Shih Tzu

I have a shih tzu (10 years old now). He was very good as a puppy-3 years when he was around my nephews who were babies/toddlers. After that he has limited exposure to kids, as my nephews moved out of state. I now have an almost two year old of my own and he's pretty good with my son. If he gets pushed to the limit, he will threaten to bite, but he has never done. Most of the time he just runs from my son when he pushes the boundaries, but if he is trapped, he will show his teeth when he's being hit, hair pulled etc. We do a very good job of never leaving the dog and my son unattended with him, only because you just never know what my son will do to him. And I truly believe if my dog was exposed to kids all the time and didn't have a five year gap in the middle, he would be super tolerant of my son.

They are really good dogs and they dont' shed and are great for people with allergies since they have hair and not fur. Iwoudl get them one from a breeder though.

Hi!
In general(with any breed) I would not go to a Pet Store. They are often inbred and have lots of problems. I would look for a breeder that is reputable and raises family dogs. Our puppy(black lab) was at a breeder with kids and was used to being handled a LOT right from the start. Also always watch your children with a small puppy! You have to teach the children how to be nice to the puppy as much as you have to get the puppy used to children.
Good Luck!
L.

Hi C.,
We have a 2 year old Shih Tzu, and she has been wonderful with our son who is now 1. She was a little jealous because she was here first but I have never worried about her around him. They can be hyper little dogs but have such personality and are very lovable and travel very easily in the small crates. My only advice is to brush or groom regularly because they tend to mat very easily. Enjoy your little dog!

Hi. I have a 10 year old Shih tzu and I have 3 kids 16, 6 and 3. He is GREAT with them. He is playful and gentle. The perfect dog for kids. He is well behaved. He does need to be groomed every 3 months. Their coats are hard to keep up with, but they don't shed. I haven't had any health problems with him either (knock-on-wood). I bought him from a pet store. They are adorable dogs!