Help with choosing new dog -- anyone know about shih-poms??

patti723 · New member Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 2

My 2 1/2 year old Pom mix (a wonderful and loving dog) was killed by a car recently. My family an I have decided to get a new baby. I can't afford a pure bred, but have seen some interesting mixes via some Florida breeder websites at more reasonable prices. I wanted to get a Peke-a-Poo as I have had two wonderful toy poodles in the past, but my 13 year old daughter wants to check into the Shih-Poms we saw online. Has anyone heard of that combination? They look adorable now and I want to get a good family pet and must admit I loved Wendi's pom personality, but I don't want another that will remind us too much of her. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Patti

LoveThalis1 · New member Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 5

Hi, finally posting even though I've been around reading for a while and picking up great ideas that helped my baby Chester and I A LOT!!

Sorry to hear about your Pom. Crying or Very sad

I had a Pom die a few years ago so I feel you. Good news is I now have my baby Chester who is a shih pom and I LOVE THE LITTLE GUY! Surprised

I can tell you they are SUPER smart, very easy to train, love to cuddle and play, have a LOT of energy, and are great with kids. My baby is now 4 months old (about 18 weeks old) and after a 6 week puppy class (he graduates tomorrow) can sit & stay, down & stay, roll over and is now learning to dance. He's also potty trained although I can't say 100% just yet. He's still little so when he's out of the crate I still watch him like a hawk.

Here are some pictures. The one in the polo and vest is the most recent, taken about 2 weeks ago.

patti723 · New member Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 2

Thank you so much. Chester looks wonderful and you have really helped with the decision. Patti Very Happy

coppersmom · Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:08 am Post subject:

OMG that is the cutest thing I have ever seen!

My parents have two poms and they are delightful!! Very different personalities though...

LoveThalis1 · New member Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 5

Shineillusion · Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

LoveThalis has a Shi-Pom who sounds wonderful. This does not mean all of them are, or even most of them are. I've run into some that are nice little dogs, and some that are carpet-sharks. A lot of it depends on how you raise them, and some of it depends on the parents. There are a lot of variables.

One of the problems you find with mixed breed dogs is the fact that there is no consitancy between individual animals. Of course this is true to some extent with purebreds too, but is much more pronounced in mixes. One can generally expect a retriever breed to retrieve, or a terrier to like chasing and killing rats. But what happens if you cross a Poodle with a Schnauzer? Will you get Poodle or Schnauzer characteristics? Will you get an even mix, or will it be more one way or the other? You can't predict.

The same is true for health issues. Hybrid vigor is a myth when it comes to mixed breed dogs for the simple reason that they aren't hybrids. Both Poms and Shihs can be affected by some of the same genetic disorders, and crossing them won't eliminate that. For that reason the breeder should be keeping records of the genetic health of their breeding stock, and screening for any problems that can be screened for. CERF testing and OFA certification on knees are two that should be concidered as vital.

Both breeds are also prone to hypothyroidism, diabetes, and allergies. To minimize the risk that your puppy will develop those disorders both parents should be clear, as well as closely related dogs. If either parent has a littermate with diabetes, for example, there's a risk that your puppy is carrying the genes.

If the breeder (and I use that term in it's broadest meaning) is not health testing, and if they don't know or don't care what the health of closely related animals is, I wouldn't buy a puppy from them.

Actually, I wouldn't purchase a puppy from anyone who is advertising puppies for sale over the internet. It's a very risky proposition. Many of these so called breeders are nothing more than glorified puppy mills. The breeding animals live miserable lives, in cages that are too small and filthy. Puppies are often ill, and too many of them die from parvo or distemper. They're also often full of worms and suffering from malnutrition.

Females are bred every time they come into season, with no break. They get no love or attention. Most don't even know they have a name. Even if they're well fed and kept clean, this is no way for a dog to live.

Most of these puppies are way overpriced for what you get. Back in the day we called them accidents and you couldn't give them away. Now you pay as much, or more, for them as you would for a purebred.

Check into rescue or at your local shelter. There are many, many cute and loving animals who will die because no one adopts them. I think the statistics are somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 puppies and kittens born in the U.S. every HOUR. That's 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And only a fraction of those babies will find a home of any kind, much less a loving home.

One way to stop this insanity is to stop supporting the people who view dogs and cats as a cash crop. There's nothing wrong with compensating the breeder for the costs involved in breeding a litter and raising the puppies to the age where they can be placed. But if they're making a living from it, and if you support that by purchasing a puppy from them, they just breed more and more puppies, adding to the burden of already overloaded shelters and rescue groups.

Jas · Moderator Joined: 16 Mar 2004 Posts: 774 Location: Canada

Excellent post Shine. It is so important to educate one's self before purchasing a puppy from anywhere.

People often think they are "rescuing" a dog in an unpleasant situation or from a mass production breeder but in reality it just opens up a space for another dog to be bred.

I found this interesting link http://www.grumpybumpers.com/dogs/ I was surprised at my score.

Jas

LoveThalis1 · New member Joined: 17 Feb 2006 Posts: 5

I'm not promoting in any way pet stores or puppy mills, Patty simply asked a question and I answered it with the experiences i've had with my Shih Pom (that I got as a birthday present)

pstebbins · New member Joined: 28 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

Although I absolutely believe it is very important to educate someone looking for a puppy, I am soooo tired of the stereotype regarding mixed breeds. Responsible breeders, whether breed purebreds or mixed breeds, realize the dangers of inherent breed problems. Those who also breed mixed breeds ARE NOT NECESSARILY PUPPY MILLS; breeding every time their bitches come in heat. In fact, I know many many breeders of purebreds who do the very same thing, but hey, they're purebreeds, so I guess that's acceptable. NOT. Get off the bandwagaon and get with the program. RESPONSIBLE IS AS RESPONSIBLE DOES. We have two beautiful Shih Poms who have no difficulties inherent of their breed. We know many who have Shih Poms experiencing the same thing. We started out breeding AKC Poms and AKC Shih Tzus and due to a storm that damaged fencing ended up with a litter of Shih Poms. We were at first horrified, but guess what, the public fell in love with them. We breed them ONCE A YEAR. Yes ONCE A YEAR. Oh and by the way, almost every purebred out there evolved from wolves. Oh my, guess that makes them all mixed in some way or another. And, yes, AKC will eventually accept them all. Especially now that registrations have fallen off in record numbers. Although it is very important for a prospective owner to do their homework, it's just as important for the stoic purebred owner/breeder to do theirs as well. A hybrid is a mix of two known purebred dogs. A MUTT IS A MIXUTRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. DO YOUR HOMEWORK.