Well I had hoped to take a few new pics to post and announce her name at the same time. I tried a few favorite names out on her, and it seems the one 'she' likes best is Ginger (Ginger Snap when the situation calls for firmness.) She fetches, loves her ball and rolling it under the chair, and then going under the chair and playing with it there. She sleeps in her Pet Taxi, and settles down once she knows I too am in bed and settled down for the night. She stayed out the other night (was only in the 50's I think) and slept in the back of the truck in some mulch, along with 2 of the other girls. Little by little the other girl's are accepting her better and there is less growling. I'll keep you posted with pics as she grows up. Thanks to all for all your wonderful (and some not so wonderful...lol) names. Sue and Ginger

skatiero, I am so excited by your post! Most definitely you may use the picture!! I looked at your website a while back when you posted it and was so impressed, both by your work and at how great you look. You had been saying you thought you didn't look well and I can't remember whether or not I posted to you at the time, but I'll tell you now that I thought you looked great. And I am always in awe of those who can channel their creativity into such fabulous works as yours. I'm very sorry about your Maltese. It is so hard to lose a pet - you do have to go through a mourning period, I think. We lost our dog, who was 16, last summer and didn't really feel ready for another until now. I married my dh when Luke (the dog) was 9 years old, so this is my first experience with a puppy. What do you think about this new name? DH even agreed to it. Our 5-year-old suddenly came up with the name Cricket, and we really think it fits. I think we could still use Shortcake as an endearment, too. Believe it or not, it even ties into the girls' desire for a Disney princess name, as Cricket is one of Mulan's companions and is supposed to bring her luck :) Cricket/Shortcake now knows how to sit, lie down, and roll over, though that one requires a treat in the hand for prompting. We're still not quite there on housebreaking and I'm not sure what I might be doing wrong (if anything). She doesn't go in her crate, she does go outside when I take her, she tells me sometimes when she needs to go out but she sometimes goes again inside or she will pee outside and then poop inside. Luckily, the floor is hardwood, but I always said I'd never had a pet that pooped in the house. Hopefully, it's a temporary training situation.

when I bought my shih tzu pup 5 years ago, the breeder warned me that this breed is prone to poo eating :/ she suggested I keep the poop scooped as soon as possible after she went. Luckily mine didn't eat her own poop (strangely, she actually runs away from it after going to the toilet LOL) but she would dig up cat poop and eat it. I just ended up having to put up a makeshift fence across the area so she couldn't get to this sandy part of the garden. Some time later, I did give her access to that part of the yard and it seemed like the habit was broken, or she just forgot to start digging it up. Basically, I think you have to look at any ways that you can stop her access, that might mean picking up right after her, or only giving her access to a certain controlled area etc, but I think it's possible with some dogs that you can get them out of the habit (it may take some vigilance), but some dogs (and breeds) seem to have more of a problem with this than others.

My four and a half month old Shih Tzu is nothing like the dogs listed here: she is a very sweet natured dog, wants to please, wants to play and I make very sure that she gets a good, running type of exercise twice a day, every day - be it throwing a small ball down the long hallway so that she can chase after it and bring it back for about 20 minutes, or a good run in the back yard on a leash, or taking her for a good brisk walk in the neighborhood if weather permits - taking that walk is very important as these dogs need the mental stimulation of seeing different things and meeting different people on a regular basis. I don't find her to be yappy at all because I didn't allow for barking from the minute we brought her home - just told her "no" firmly and she caught on right away. She isn't manipulative at all, she seems to be willing and eager to please. She is very affectionate and I'm careful not to walk around holding her. She gets held when I'm sitting down and only when I allow her into my lap - several times a day but not all the time when I sit down. I decide when she will be held and she knows not to assume that when I sit she gets held. She plays with her toys, she ever chews on anything but her toys, she eats well and sleeps well, is a calm dog and is now completely potty trained. On the potty training, the key is to keep an eye on your dog - remember these dogs are very tiny and therefore have very tiny bladders. They need to be taken out very, very frequently. She will poop about an hour and a half after her meal and if I'm not paying attention and she urinates or poops in the house, it's my fault because she goes to the slider whenever she needs to go - it's my job to see her there and take her out. I never make a big deal if she goes in the house, I don't even comment upon it. It's a rare thing when she does and it's my fault if she has, so why would I comment - her bladder and bowels are very small, I can't expect her to hold it indefinitely until I get the clue that she is sitting right at that door for a reason. I don't work, so this is not a problem - and I rarely miss her signal that she has to go outside. She is cheerful, affectionate unless I want to be mushy and hold/kiss on her for too long a period of time and then she lets me know *enough!* as she wants to play with her toys. She wants to please, is very easily pleased and is calm and easy going with a distinct and affable personality. I don't know that I have an exceptional shih tzu, as her personality is pretty much like the personalities of those I know who have one. I think good training and educcating yourself about this breed along with the helpful tips to avoid ending up with a problem dog is something to keep in mind. Everything I have ever read has stated to be careful about designing a diva from your puppy - it happens fast and easily if you allow it. You are the alpha and the dog needs to understand and accept that fact right from the start. I can't really recall ever even raising my voice towards my dog - I will say "no!" firmly and quickly remove her from the place where she is doing whatever it is I object to, and that is how I handled the barking - just said "no!" and handed her a chew toy. She is a smart dog, she got the message within just a few objections and now she very rarely ever barks. She has always gotten along perfectly with my old yellow female lab - she knows when she is bothering the old dog and will leave her alone then, she understands that in the ranking, she is on the bottom of the ladder but is top dog for affection - she is very affectionate to all around her and is completely charming to family, friends and strangers. She is a very likeable dog. She is priceless - a wonderful little companion. She understands that I am the boss, she is not, and she is fine with it because that is how it was from the day she came into this house at exactly 12 weeks of age. She is content with her ranking and content with her family and home.