VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL PROSPECTIVE PUPPY PURCHASERS

There are a number of breeders out there today that are breeding and selling puppies as so-called "Designer Colors" and charging outrageous prices. These "Designer Colors" are blue, blue and white, liver/chocolate and liver/chocolate and white. These colors are produced from recessive genes and I am deeply saddened by the irresponsibility of these breeders. In the not too distant future I fear we are going to start seeing some major health issues because of this practice. These breeders are actually proud of what they are doing and may advertise puppies as blue gene carriers or liver/chocolate gene carriers. Although these colors are recognized by AKC they are not desireable because these dogs/puppies do not have black pigment and therefore do not have the sweet expression desired from Shih Tzu.

Be careful in your search for a puppy and take your time. You can find excellent quality puppies for 1200.00 or less. Don't just look at the one puppy you are interested in but look at the entire litter and the parents. A responsible breeder should have no problem with showing you the entire litter or the parents or all their breeding stock for that matter. They should be able to answer any questions you have about the breed or find out for you.

If at all possible go where the puppy lives, you may be surprised or even shocked by what you see. With all the software available these days web sites can be very deceiving, they look and sound great but it may be a different story when you arrive in person. Be careful and make sure you are getting a healthy quality puppy for your money. Every responsible breeder should have a sales contract and guarantee their puppies for at least 2 years. Read this carefully, a good sales contract protects both parties but mainly protects the puppy being sold.