogs. Make sure you SEE the parents. My Shih Tzu was smart and loyal, but unstable and aggressive. She was certifiably insane. I ended up putting her to sleep. She was a biter and shredded my hand one day!!! That was all I could take. She was dangerous, but looked so normal and beautiful. I know she was an exception, but her breeder was irrisponsible and I stupidly trusted her. Just do your research, find a good breeder and don't buy the first dog you see!!!!! Shop around and don't let the breeder pressure you! Shih Tzu's are great dogs. But sometimes you get a lemon....good luck!

In my life, I have seen many dogs that could be called genuinely stupid, but Shih Tzu have taken the record. Besides the obvious of being ugly, Shih Tzu are one of the most dimwitted, endearingly hopeless animals I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. My aunt's dog is a Shih Tzu. Not only is he ugly, he is mean as a cuss. Always trying to bite and snap at my legs, never giving me any peace. And those bug eyes--always staring at me, never leaving my face. The creature is Satan in disguise. Then there's my friend's Shih Tzu. She's more friendly, but depressingly stupid. Four years old and she still hasn't grasped the concept of house-training. She also runs head-on into walls and doors, tries to pick fights with the Mastiff next door, and panics every time she hears the phone ring. Sorry, but these dogs are just hopeless. I'd rather have a smart dog.

We have a shih tzu. She is a little sweetie, very cuddly and loving. I get the feeling that some people either love small dogs or they hate them.I am a dog lover and from what i can see there are good and bad points of every breed of dog. They do need grooming, and they can be yappy. Otherwise I love the Shih Tzu breed.

I really dislike Shih Tzu for their lack of intelligence. I have owned real dogs in the past that have met every expectation I've had as a friend and a pet for them. The two Shih Tzu that came with my GF are quite possibly the dumbest creatures I've ever had the misfortune to come into contact with. One was a runt, and had zero understanding, was constantly nervous, yippy, went crapping and pissing everywhere at the slightest noise, bitey, and always tried to run away or escape any situation, usually followed by a trail of poop - her memory really was nonexistent - she was a breathing doggy vegetable; the male was more like a real dog in that it behaved, understood as many as two commands over its lifetime, and showed loyalty, but still retained the stupidity of the breed and was never able to grasp where to go potty, and never got over his lack of intelligence. In my opinion, they are a frustrating dog with little intelligence or control. But better than cats!! They in no way are comparable to regular dogs - the qualities, personality, and brains just aren't there. These are typical stupid little dogs. And the hair is another issue altogether! I got tired of the constant brushing and bathing (both of which they despised), so I would shave them bald, head to toe. Not a breed for the impatient or intellectual.