"AHHHH SHIH TZU!"..."Bless you!"

BACKGROUND:

For all my close personal friends and family, you all know how much I adore dogs.  Anyone who knew me back in my undergrad college years remember I had a little black dog named Samone.  

HOW I BECAME A DOGGY MOM:

I was in the Fort Sanders area of Knoxville at a convenient store one evening when a little fuzzy black head popped out of the trench coat of a homeless man.  He told me I could have the puppy in exchange for a six pack of beer.  I obliged, and Sam should have probably been called "six pack." For those following years, she was my roommate, my best friend, my daughter, my everything.  Sam and I lived in a duplex and later in a tree-house off Alcoa, near the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville.  I drove past the Body Farm referenced in Patricia Cornwell's novel every day.  

HOMAGE TO SAM:

Sam was a lab mix.  She loved squirrels, hiking, visiting friend's homes (and sitting under the coffee table), cats (queue Sting's "Every Breath You Take"...she was OBSESSED with cats), and every full moon she was disappear to some chicken coop and come back home covered from head to toe is chicken crap.  I would have to tie her to a post and give her a prison hosing down and scrubbing down.  Sam HATED thunder storms, baths, fireworks, being left home, and any attention I would give to another dog.

I lost Sam in a freak happenstance, and it took me a long time to get a to a point where I could recount memories Sam and not cry hysterically.  Sam has become a distant and lovely memory of my past.  But, losing Sam broke my heart so bad, I never replaced her.  Brene Brown, a renowned researcher would diagnose me as not being vulnerable enough to have my heart broken again.  I agree.

FAST FORWARD:

This past Christmas, I traveled down to Tallahassee, FL to my brother's cabin.  He loves to host the family around the holidays and rightly so!  Steamed oysters, smoked sausage, an amazing front porch with rocking chairs and a fountain.  

When I arrived late one night after traveling from Greenville, SC, I walked into his front door and a little fur ball of heaven popped her little head up from under a blanket.  My brother had decided to become a father!  Bella was her name, and this little shih tzu has become an absolute joy for our family.

DISCLAIMER:  Please note, this is not an all-inclusive list, simply what I've learned in the short time of being Bella's Auntie.  You may wish to research the breed a bit more prior to make a furever home decision.

PROS to having a Shih Tzu in your life:

1. They want to follow you every step, do everything you do, and sit in your lap constantly...
2. They look like the gopher from Caddy Shack or Chewbacca.  I mean!
3. They live to an incredible old dog age!
4. They adapt easily to new homes!  When Bella first arrived at my brother's house, we were amazed at how quickly she adapted to her new surroundings.  Recently, this Summer, Bella came to live with my parents for a while (my brother was having surgery and recuperating).  Again, she quickly adapted to her new surroundings and didn't miss a beat with eating and house training.
5. They don't bark!  If they do, it's very muted and playful and usually to let you know something they need.
6. They love to wear clothes...We are strongly contemplating a clothing line for Bella.
7. They are great emotional support friends.  Bella is so emotionally calming.  You can feel blood pressure drop as soon as you hold her.
8. They have hair, no fur.  So there is no shedding
9. They eat very little and poop very little tiny cigar turds.
10. Extremely intelligent and inquisitive!
11. They LOVE car rides and travel well.
12. They love people and kids, especially
13. EASY to pee pad train!  Bella DOES NOT like rainy days.  So, it's great that she pee pees and doo doos right on the pee pads.  They run roughly $.05 a piece, but worth every penny.
14. They're chick magnets.  If you want female attention, their cute cuddly faces will definitely attract the women folk.
15. They love hide n' seek, fetch, keep away, and "fish on the line."
16. They love to take naps with humans...
17. They get along with every animal they come in contact with.  They have no aggression whatsoever.  However, they may get slightly jealous with your attention.
18. They require very little exercise.  Although we take Bella for walks and play fetch, this dog is perfect for an inactive human.

CONS, but you should still have a Shih Tzu in your life:

1. They want to follow you every step, do everything you do, and sit in your lap constantly...needy
2. This is not the dog you need for daily jogs or long hikes.  They overheat!
3. They can be stubborn at times!
4. Their hair grows like kudzu.  Prepare to take the shih tzus for regular grooming sessions.
5. The smarter the dog, the harder to train
6. Their temperature runs hotter than a human, so they overheat
7. They LOVE everyone, so they could be easily swayed into getting dog napped.
8. They may initially eat their poop.  The dog is not retarded.  They learned this from the momma dog who eats the pups poop.
9. The Shih tzu is known for their fanciful tail.  If not trimmed properly, they can obtain dingleberries!
10. When they deep sleep they snore.  Personally, I find this adorable.  But, snoring is typically on a con list.
11. They tend to have ear infections, eye problems, and early tooth loss.  

CONSUMER/MERCHANDISE SUCCESS STORIES:

1. Car seats: Initially Bella got car sick and would puke in the car seat.  My brother quickly learned that he needed some way to where Bella could see out of the window.
2. Lambs ears and duck feet: Bella absolutely cherishes these chewy treats!
3. Hands free chest plex: Since Bella loves human contact and to be held all the time, this was a super awesome purchase.  We wish we had thought of it earlier!

Bella's chest plex was purchased for $15 at a children's consignment shop in Collierville, TN!

Bella's car seat was purchased off Amazon.  They loop to the back of the seat.  She has two (one as a backup that we use in the kitchen so she can sit up high when we eat)...

I PRESENT (Drum rollll please)...Some Bella Family Pics:

My mom and Bella on the Mississippi River...

Bella chillin' on a road trip...

Bella loves road trips!

Trips to the hardware store!  Eeeeeeeee!