Your Shih Tzu Lifestyle

Your Shih Tzu Lifestyle     By Janice Jones    |Last Updated 01-30-2024

Your life changes in big ways when you welcome your new Shih Tzu into your home, whether this is your first or your fifteenth Tzu.  Each is different and special in their own ways but best of all, they seem to adapt to our own lifestyle choices.  

If we're active, the chances are good that we will have an energetic, enthusiastic companion, waiting for that next walk.  If our life is more sedentary, we're likely to cultivate a Shih Tzu who looks for a warm lap or a foot to call his pillow.

But, no matter where or how we live, our little furry companion just wants to shower us with love and remain by our side.

How do you spend time with Your Shih Tzu?

The Shih Tzu Lifestyle

Beyond the feeding, the grooming, the training, and the caring for our little Tzu's health, there is a world of possibilities.  What does your Shih Tzu lifestyle look like?  If you'd like to tell us how you spend time with your dog, you're going to get a chance in a moment, but here's some posts by some guest authors and myself.  Check them out.

Navigating the Pet Healthcare in the Sunshine State

If you live in Florida, then this article is especially for you.  Learn about insurance options, how to save money, and care for your Shih Tzu's health.  

Navigate pet healthcare in the sunshine state.

How to Prepare Your Dog Emotionally When You Travel

You know the routine.  You are preparing for a trip and you will not be able to take your dog.  You're feeling guilty especially since you sense your dog knows exactly what is happening and does not like it one little bit.  Here are some tips to help you prepare your dog emotionally so both of you can feel comfortable about the upcoming travels.

Prepare Your Dog for when you Travel

How to Have Fun With Your Dog 

As we deal with Covid-19, we both know that it won’t last forever, but also understand that the new normal is nothing that most of us have ever experienced in our lifetime.  Sure some of us have family stories passed down through generations of the Spanish Flu of 1918, but for the majority of people living today, this is all new territory.  

But if you are sheltering in place, how are you having fun?  Here are 14 ways to have fun with your dog at home during a world pandemic. Continue to Read How to Have Fun at Home With Your Dog.

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Throwing the Ultimate First Birthday Celebration

Business Wire reports that 30% of dog owners celebrate their pet’s birthday each year. 

And there’s no better way to mark your Shih Tzu’s first birthday than by throwing a big festive party to celebrate. Your pint-sized pooch will love nothing more than being the center of attention and enjoying a day packed full of fun.

But, how do you ensure that your beloved Shih Tzu has the best first birthday party possible?

Continue reading about Doggie First Birthday Celebrations.

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Planning a Puppy Shower for your Friend's New Pup

Why not a Shih Tzu puppy shower?  Whether it is you who is expecting a new puppy or dog soon or someone you know, planning a party to celebrate the new arrival is often a great excuse to bring friends together – human and canine ones. 

For those who have either chosen to substitute parenting a child for adopting a puppy or those who want to do it all, a puppy shower is a welcoming event. 

Not only is it a very good time to see old friends, but the cute gifts one receive can be very welcoming.  And, who really needs an excuse to throw an office party.

Continue Reading about Puppy Showers

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How to Travel With Your Dog

If you're wondering how to travel with a dog, how to plan and enjoy the experience, then this is the place for you.  Planning that vacation and wondering if traveling with your dog might be an option? 

If you are as close to your dogs as we are to ours, the answer is yet, but…

There is good reason to travel with your dog.  Bonding, friendship, fun, and seeing things from a dog’s perspective are the first things that come to mind. 

Knowing that you are with your dog means you also don’t have to worry about his well being while you are off enjoying yourself.  Before you add travel to your Shih Tzu Lifestyle, check out these tips.

Continue reading How to Travel with a Dog

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Preparing for Overseas Travel with a Shih Tzu

Thirty-seven percent of dog owners have skipped a vacation to avoid leaving their dog behind.

Three percent even confess to disguising their pooch as a baby to try and get them on board a plane. But there’s no need to take such drastic measures with your beloved Shih Tzu as their compact size means they can travel on board the plane with you.

Continue reading how to Prepare for Overseas Travel with a Shih Tzu

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Hiking With Your Shih Tzu

Is hiking with a  Shih Tzu on your to-do list?  I have had many puppy buyers tell me that hiking is a daily activity that they enjoy with their Tzu dog. 

Spring is just around the corner in my neck of the woods, and with warmer days, I no longer have any excuses to get out with my dogs and get some much needed exercise. On one of those rare warmer days, I decided to find out if any of my dogs remembered how to walk nicely on a leash.  

I wanted to get ready for a moderate hike with my Shih Tzu dogs, but even a little hike requires a little preparation and one precautionary note. Even if long hikes are not part of your Shih Tzu lifestyle, excercising your dog should be.  Hop on over to read these tips.

Continue Reading Hiking with Your Shih Tzu

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Is Your Dog, your Emotional Support Animal?  

Wondering If Your Shih Tzu would make a great emotional support animal?

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a pet that helps relieve the symptoms of a person’s psychological or emotional disability by minimizing their emotional distress and also helping them cope with it better.

ESAs are not seen as service animals, and therefore are not required to be trained by federal or local law. A licensed mental health expert (psychiatrist, therapist, or psychologist) prescribes an ESA to their patient by confirming their mental disability and explaining that the animal brings them therapeutic benefits in the form of a letter. This letter retains its validity for 12 months, after which is needs to be renewed. 

Read more about Emotional Support Animals

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Living with a Shih Tzu:  Creating a Palace for your Royal Shih Tzu

Any Shih Tzu owner knows that these dogs were once the pets of royalty, and they know it! With their glamorous manes and big, doe eyes, your first Shih Tzu will lay claim to your heart for years to come.

Since Shih Tzu are a small breed, providing them with enrichment is a little different than it is with large breed dogs. Your Golden Retriever may have been up for hours of fetch in the backyard, and your Shih Tzu may be just as energetic! But small dogs have their own special set of needs that may be very different from larger dogs.

Read more about Creating a Palace for Your Royal Shih Tzu

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Backpacking with your Dog

Backpacking with your Shih Tzu dog can be a great adventure, but it takes planning and a bit of soul searching.  Is Your Shih Tzu the right dog to enjoy such a wonderful outdoor adventure or would yours prefer to curl up on your lap while you watch television.  Here is an article that outlines some of the considerations and plans that need to be made before you can venture out on that next trail.

Read about Backpacking with Your Dog

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Can You Take Your Shih Tzu to Work With You

It can be heartbreaking to leave your little buddy alone by him or herself when you go to work. This is especially true since Shih Tzu love human companionship. They don't do all that well when left alone for long periods. 

There is also the fact that your pup may have gotten used to having you at home over these last few months. Due to the lock down, you probably spent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with your dog. So, now that you have to go back to work, it can be particularly traumatic for them. 

Read about Taking Your Shih Tzu to Work

Dog Daycare: A Few Things You Need To Know About

For pet owners, ensuring the well-being and happiness of their furry friends is a top priority, especially for those of us who regard our dogs as part of the family and worry constantly about their safety and wellbeing.
As pet owners, we tend to worry about the times when we need to be away at work or for extended periods, leaving our dogs at home alone and unattended. More than any other pet, dogs are known to suffer from separation anxiety when away from their owners, which can cause a great deal of stress.

Read about Dog Daycare:  A Few Things You Need to Know About

Moving With Dogs:  All The Tricks and Tips You Need

Let's face it, moving can be exciting, but it is hard work.  The process can be more difficult when you have one or more four-legged friends underfoot.  They are excited too, but they are also anxious because they can't understand what is happening.  Whether your move takes you across town or country, there are some things you can do to help your Shih Tzu feel safe and secure.

Spoiler Alert:  I've moved with my Shih Tzu dogs a total of nine times: (From Maryland to Nevada, then back to Maryland. Ohio was next on the agenda, then Florida, then onto Colorado.  Ohio saw us one more time before we moved onto Texas.  Finally, we're back to Ohio and here to stay!

Read how to Move With Your Dog

About Janice

Janice is the voice behind Miracle Shih Tzu. Having lived with dogs and cats most of her life, she served as a veterinary technician for ten years in Maryland and twelve years as a Shih Tzu dog breeder in Ohio.

Her education includes undergraduate degrees in Psychology with a minor in biology, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing, and a master's in Mental Health Counseling.

She is a lifelong learner, a dog lover, and passionate about the welfare of animals. Her favorite breed for over 50 years has been the Shih Tzu.

When not writing, reading, or researching dog-related topics, she likes to spend time with her eight Shih Tzu dogs, her husband, and her family, as well as knitting and crocheting. She is also the voice behind Small Dog Place and Smart-Knit-Crocheting.