TT Shih Tzu Imperials - Frequently Asked Questions

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I wean my puppies on Chicken Soup for the Puppy Lover's Soul. PetCo and PetsMart carries this throughout the United States. You may want to soften the dry kibble with warm water the first few weeks. Not all puppies like to eat whole dry kibble. As an infant puppy they seem to like soft food better. Spoiling a baby puppy should be the least of your worries. Getting your puppy to eat is more important than what they eat at this stage in their life. Switching over later on is not a problem. There is more information on their food located on the Puppy Info page.

Let your puppy eat as much dry food as he/she wants as often as he/she wants. Always leave dry food down for your puppy. A young puppy will not eat on demand. They eat when they want to so there has to be something down whenever they decide to eat. Start with 2 heaping tablespoons. You can adjust the amount when you see how much your puppy eats at a meal. At 12-16 weeks of age, you can pick up the water bowl at night to aid in potty training but have dry kibble accessible always until you see a pattern of your puppy's eating habits. Then you can feed your puppy when you know they usually want to eat. A particularly small puppy make need a supplement of canned food until 3 or 4 months of age. At that time you should be able to switch to puppy dry kibble until 8 months of age. Then you can switch to adult.

Give NutriCal to puppy in the morning, midday and evening for one week or until puppy is settled and eating well in his/her new home. Also you can continue the NutriCal in the evenings for several months. Nutri Cal, available at pet supply stores, is the supplement of choice for a missed meal. Offer your puppy something particularly good to eat (canned food, liver, a little lunch meat) after a "sugar bolus" to even out their sugar level. I don't usually have to give NutriCal here. They don't usually need it unless they change environments or otherwise become stressed. Don't be alarmed, this is normal for a puppy that is very tiny.

Everybody has a different opinion on this question! I personally feel that males are much more loving and get more attached to you than the females do. As a general rule, males are my favorite. The females love me too but chasing a butterfly is their highlight of the day. My little boys' main priority is being my shadow. The main factor in people choosing a female over a male is that they worry about a male dog lifting their leg on things as they get older. I do not deny that if a male is left unaltered and around other dogs that they do tend to want to mark their territory. This is a natural instinct and is not the dog's fault! If a male is neutered early enough, this generally does not happen. In fact, if they are neutered by 6 months of age, most never even lift their leg and squat like a female to pee. They don't have the slightest idea what marking territory is about. Most people who have a problem with males lifting their leg after they have been neutered, have usually waited until they are adults or are already marking their territory before altering them. NEVER NEUTER A MALE BEFORE 5 MONTHS OF AGE! Some breeders will have this done at 8 weeks of age. WRONG!! A male needs a certain amount of hormones to develop properly. I knew one that was neutered at 4 months. By the time he was grown he could not control his bladder. The poor baby would pee almost every time he took a step. That doesn't happen every time but why take the chance.

Yes, they have. They are wormed with Strongid T and Panacur on a regular basis starting shortly after birth. All puppies are born with worm's no matter how worm-free their mother may appear to be under the microscope. Canine's have the residual of worm infestation embedded in the lining of their stomach. This has been passed down for umpteen years and apparently can't be gotten rid of. Therefore they pass this along to all offspring who shortly find themselves with a worm in their tummy. Every puppy MUST be wormed. I also give Marquis, a preventive treatment for stress induced coccidia. Continue deworming your puppy on a monthly basis until 4 months of age and they are started on Heartgard Plus. Have a fecal exam done regularly until 1 year of age, then annually when time for vaccinations. Check with your vet, their schedule may vary.

My puppies are vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis, adeno2, parvo and parainfluenza. Puppy will need another vaccination with an '8 in 1' at 10 weeks of age and again at 14 weeks along with a rabies vaccination. The last 8-in-1 will be given at 18 weeks. Revaccinate annually. Always keep your puppy away from strange dogs, their urine and feces, until your puppy has completed their series of vaccinations. When going to the vet, never let your puppy down on the floor. Do not let anyone in the office pet your puppy until all vaccines have been given. That is how parvo and other diseases can be transmitted. Bring your own towel or blanket to place on the examining table. Never mind what anyone thinks....what they will think is that you truly love your baby! If you would like to give your puppy other vaccinations such as Lyme if they will be exposed to ticks, Giardia if they are exposed to bad water or Bordetellosis if they are kept in a kennel care while you work or walked by a dog walking service, do not administer on the same day your 8-in-1 is given. Many vet's commonly treat larger puppies/dogs and aren't real familiar with the teacups. They should not be given too many drugs at one time. Remember, the 1 lb teacup gets the same amount of vaccine that a 50 lb dog gets!!

Why did a standard shih tzu breeder tell me there is no such thing as an imperial size shih tzu?

I wish I knew the answer to that. Perhaps it is because there are some breeders that will sell a puppy stating it will be under 6 lbs knowing full well that the puppy is a standard shih tzu and will probably reach 12 lbs. That doesn't happen at Tiny Toi Shih Tzu. Occasionally you'll find a standard shih tzu breeder that is quick to group everyone in the same category, be it race, religion or creed. "One person is dishonest....therefore they all must be." Wrong. We at Tiny Toi Shih Tzu predict as best we can what size a puppy will be. Our dad's are 3 - 7 lbs and the mom's are 5 - 8 lbs. Some people think the size of the parents is what size the puppies will be. Not necessarily. I get 3 lb ones out of some of my largest parents. You just have to know what a particular breeding will do from past experience with them. Yes, we may sometimes miss calculate either way but NEVER and I repeat NEVER, do we knowingly sell a puppy that will not be the size predicted. Yes, it is hard to predict 'to the exact pound' what a shih tzu will weigh due to the varying body styles the shih tzu breed has. Whether a dog is spayed or neutered will also make a difference. Their time-of-season will also vary their weights. A female coming into estrus will put on weight. This is natures way of preparing the bitch for carrying and delivering puppies. The male's will tend to lose weight if they detect the "smell of love" in the air. This can be detected from a neighborhood dog even if he stays inside. Anytime you are not 100% happy with a Tiny Toi Puppy, please let me know. I will do all I can to see that you are satisfied with your purchase.

Usually, the tinier the puppy, the higher the price. The reason that breeders charge so much for the real tiny ones , is that the extremely tiny puppy (3-4 lbs) is very hard to get! Also, most breeders put a lot of TLC in raising the tiny imperials 24/7. Imperials require extra care, and some can't go to a new home until they are at least 10-12 weeks old. I do my best to keep my prices as reasonable as possible. We can sell puppies less than some other regions whose cost of living is greater than ours. The variations of our prices on imperials does not necessarily reflex their expected mature size. Some hard-to-raise imperials will still reach 6 lbs. On the other hand, some of the normal size imperials may very well stop growing at 4 lbs. Our puppies are priced on an individual basis from $1,000 - $1,500 and usually have more to do with their color or markings.

Awhile back we had terms such as teacup, tiny type, mini's, imperial, small standards and so on to describe the size of a shih tzu. Now that some registries are letting us record a smaller size for the shih tzu, they have settled on two descriptions....the Imperial and the Standard. Imperials are under 9 lbs, standards are 9 lbs but under 17 lbs.

Did you know the Pomeranian AKC size standard used to be 20 - 30 lbs? Yep, but someone decided that 7 lbs was large enough so they downsized them and AKC changed their size standard on them. Why was it ok to do this to the Pom but not ok if we want a smaller Shih Tzu? Besides, I don't feel tiny shih tzu breeders are downsizing the shih tzu per se. On the contrary, we are trying to keep the conformation of the breed where it originally was, here in the United States, several decades ago and where all of them SHOULD have stayed. The regal, proud headset and carriage of the shih tzu along with its distinctive flowing coat make's them irresistible to the show clubs. I can remember when I purchased my first shih tzu in 1976. She grew to be a healthy bouncing 7 lbs and died of old age at 14. There was nothing unusual about her size. For the most part they were ALL small....they are classified as a TOY. I know, sadly, some of us have all but forgotten that. AKC even changed its standard to go up to 16 lbs. The leading show registry decided it was OK for them to be bigger. I guess the bigger they were the more dynamic they seemed to the judge's. I really have no idea why the Shih Tzu has allowed to become 16 lbs. I breed a line of shih tzu that come from small parents to begin with. Parents 7 - 9 lbs can produce imperial sizes because they have imperials in their line. But at any rate, no one seems to mind the Toy Poodle but for some odd reason producing 4-6 lb Shih Tzu incites a variety of fabricated statements from some people. AKC gives top Championship honors to the Toy Poodle, Mini Poodle and Standard size Poodle. Why they don't like a smaller Shih Tzu I have no idea. I suspect they are referring to people selling unhealthy, stunted, runts out of standard size parents. Breeders should not sell these puppies as imperials because they are NOT. Imperials come from a line of small Shih Tzu. Do my particular dogs come directly from an Imperial Dynasty in China? I have no idea and neither does anyone else. All I know is they are small, they are wonderful and I love them. I have read that Royalty were fond of carrying around their Shih Tzu in their sleeves. If they were carrying around 15 lb dogs in their sleeves I'll eat my hat! You know good and well the Shih Tzu had to be under 10 lbs, at least, when they were first developed. Where AKC got the idea that a Shih Tzu should be allowed to reach 16 lbs I'll never know.

PLEASE DON'T BREED AN IMPERIAL FEMALE UNLESS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DOING SO. If you don't know the proper body style to breed and what type of male to choose, she will not survive the trauma. A female that I KNOW for sure won't be able to have puppies naturally, will have limited registration if you have chosen AKC papers. Please understand, you can get an entire litter of 4-6 lb puppies out of a 7 lb mom if you know which parents to breed together. Breeding 4 lb females is NOT how you do it. They must have a bone structure that will accommodate the passage of the wide headed shih tzu puppy. It takes years of experience to know how to determine this. Besides...breeding very small females is totally unnecessary in order to produce imperial size puppies. You should leave breeding up to experienced breeders. However, if you are set on producing your own imperials or any other size dog and would like information please visit The Reality of Breeding Dogs. It is a MUST read for anyone thinking of breeding dogs. But just don't read it....take Jane's advice seriously. The joys as well as the pain are very accurately stated.

Tiny Toys aka Mini, Teacups aka Imperials and Standards all live to the same age 13-15 years old. They all look like a Shih Tzu, same coat colors and length with the same loving personality. All have the same healthy mind and bodies, contributed to responsible breeding practices.

Why does my Imperial Shih Tzu weigh more than my Poodle who is twice as long and tall?

Many times I hear, "Oh, you must come see my new dog! She is a year old Chihuahua that only weighs 2 lbs!" I go expecting to see a 3" dog only to discover they look more like a small greyhound. Cute and sweet, yes... but not what I call tiny. Skinny maybe. I guess I'm just used to my heavy boned cobby bodied balls of fur. A Shih Tzu is not built like a Poodle, Pomeranian or a Maltese. Shih Tzu have denser muscle mass and thicker bones. A 6" Shih Tzu can weigh more than a 10" Poodle. Remember to consider the breed when evaluating the weight of your dog. Imperials are short and solid with good substance.
I have 4 lb dogs that are 7" tall and 7 lb dogs that are also 7" tall. The weight of an imperial Shih Tzu can largely be determined by their body style and diet. Some are lean and some are stocky. We do the best we can to determine the body style a puppy will have. We can usually tell by 4 or 5 weeks of age if a puppy is going to be under 6 lbs or over. However, to predict to the exact pound takes until they are 6 weeks of age and even then its just an estimated guess. The exact mature size can be a pound or so smaller or larger than the 'scale prediction' we use which is to quadruple the weight at 6 weeks of age.
Naturally we can't predict to the ounce but we have had great results in using this scale on our puppies. There are several things that give us an indication as to how the puppy will turn out, therefore, slight variations from the above scale are possible. If a puppy is particularly stocky, we may add a pound but it doesn't mean the bone structure will be any different...they may simply carry more weight. It may also reverse depending on the puppy's body style. At 7 months of age, a Shih Tzu is usually as big as they will get....the great majority will reach adult size before 7 months of age. They may add muscle and therefore more weight but their bone structure is as big as it is ever going to be.

Things to look out for in the Imperial Shih Tzu are eyes, ears, teeth and skin.

Skin Care - Shih Tzu require brushing and combing at least 3 times a week. To maintain a full coat, weekly baths and blow drying are a must. For the clipped coat pet, they still require regular brushing and baths every two weeks. Imperials can have sensitive skin. If you notice your pet scratching a lot during the day and you have eliminated fleas and your vet sees no rash, redness nor obvious skin problems, you might need to check your food ingredients. Imperials can suddenly develop a condition to an ingredient that they have previously been eating with no problems. Mine suddenly developed a reaction to yeast. I changed to a food without yeast and the itching stopped. Choose a food with a proper balance of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. If necessary, you can give a supplement of Fish Oil, 1 teaspoon, 1-2 times a week. If the coat is still dull and dry, have your vet check for tapeworms. You will need to bring in an entire stool, not just a small sample. You can't see tapeworms under a microscope. The vet will look for segments of them around the outer part of the stool. But just because you don't see them, doesn't mean your dog doesn't have them. Even with a good topical preventive such as Advantage, all it takes is to swallow one flea for them to develop tapeworms.

Dental Care - Crooked teeth and/or baby teeth that refuse to fall out are common in the Imperial breed. Have your vet check their teeth at every visit. Daily brushing is also recommended. Your vet or groomer can show you how to do this.

Ear Care - Shih Tzu grows fine soft hair in their ears which should be removed to prevent ear infections and to maintain good health. Therefore, a trip to the groomer at least every 1-2 months is required if you can't do this yourself.

Shih Tzu has many admirable traits but it is perhaps the breed's temperament that is so remarkable. In fact, the AKC breed standard for the Shih Tzu specifically mentions its temperament, stating that the breed must be "outgoing, happy, affectionate, friendly and trusting toward all."

The Shih Tzu may even be loving and trusting to a fault. They don't understand that someone may not like them or that something bad night happen to them. Also, they are slow to recognize aggression from other dogs or animals. They will walk up to any dog and go nose to nose, wagging their tails.

Another attractive Shih Tzu quality is that although they are small, they are tough and sturdy. They are a big dog in a small package but don't require a ton of exercise. Shih Tzu enjoy their walks but they don't 'require' a lot of activity. They are ready to play when you are, but they can amuse themselves. Even an older Shih Tzu will still love their balls, toys and other play objects.

This is not to say that the Shih Tzu can survive without any attention. The Shih Tzu 'lives' to be with its owner. If you don't like having a shadow, don't get a Shih Tzu.

Another consideration is that Shih Tzu can be a real challenge to "house-train." Crating your new puppy is a must. If you can't stand being away from your baby at night, place the crate next to your bed. Be consistent, it won't take long and they will get the idea. Then you can move the crate to storage and your lil' Shih Tzu will be able to have the run of the house.

Imperial Care: Small Imperials are not suitable for everyone's lifestyle. I get several e-mails a day from people looking for imperials. A lot of people get mini's and imperials confused. Most people think that they want an imperial, when they are really looking for a nice tiny toy. A mini is still tiny enough to rest in the smallest lap, fit in the new papoose backpacks or reside in a condo or apartment. They do not realize the extra care that a very tiny imperial requires. Most imperials will never be able to jump on your bed without a stool. If they are put on a bed or couch as a puppy, they must be watched constantly so that they do not fall off, as they can break a leg or be seriously or fatally injured. Plus, as puppies, because of their small size, they cannot have the run of the whole house and must be confined in a small playpen etc. They are also not suitable for households with small children or even larger dogs, as they can be easily hurt, dropped, or stepped on. Also, some (but not all) teacups are prone to *Hypoglycemia. (*Which is low blood sugar). When a dog uses up all his stored source of energy (food) and it isn't replaced, then low blood sugar results. So if you decide to get a teacup, make sure you know the warning signs! To prevent this, tiny pups should have small frequent meals and plenty of time to rest.

A monthly treatment of ProGuard Plus is recommended for prevention of heart and some intestinal worms. Consult your vet before giving any treatments. All animals, including humans, have intestinal bacteria such as E-coli. It's called intestinal Flora. Some are good bacteria and are necessary to eat up the bad ones. Maintaining a natural balance is essential for good health. When the bad out way the good, problems are present such as diarrhea. Stress induced coccidia is very common in young puppies. Something as simply as changing their environment can cause an outbreak. Albon is the antibiotic of choice to cure this condition.

We use Advantage monthly for prevention of fleas. If ticks are a problem in your yard please consult your veterinarian.

Housetraining means that you are training your puppy to urinate/defecate outdoors. Remember that your shih tzu wants to please you and will try its hardest to do just that. Your puppy will learn faster if you use positive praise and affection. - When you are unable to be home (or unable to pay 100% attention to the pup) never give your puppy full access of the house before they are two years of age. They are still too immature at this time of their life. Confining them while you are away or busy (in room with child safety gate) is the safe choice as well as the best and easiest way to housetrain.

- Limited daily access to water; water 5 to 6 times a day, and after each drink take the puppy immediately outside to urinate/defecate. Praise them once they have gone to the bathroom!

- Accept that there WILL be accidents, your puppy’s body is still immature. A puppy doesn’t gain complete control of their bladder until they are 12 weeks of age. Reward him when he goes outside with lots of praise, and ignore the accidents. This attitude will speed up his learning.

1) After 12 weeks of age you can put the puppy on a schedule. You want to feed them at a certain time every day. Take them outdoors to urinate/defecate at the same times each day. First thing in the morning, before feeding them or even feeding yourself, let them out to urinate/defecate. Then, after you feed them in the AM, let them out to urinate/defecate again. Repeat this after each feeding and watering each day. Praise them once they have done their business outside! You puppy will learn much quicker with positive praise.

For a general gauge to go by: Puppies from 8 weeks to three months of age should have dry kibble accessible for the puppy all day, puppies 3 months of age to 6 months of age should be fed three times daily. When the dog reaches 6 months of age to 1 year of age, they should be fed twice daily. Then, when the puppy is over one year old, they can be fed either once or twice daily.

Give the puppy water every 3 to 4 hours, which is about four to five times a day. After he drinks, take the puppy outside to urinate/defecate (this means you will be bringing the puppy outdoors about 5 to 6 times each day).

2) Be sure that your puppy is given a proper diet. Before bringing your puppy home from the breeder, ask the breeder what they have been feeding the puppy and continue feeding the same feed (same brand and flavor, if applicable) as well as the same amount. If you wish to change feeds, be sure to do so gradually by adding a little bit of the new feed with the old each day (this change should be made over period of 7-10 days). Avoid giving your dog table scraps. By 12 weeks of age you can start feeding him at certain times. This way you will always know when to take him outdoors and will speed up housetraining.

3) The last water given to the puppy should be around 7:30PM, and yet another trip outdoors to urinate/defecate. Then, the last time to take them outside in order to urinate/defecate should be around 11:00PM. (This last trip outside is up to you - whatever time you normally turn in for the night, just keep it at the same time over the weekend as well)

4) You must choose one type of housebreaking. Either you train your puppy to be housebroken, which is where the dog always urinates outdoors, or, you paper train your puppy. This is where the puppy urinates/defecates indoors in a predetermined area, such as on a hard floor upon newspapers. You must choose one, not both. This avoids confusion.

5) The young puppy needs some area of confinement - they shouldn’t have complete run of the house, especially prior to housebreaking and during the housebreaking process! Confinement can be within the kitchen; it's a great choice since it usually has a hard floor and doesn't have wires or tempting remote controls laying around! Also, using a child safety gate helps keep them from running about the house and soiling other rooms. It also serves to save them from other dangers around the home as well.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) occurs mainly in toy breeds between six and twelve weeks of age. Often it is precipitated by stress. The first sign are those of listlessness, wobbling, glassy eyed, depression and vomiting. They are followed by muscular weakness, tremors (especially in the facial muscles) and later convulsions, coma and death. The entire sequence is not always seen, the dog may appear to be depressed or may be weak, wobbly and jerky; or the puppy may be found in a coma. Hypoglycemia can occur without warning when a puppy is placed in a new home or while being shipped. It might appear after puppy missed a meal, chills, becomes exhausted from too much playing or has a digestive upset. These upset's place an added strain on the energy reserves of the liver and bring on symptoms (if the dog is susceptible).

Treatment is directed at restoring blood sugar levels of glucose. Begin at once. Prolong or repeated attacks can cause permanent damage to the brain. If puppy is unconscious, place a dab, about 1/4" of NutriCal on their tongue and hold their mouth closed for 1 minute. Use ONLY NurtriCal. The sugar in this product will enter the blood stream through the veins in the mouth. Wrap the puppy in a warm blanket and immediately take to the nearest vet or an after hours emergency veterinarian hospital where an intravenous solution of dextrose can be started. If the puppy is conscious, give 1/2" to 1" (a teaspoonful) of NutriCal. ONLY If puppy is conscious and If NutriCal is not available, give cane syrup, karo syrup or sugar in water....these must be swallowed. Do not give honey. Use an eye dropper or syringe plunger if puppy will not drink voluntarily. You should begin to see improvement in 10 minutes. After your puppy feels a little better, remember to give him/her a protein based meal (any good meat based dog food or meat babyfood will do), to level out it's blood sugar. If they don't feel like eating, give them something extra tasty to make sure that they get food in their stomach.

Feed puppy a high quality kibble diet. I like lamb or chicken as it is easier for them to digest. If your puppy isn't eating dry food, a good quality canned puppy food would be suggested. See that puppy eats at least every 4 hours. If puppy skips a meal, give 1 tsp or 1" of Nutri-Cal in place of meal. Do not let your puppy become chilled or overtired. Provide a quite area for naps throughout the day. Decrease your playtime with the puppy. Their bodies are very small and use up their energy supply rapidly. This can cause sugar depletion or stress induced coccidia. Start giving him 1/2" NutriCal several times a day right after meals for another week. A demonstration of how to administer NutriCal with a syringe can be found here: http://www.tinyshihtzu.com/nutrical.htm However, most puppies love the taste and will eagerly lick it from a spoon.

Why does my puppy have an open fontanel? (soft spot at top of head)

This happens occasionally with Imperial Shih Tzu as well as Chihuahua's. The Imp is very slow to mature. Many veterinarians are not familiar with this trait and might tell you that your puppy is going to be retarded. This is not true. Whereas there CAN be problems with an open fontanel, I have never experienced a problem with my tiny shih tzu fontanel's closing. As I stated, Chihuahua's have the same problem but they are still given Championship honors in the AKC show rings. It does not mean they are going to be retarded or in any other way afflicted. It might take a few months, or on some, perhaps a bit longer but it WILL close. The Imperial Shih Tzu has different characteristics than standard Shih Tzu have. ALL puppies of very tiny breeds have to be treated with more TLC than one that will be a 20 lb dog.

Why doesn't my puppy have all of his/her baby teeth yet?

The imperial shih tzu is very slow to mature. Most times they don't have all of their front baby teeth in at 8 weeks of age. There is nothing wrong with them....this is normal. Puppies of most other breeds are up and running all over the place at 4 weeks of age. Not so with the imperial shih tzu, which mature much slower than the familiar standard size shih tzu of 12 - 18 lbs.

Yes, the smaller males can produce but it might take forever for them to be aggressive enough to get the job done. Most are 18 months to 2 years old before you can really count on them. Then there's the problem of whether they can reach a female large enough to have puppies. The shih tzu head is so wide that its hard to breed a really small girl like the poodle, maltese and yorkie breeders do. Some males will let you AI (artificially inseminate) and others won't.

1113 Range Ave., Ste. 110 #304	Dian Blanchard	Denham Springs, Louisiana 70726
	tel/fax: 225-664-2885