Which breed best for my shih tzu boy Questions

OK another question for anyone. I tried giving Louie pigs ears but they are far too big and he ends up choking g so ditched that idea. So, my question is. What kind of chew is good for a shih tzu, good for his teeth if any are? Good size?

Have you tried lamb or rabbit ears? Lambs hooves are good for small dogs. They will last for weeks, but at least they don't go horrible and slimy.

No I haven't tried any of those, tried a reindeer antler but he didn't bother with it and gets bored very quick. So Im guessing he needs something he can eat all up. Will have a look at your suggestions and try him. Thank you

It happens when people post using smart phones and most, if not all of us, know what people mean! I do not use a smart phone [do not have one although I think my little cellphone could work on the internet] as I only use my PC.

If you think that perhaps the predictive text is not what you mean to say, you can always edit it once it is posted - or do a Preview before you hit Post Reply.

Just out of curiosity, in case you have not said it before, how much does Louie weigh? My little one will chomble her way through cows ears [we do not have pigs ears here] but then she is raw fed and will chomble her way through frozen chicken wings and half turkey necks.

So Louie weighs round about the same as Tikva - she is due to be weighed again in two weeks when Ram, our wonderful vet, comes here to give her her three-monthly Parkworm shot. She has to be weighed for that so he can give her the correct dose.

He stands on my scales carrying Tikki, then hands her over to weigh himself, then deducts that from the total of them both. The scales are always put on the same floor tile in my ensuite so that is always the weight we go by.

No way is Tikki dainty - she is a small bundle of rock hard, solid muscle and bone without any fat on her - and she has been raw fed since I fully weaned her. But then being a crossbreed, her dog mother being a Dachshund, she has extremely strong jaws and teeth!

And she can chomble her way through anything!

Pepe suggests hearing aids.

My husband was having a shower, and we've just found them in bits in the dog bed. Just hoping they can be put together again!

OH no... I think hearing aids will be too expensive hope you can out them back together.

That reminds me of the time Pereg got my computer spectacles - I think Amit was able to straighten them though, although they did get smashed when I fell over her some time later.

Just as he straightened the frames of the bifocals I was wearing the other week when I - ahem - tipped out of Xanadu and he [Xanadu, not Amit] ran me over.

And now he has another pair to straighten - my kitchen ones which I had taken into my bedroom to read a label. I just put them on the bed for a moment...

...and sat on them!

No idea where my hearing aid is though.

@PaulainPoole - apologies for having gone rather off topic - it just happens at times.

Oh dear @Janet I have just been reading a very similar post on the Beagle forum!
The member says that audiology were willing to replace the waxy parts free of charge, but they had to make an insurance claim for the actual devices. Hope the damage isn't too bad though.

I think - and hope - he's just pulled them apart and that they can be rewired. We got them from Boots, and unfortunately the Audiologist is only there on Mondays, so we'll have to wait till then. There is another Hearing Aid place in town, so I went to see if they could help. Just my luck, their Audiologist is away for two weeks, but the Receptionist looked at them and thinks they are mendable. He has a very old pair of National Health ones, so I rang the Doctors to try and make an appointment with the Hearing Aid lady. I was told to go to Specsavers as they don't have a Hearing Aid clinic any more. Saving money I suppose. But as most of the people who need hearing aids are likely to be old, it is forcing them to go private and private hearing aids ain't cheap!

Anyway, we've learned a lesson not to leave them in Pepe's reach again!

No apologies needed. It's nice to chat about dogs and the things they get up too funny for others to read but perhaps not so funny NY for you owners.

Paula, if you stick around - which I really hope you will - you will soon learn what antics some of our dogs [and I] get up to at times! But we do mostly stay on topic for threads such as this. Mostly...

..and I am afraid that I am the guilty one who tends to go off topic.

Whatever breed. Female.

Definitely a female at least that is decided just the breed and when and the cost to go.

My first choice I decided on was a Poodle as, I have had them before. My second choice is Border Terrier which I have never owned. Am I right in thinking that they are stubborn and difficult on recall if, they see any prey that would be much more fun to chase.

How do you border terrier owners deal with the negative sides?

I can't say, as apparently I have the only Border Terrier on the planet with perfect recall, and INSTANTLY stops dead in her tracks on command if she starts to run after anything. Is not stubborn. Affectionate. Loving. Loyal. I honestly can't find much fault in her at all. Everyone thinks she's a wonder dog.

But all of that is a result of working with her 15 minute sessions probably 5 times a day from when she was 8 weeks old to a year. She CAN be trusted off lead 100%. She will NOT chase a squirrel, leaf, or ball into the street because she knows the sidewalk is the edge of her allowed perimeter. She was discouraged early on to not chase animals so she doesn't do it now.

So many people giggle as their puppy chases a bird in the back yard, and then lecture other dog owners about how their dog can never be trusted off lead and how irresponsible they are to do so. To that I say, YOU pal, taught your dog that behavior when you were yukking it up about how cute your little pup was as it chased everything in sight.

It is NOT "instinct" or "prey drive"

That aside, I don't think there is any good or bad breed to get as a companion. I would only suggest opposite sex, and similar size. Any dog is what YOU mold it into being with endless hard work. But only 1% really commit to it.

Pgitta thank you for such a easy to understand account on "How" a dog can be trained. Sounds like you have a super pooch ☺️. And totally agree with the training. My husband would love to go to obedience classes and I would go to as, I think any dog we have needs to know "we" are the pack leaders. Plus, I don't want to be left out
We own a shih tzu who is easy dog really and even though I read housing training may be difficult he wasn't, he was stubborn on recall until he was around 3 years and he now "waits" for us to put his lead back on. He can have selective hearing but all in all a easy dog to have around.