Having kept several different types of dogs over the years we are now looking for a small family dog and have decided on either of these breeds. My husband wants a tibetan spaniel and I want a shih tzu > any thoughts / ideas / experiences welcome...Smudgley
Been around shih tzu 's a good while and have owned 2 Shih rescue crosses.. Stable friendly little dogs who have kept my boxers on there toes.. Coat care is a must and breathing issues can happen... God willing i will always have a shih or shih cross.. Tibbies are nice dogs too though...
Thanks Murf. There are a lot of shih tzus about, not many tibetan spaniels though. Will keep researching until we can decide. The coat maintenace does put me off a little, but they do look pretty if they are kept well groomed.
Personally I'd go for a Tibetan spaniel because they are more to my aesthetic taste and the grooming is straightforward, takes up little time and costs nothing to maintain once you've bought a brush and comb. A shih-tzu will need to go to the groomers 4-6 times a year and groom the dog yourself in between so will most likely cost a minimum of £120 annually based on about £30 a visit. Temperament wise they are quite similar as they are closely related. Tibbies have a longer muzzle so aren't quite as prone to breathing difficulties and they on average aren't as prone to being nuisance barkers. Just make sure the parents are tested for PRA. A few people on the TM list I'm on have Tibbies with their big TM cousins and both human and mastiff are smitten with them and totally under the little Tibbie's spell. One of the local dog owners who I talk to often talks about his long dead Tibbie all the time. He's had a lot of dogs in his life, but the Tibbie is the one that's in his heart. They are a lot rarer than shih-tzu, but I get the strong impression they are rather special little dogs and worth seeking out and waiting for. I know quite a few shih-tzu locally. Mostly they are lovely and sweet little dogs, but I've known quite a few that are little horror bags and one full on attacked my 7 stone TM, snapping and jumping at his face. My dog held him down in his mouth like a naughty puppy and luckily he resisted the urge to squeeze his teeth together. Basically, as long as you get either breed from a responsible breeder who does any relevant health tests and you can see the temperament of their adult dogs of the same breed, it's just a matter of what kind of coat you prefer. A shih-tzu pup will be easy to find, but an awful lot of puppies out there are being sold by back yard breeders and puppy farmers so you will have to be more vigilant finding a well bred puppy. p.s. Did you know that very occasionally in Lhasas and shih-tzu litters, a puppy is born with a coat like a Tibetan Spaniel. They call them prapsos in Lhasas, as in "is that a Lhasa apso?" "Perhaps so... prapso!"
I agree - each to their own taste, but the grooming costs for a Shih are far dearer than a Tib Sp. All my shih customers are in every 4-6 weeks. ;-)
We go to a house-church now and the lady whose home it is in used to show Tibetan Spaniels (she had 15 at one point) and exhibited at Crufts. Last week she showed me some of her show photos and the dog had many trophies that were bigger than he was! I would think availability might be a problem as Tibbies are much more uncommon that Shih Ztus?
Yes Tibetan spaniels are certainly not as easily available as Shih tzu's are. The country seems to be saturated with Shih tzu pups and Shih tzu crosses. Quite sad really as most I've seen are not KC registered.
Congratulations and I'm just a teeny bit envious. I was going to look for one last year when I lost my old shar-pei, but the bearcoat seemed like fate so I'll have to wait for a while. When the TM was a pup we used to go to ringcraft and a lady with Tibbies was always there. He and the Tibbies had a special bond and would stare adoringly at each other. It was really funny to see and if we were late and someone else was sat next to her, his disappointment was palpable.
can't believe how easily the little man settled in, walked into our house and acted like he'd always lived there. love him to bits! he is a real star.
well done on your choice . delightful lilttle dogs , although they can suffer from selective hearing My lot used to walk with one. pics asap.
How wonderful! I'm so happy for you, if a little green with envy. Feel free to bombard Dogsey with photos. What have you called him? Isn't it lovely when they walk into your life and fit in so seamlessly you can't imagine what it was like before they arrived.
