posted 03-14-2004 12:58 AM         

I have a Shih Tzu, Pekapoo. The father is full ShiihTzu, Mother is a Pekapoo. I haven't decided if my Precious is a ShihTzu who has a little Pekapoo or if she is a Pekapoo who is a little Shihtz... Tee hee hee

I'm just crazy about my Precious. She is very, very smart. She gets along great with kids and other animals. I have not had any trouble with biting. She does tends to bark but that is getting better with training.

I believe it is true that you can't guarantee anything just by getting a certain breed. All puppies have their own unique personality.

I would recommend that you really get to know the breeder. Ask them about the parents. Fortunately for me, Precious's parents lived right next door from me for a while so I got to see what their personalities were like. I really liked both her parents. They are great dogs. But, they barked a lot. So, I kind of suspected that Precious would have to have some special attention in this area.

I personally think it is important to know what kind of personality you are looking for. Out of 6 puppies, I pick Precious because she had the personality I liked. I watched her play with her den mates to see how aggressive she was. I held her on her back in my arms and tried to make eye contact with her. Precious would look at me but remained in a head down position. That was what I was looking for. Not only that, I made a connection with Precious. I had a real good feeling about her. Picking a good dog is more important than picking the right breed.
Precious is a mutt but I would not trade her for anything.

Your doing the right thing by getting all the information you can get. It sounds like you are a responsible person who is concerned about making the right choice. More people out there need to be this responsible when making such a commitment. Good for you! Good luck in finding your new companion. I'm looking forward to hearing all about him or her.

Precious's Mommy,
Sunday

posted 03-14-2004 10:02 AM         

I have a ShihPoo, (Bailey), so I can tell you what little I know. I don't know a lot about the shihpoo "mix" (not a breed) other than what I've read on the posts and what I know from Bailey.... So speaking from our experience with the 10 month old:

1) Bailey is EXTREMELY friendly and loving. He is around kids and he socializes great with them. I heard that is pretty much across the board for the ShihPoo! He is also very sweet and wants his lovin! He still follows me (his mommy) from room to room.
2) He is also veryyyy social with other dogs (depending on the dog's reaction, of course).
3) He was VERY EASY to "potty train" and learns tricks really easy. (I was amazed! I hear it's the poodle part in him).
4) He's a little high maintenance when it comes to his coat. But, honestly, I think that's by choice - I keep his coat fairly long, so therefore I have to brush him daily. He goes to the groomers about every 4 weeks - I don't have her shave him, so she uses the scissors (so of course she can't go too short or it just doesn't look good).
5) As far as their life: I read that they have a long lifespan... can even live up to 16 - 18 years!!!
6) The one thing that I noticed with ShihPoos is that their weight DEFINITELY Varies - obviously depending on if it's a toy or standard poodle. Bailey weighs a little over 13 lbs and should be toppin' off soon since I heard they plateau right before a year.
7) OH! And I shouldnt' forget... he definitely is playful!! you have to give him his play time every nite He's great with playing fetch and stuff.