shih tzu owners............a few ? for ya

ok, so we are going to look at some 3 week old shih tzu puppies tonight.

so, from your personal expericence, do they get along with cats and small children? we dont have kids yet, but we do have a cat. a very large cat, he weighs 19lbs. and stands 14" tall.

As long as you socialize your pup with the cat and childern and everything in general you should have a happy pet consider taking your pup to a puppy class that includes socialization and basic obidience good luck with your new pup

Sounds like your cat should be able to set the tone of the relationship! Seriously, though, I've never had a problem with dogs and cats living together. They do very well as long as they're socialized together just as agility said. Our first cat, Gulliver, even taught all our dogs - including my Grandmother's ill-tempered Chihuahua (that was my Aunt's fault; she ruined the poor thing before she dumped her on my Grandmother) to catch mice! It actually improved the Chi's disposition; it gave her a job to do and a sense of accomplishment.

As an owner of a (approx.) 8mo old Shih Tzu puppy and a former foster 'Mom' of a full grown ST who thought she was a cat, I think there shouldn't be a problem. My problem was keeping the Huge Siamese mix (long story, but he was huge because of steriods when he almost died. 26lbs. as big as my full grown cocker is now, and he wasn't 'fat') from whopping on or sitting on the dogs
I got Carly when she was about 4 (or so) weeks old. I was just supposed to be fostering her, but I couldn't give her up. Sounds like you have several weeks to be prepared if you decide to get a ST. One of the most important things when training a ST (IMO) is to be sure he/she will let you groom him/her thouroughly regardless if you want him/her cut short or kept long.

we put the deposit on the last male they had last night. so about the middle of Dec. we will have a new Shih Tzu puppy!

It sounds like they are gonna be best friends before you even know it. hehe

My 12 yr. old cat has gone through a Lhasa Apso (who passed 3 yrs ago at the age of 13), our cocker and westie and most recently our bird, cockatoo. I tell our friends, if I bring anything else home, my cat will be walking down the street with a stick and bandana leaving home. LOL

My westie just turned 1 in Sept. and the cat wouldn't have any part of her. We even had to feed him and give him water on our table before, but just recently, he's been coming down and socializing with the family. Which I am enjoying! The two dogs and cat on the same couch while my husband and I watch a movie is great.

Your cat will adapt. I wouldn't force anything though. As most cat owners know, they will do what they want to do and just let nature take its course.

I used to have a shih tzu who thought he was human, so he really didnt have much interest in other animals except to bark at them.

I know some people with cats & dogs though, and since your pup is so young, he'll adapt just fine. The cat might get annoyed at first because the pup may try to get rough and play with him. I'm sure in time they'll get used to each other.

My dog was great with infants, he seemed fascinated with them & would go to them if they were crying. He kept his distance from toddlers though, as they tend to poke & tried to pull his tail.

Enjoy your new shih tzu, they are great dogs!