Big Shitzhu?

Question

My Shitzhu is about 2 yrs now, and he is bigger than almost all the other shitzhu's we've met, he's an even 20 lbs and is not fat. He is just big. The puppy store owner and my vet both say he's pure bred shitzhu, and I have the parent certs to book. But I'd like to breed him but I can't find a big enough female. Some people tell him he's got to be part Lapsa or something, but his features are pretty standard. Anybody else got a 20 lb shitzhu?

FYI. I luv my dog & I wouldn't breed for money. He's a terrific pet and super smart. He has one blue eye. His torso is about 1.5 ft long and 1 ft high.

Answer 1

Did you get him from the pet store????? The dogs they sell at pet stores and the ones you get from backyard breeders are frequently large. It is because they do not care or even know the "breed standard" that defines things like size. They breed to make money. In puppy mills, where the pet store dogs come from, they prefer the larger dogs because they have more puppies and less trouble having them.
Face it, the breed should not be that big. Do not breed the dog and make more poor quality puppies. He can be a good pet, but he should not be bred. He is NOT what the breed standard calls for and breeding him puts you in the catagory with the people who bred him....clearly just for the money.

There are plenty of terrific and super smart dog out there. That is not a reason to breed it. Different color eyes is another clue. The dag may be a mixed breed. If you got it from a pet store, it came from a puppy mill and they are not known for being on the up and up. The dog is way too big and has different color eyes. What more can be said. The only reason to breed is to improve the breed. Can your dog do that?? No he can't. So please neuter him so he will live longer and prolong your enjoyment of him. Just because a dog is not breeding quality does not mean they cannot be the most wonderful pet!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

It sounds like your dog is a Lapsa. Shitzhu's don't get to be more than 10-15 lbs and 15 lbs being fat. If you want to know the standard of a Shitzhu go to www.akc.com and check it out.
I wouldn't take an advise from a puppy store because all their puppies come from puppy mills and those papers aren't guaranteed that those are really his parents.

Answer 3

You've been lied to - no shih tzu gets that big. Papers don't mean anything if the person you got the dog from lied to the AKC to get them registered. You shouldn't breed him either.

Next time don't buy from a pet shop - most of their dogs are from puppy mills where the animals are often kept in deplorable conditions. The parents probably aren't vaccinated against contagious diseases or tested for any health or temperament problems or genetic diseases. A female is often bred every time she comes into heat. When her poor little body can't take it any more, she is clubbed in the head and tossed into a dumpster or an open ditch. Most puppy mills ship their pups to pet stores at wholesale prices and many pups die before they even get there. Please stop supporting an industry that condones animal abuse. You're paying top dollar for a substandard puppy. These "breeders" have figured out that they can use the internet to ship a dog directly to the customer and thus make more money by cutting out the middleman. If you buy a dog from out of state, good luck getting your money back if there's something wrong with the pup. These people count on you becoming instantly attached to the poor little guy and being willing to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars at the vet to treat whatever is wrong with him.

I'd never buy a dog sight unseen from anyone! You might get lucky, but I think you're asking to get ripped off. Most good breeders have a waiting list of people who want their puppies - they don't need to advertise. They're breeding to improve the breed, not to make a living selling puppies - because it costs them so much money to do it right. Go to your local shelter and save a dog or find a breeder near you, based on the recommendation of a vet or a satisfied puppy owner.

Answer 4

If he is larger than most of the other Shih tzus that you have seen, and you got him from the pet store, he is clearly not the breed standard and should not be bred. Just having "papers" does not make a dog a good breeding candidate, just like having a college diploma does not make someone have common sense.

An overly large dog may cause puppies that are too large, and that could mean c-section. Check into this carefully, please. Contact reputable breeders in your area before you decide that you want to breed your dog.

P.S. the pups are not guaranteed to have your dog's temperament, etc, any more than a child is exactly like his/her parents. Think about it.

Answer 5

firstly Pet Stores will lie - they will tell you what ever you want to hear to get a sale... they are in it for profit, I am sure your dog is terrific BUT is it a quality dog?? nope - because NO breeder would EVER sell a quality dog to a pet store (only bad breeders need to hide behind the anoynonimity of pet stores - who mark up pets by 300%)
Unless your dog is registered - you cannot call it a pure bred, nor can your vet or the store owner.. a blood test would prove it one way or the other - maybe the mom also encountered another male durring her heat (most puppy mills who breed for pet stores have more than one breed on their place so this can happen)

that said
NO dog should breed who hasnt gone to a dog show to PROVE they are worthy of passing on their genetics.. too many people breed for the sake of breeding, which is wrong and has created too many low quality dogs, many with health issues (jaw problems etc)

do your dog (and all dogs) a favor and neuter him (he will be a happier, healthier dog as unneutered dogs face more health risks)

also the correct spelling is SHIH TZU

Answer 6

My shih tzu is about 25 pound and is just a stout little fellow. He thinks he is a cat and is not the most pleasant sight to behold, but he is also about 16 years old and very dedicated. I never saw a shih tzu that wasn't my dog's size so this being too big is new to me. My dog doesn't necessarily look big, he just seems to be very well made. I had his teeth cleaned a few years back and he had to be sedated. When I picked his drugged body up, I could not believe how heavy he was as dead weight. I don't see a problem but then, I am not breeding my boy. this may be your solution as well if the females are that small. Good luck!! DOGS RULE!!

Answer 7

It can happen that a dog is far off the breed standard like that. I'm sure he's a delightful dog, but he should not be bred. Purebred dogs have the health problems that they do from people breeding their dogs willy nilly rather than making wise choices about the *genetic* health of their dogs, and when a dog is that far off breed standard, you can be sure that there are other genetic gotchas under there. Those "gotchas" may be fine for a pet dog, but breeding quality dogs must be held to a much higher standard, especially for male dogs.

Answer 8

I used to have a shitzhu but he was nothing like the way your's is. Exactyly how big r we talkin? Mine was about 3ft. long 1 and a half feet wide. Nevertheless, dogs are dogs who shouldn't be judge by their color fur or size, big or small, but the love and little wagging tail the wag evr

Answer 9

I wouldn't trust any pet store owner.. Shame on you for buying from a pet store..All your doing is supporting puppy mills.

Your dog is not to standard so you should most certainly NOT use him for breeding. Nobody is going to want a huge puppy and when they see how big he is they will not buy one of your pups.

Answer 10

nope...