Shihpoo (Poodle Shih Tzu mix)
What is a Shih Poo? Being a cross between a miniature Poodle and a Shih Tzu, Shih Poos also go by other names such as Shihpoo, Shoodle, Shi-Poo and Shih-Doodle. Shih Poo hybrid dog is categorized by the sturdy, cute body along with the alert expression they usually have. Although they may be smart dogs, it's possible for them to have an in-born stubborn streak. If you find the right motivation, they are easy to train. This right motivation depends on individual dogs, as different dogs have different attitudes and personalities.
Are you looking for a small and adorable dog with lots of action? Well, then the Shih Poo is among the best you will get. The name of the dog itself is full of humor, and it will never stop making you laugh. Additionally, when natured gently, it is hypoallergenic. Shihpoo perfect pet for those with children or allergies in the family set up.
With an intoxicating zest for life, the Shih Poo is an energetic, little fun-loving designer dog breed. The Toy Poodle-Shi Tzu mix will make everyone in a family run around while chasing a ball together with him. Shihpoo doesn't require loads of exercise, but whenever he decides to play, he could be spunky and will most likely wear you down before going to rest. The dogs have a tendency of racing in the yard and around the house, and this doesn't matter so much to them. They are just like little balls full of energy bursts and always looking forward to explode with plays!
This crossbreed designer dog can be ideal for those living in small condos and apartments, as well as perfect for those with big yards in the suburbs. Being adaptable to almost any situation of living, Shih-Poos will definitely find a way of burning off the much energy they have. Due to the clown nature and magnetic personality of these adorable canines, Shih Poos will cheer you up and even make you laugh even at your saddest moment. Shih Tzu Poodle mix dog's sweet and adorable nature makes them great companions to people of all ages, especially for the people who have retired in order to enjoy friendship in the golden years of life. Nothing else will keep you smiling other than having a Shih Poo jumping in your house and around the yard.
Although Shih Poos' intelligence is at a high level, these designer hybrid dogs are not ideal for first-time dog owners. Poodle Shih Tzu mix dogs tend to be difficult and stubborn when housebreaking, and they can be handful to you if you've never handled dogs before. Training these energetic fluff balls taxes even the most experienced and patient trainers. As a new owner of ShihPoo, you are likely to experience a rough time training your pet.
An Overview of Shih Poo Dog Breed
How big do Shih Poo dogs get? Shih Poos are lapdogs that weigh 4 to 16 pounds.
Shih-Poo dogs have intelligent, energetic and confident temperaments. If Poodle and Shih Tzu mixes would produce Shih Poo puppies exhibiting the best traits from each breed, it could be the best breed ever. Unfortunately, not even the best breeder can guarantee what personality and temperament will be produced by cross-breeding the Poodle and Shih Tzu breeds to get unique hybrid puppies.
Shih Poo colors
Shih Poos are available in a range of coat color patterns including black, gold, white, brindle, brown and white, black and white, and particolored.
Shih Poo Life Expectancy
Being a fairly new designer crossbreed dog, there's not much information regarding its life span. However, most breeders approximate the life expectancy of Shih Poo to be around 10 to 15 years.
Shih-Poo History
Since it's a new breed that hasn't been available for so long, the Shih Poos don't have any documented history. However, their Shih Tzu and Toy Poodle parents have been around for long enough and both have interesting histories. The Shih Tzu is believed to have been developed by the Tibetan lamas of Tibet. The monks in the lamaseries used the dogs of the breeds as watchdogs and companions. Believed to be one of the oldest dog breeds in existence, the Shih Tzu has a myriad of myths, which includes the dogs being used as household gods' incarnations. Having been given by the Lamas to the Chinese rulers, the Shih Tzu breed was given the name by the Chinese Imperial Court. The Shih Tzus almost became extinct as the Chinese Imperial rule came to an end, but this was saved by some dogs that have been given out to people living outside China. The modern Shih Tzu breed is a result of 14 dogs that had been imported to England.
On the other hand, the Poodle is also among the oldest dog breeds and is very popular. With its origins believed to be Germany, the Poodle available today was produced in France resulting from a combination of several dogs such as the Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, French and Hungarian water dogs with the North African Barbet. The Poodle is also believed to be descendent of herding dogs from Asia. The Poodle breed is also believed to have origins from Asian steppes owned by the Moors during the 8th century and believed to have arrived in Portugal having conquered the North African Berbers. With the gypsies having trained the Poodles as circus dogs, they were also being used for duck hunting. With the first Poodle having been registered in 1888 by the American Kennel Club, the small Poodle versions well known as Toy Poodles were produced as a result of interbreeding small Poodles amongst themselves.
Shih Poo Pedigree
The First-generation (F1s) of Shih Poos were results of purebred Toy Poodles and Shih Tzus, and they are very well known for their unpredictability and uniqueness. This happens when purebred dogs are bred, as one can never be sure which genes will be favored more by the offspring, and this makes it be always a crapshoot. Sometimes, the puppies could end up being perfect blends of the parents, and at times one parent's traits could be favored more. All Shih Poo breeds available today are offspring of first-generation crossbreeding and are yet to advance beyond this stage.
This has made it impossible to produce standard breeds of Shih Poos, but further crossbreeding could make it possible. There are chances that breeders may intend to execute breeding programs that will produce multigenerational dogs. Shih Poos may be bred to Poodles, Shih Tzus, or even other Shih Poos, all which are unrelated. But all these will depend on the ultimate goal of the breeder for these multigenerational hybrids. This will eventually develop new hybrid purebred dogs, but it will definitely take several generations and careful or ethical breeding methods.
Shih Poo Diet
Shih Poos should be given dry dog food of high quality. Due to premature tooth loss and tooth decay problems of Shih-Poo dogs, dry kibble is highly recommended and quite essential. It acts as a preventive measure for these problems as well as gum disease, bad breath, and cavities. The kibble type selected should suit your dog in terms of age and activity level. These petite pooches usually enjoy premium formula dog food for small breeds, but you will change this as your dog matures. As such, always keep your vet needs to be always updated about the age and diet of your Shih Poo since they will always give an expert, educational and updated opinion about your dog's food in its entire lifespan. Always ensure to check in on all appointments, as your dog's diet will most likely change especially after completing each birthday.
Ensure to monitor your dog's intake of calories, as the Shih Poo tends to overeat any kind of food put into their dish. To ensure their well-being and good health, ensure Shih Tzu Poodle mix dogs don't free-feed since they will definitely go overboard in a bid to fill their little cute faces with whatever food morsels they see in front of them. The recommended dry kibble food should be split into two meals. Although the definite amount to feed your pup varies among several manufacturers, don't exceed a cup of Kibble per day.
Shih Poo Exercise Requirements
How active are Shih-Poo dogs? The Shih Poo is energetic but doesn't need to be exposed to vigorous exercises. To keep the spunky little dog fit, a brisk short walks in the morning and evening are ideal. Most of the time, the Shih Poo will enjoy running around the home playing will balls and toys. The Shih Poo will also appreciate racing in Dog Park or playing and romping with children in a grassy backyard. The Shih Poos usually don't enjoy hiking or jogging with their owners as it's too much for them. Playing goes well for these pooches, but too much of it tends to be counterproductive to their health. If you intend to be an active owner of Shih Poo, keep all these in mind.
How to Care for a Shih Poo
Just as it's a norm with all other dog breeds, Ensure to maintain regular veterinary checkups for your Shih Poo so as to detect health issues early enough. In addition, your vet will also offer an ideal routine for taking care of your dog to keep him healthy. This includes recommended dietary schedules and the needed potty and exercise breaks so that your Shih Poo doesn't become obese.
Since dental issues tend to be very problematic to the parent breeds, ensure to regularly clean Shih Poo's teeth and systematic brushing of the teeth as well as dental chews. Request your vet to advise you on a regular routine.
During the trimming sessions, their nails should be clipped and examined as required. Since both Shih Poo parent breeds have hair growing within their ears, ensure to regularly check your puppies' ears for any grown hair and clip it.
The Shih Tzu and Poodle breeds are prone to stains resulting from tear. It is, therefore, likely for your puppy to exhibit the same trait. To reduce staining, just use a soft cloth with warm water to face wash and eliminate eye mucus that has dried.
How to groom a Shih Poo
Coats of Shih Poos can be silky and long, or curly and short, or a mixture of all these. Since it's a really new breed, it isn't easy to predict the coat type in any particular puppy. Even a single litter can contain Puppies with different coats, but they with be absolutely cute either way. Generally, the grooming requirements for the Shih Poo entirely depends on the coat type.
It is essential to brush your Shih Poo twice a week to prevent tangling and matting. Depending on the type of coat your Shih Poo has inherited, it might need to be trimmed seasonally. Skin issues can be prevented by ensuring you bathe your dog at least once a month using mild shampoo recommended by your vet. But this shouldn't be done excessively, as it's likely to damage the natural oils that keep your dog's skin soft. Shih Poo dog breeds tend to form reddish-brown stains of tear below their eyes. This is well protected by washing the face daily while wiping carefully beneath the eyes.
Don't use a bikini wax on your Shih Poo, just trim the genital area to ensure cleanliness. A groomer could also assist in shaving the lower area of the dog's belly, which prevents feces from catching up the hair around the anus. It also prevents the Shih Poo's coat from staining and stinking as a result of urine soaking up in the hair. Actually, a Shih Poo's coat will look great with professional grooming after every one month or one-and-a-half months. This helps to keep the Shih Poos coat tidy, healthy and matt-free throughout the year.
You will need to trim your dog's nails each week so that they don't become curling when they are long, keep the ears dry and clean and brush the teeth using a toothpaste that has been approved by your vet. This should be done frequently or on a daily basis to prevent health teeth issues such as periodontal disease as you maintain fresh breath. Grooming should be starting early when your Shih Poo is still a puppy to ensure they don't develop grooming resistance.
In a nutshell, since neither Shih Tzus nor poodles have coats that are particularly easy, monthly trimming and daily brushing are good to maintain a mat-free fur. This is because Shih Poos have hairs of different types ranging from straight to curly, and this depends on the extent to which each favors either parent. But generally, most have coarser curly or wavy fur that is in line more with the coat of the Poodle parent. You can do baths at your discretion since the resulting mix of a Poodle and Shih Tzu is a clean dog. Skin issues that have been inherited can be warded off by regular bathing your Shih Poo.
Shih Poo Hair Cuts
If your puppy happens to have inherited its coat from the Poodle, control their fur by doing a lamb clip or puppy clip.
A lamb clip involves trimming the fur on your puppy's stomach, back, neck and hindquarters to around 1/4 inch, ideal for summer. On the other hand, a puppy clip involves shaving the fur at the tail's base, around the neck, face, and feet, ideal for winter.
Shih Poo temperament
Shih Poos' fluffy appearance is very well matched by their unique personalities. Shih Poo dogs are very affectionate and friendly and typically portray a lot of energy in them. Shih-Poo dogs are fairly outgoing and make new friends quickly. At times, Shih Poos have stubborn attitudes but they also have a level of intelligence that shouldn't be underestimated. Always remember that the temperament and personality of your Shih Poo puppy come from their parents' temperament as well as from their environment.
More often, both the Poodles and Shih Tzu are usually on the friendly and outgoing spectrum's end. But the resulting Shih Poo genes will definitely depend on luck, socialization they get prior to and after moving to a new environment, as well as what they learn from the siblings and parent mother. Shih Poo puppies shouldn't be overly shy or aggressive. If their parents run away, fail to let you near them, or even growl at you, just move on to get another litter.
Shih Poo potty training
How to potty train a Shih Poo? For a healthy, happy co-existence with your Shih Poo, Potty training should be among the most important steps you should take. Due to the stubborn nature of this breed, potty training can a bit difficult and tedious. But when you use the right procedure that involves techniques with positive reinforcements, while also being patient, you will eventually attain success.
The first step in achieving the success of potty training is through crate training. Since dogs are clean creatures and appreciate crates as safe spaces, they will always want to keep their space clean. Get a medium-sized crate depending on the size of your Shih Poo. A very large crate isn't recommended, as could convince your dog it has space for sleeping and eliminating.
During the crate training process, you need to have identified a spot outside the house which should be your dog's toilet. Whenever the dog leaves the crate, or after it has played or eaten, take it to the potty area outside the house. You could also watch out for signs that your dog needs to relieve himself such as sniffing on the floor, going round in circles, or going back to a spot he'd previously messed. Ensure the Shih Poo relieves himself at the same spot outside whenever he needs to. After the dog has relieved himself, give some treats and also praise him so that he associates the spot with the good behavior of relieving outside. Eventually, your dog will learn to go out by himself to relieve it.
While observation, supervision, and housetraining are crucial, it is also important to maintain a schedule for your Shih Poo to make things easier. Since potty training a Shih Poo dog can take time to achieve success, consistency, and patience throughout the training are key.
Training a Shih Poo
Always endeavor to use techniques that employ positive reinforcement such as rewarding them with praise, treats, and play. Shih-Poo puppies will enjoy learning and have fun as long as they know something awaits them.
As soon as your puppy arrives at home, get started immediately. If it gets put-off for long, your new Shih Poo breed may grow headstrong and become even harder to deal with and train. Put your new Shih Poo puppy on a regular training schedule before attaining the age of 10 to 12 weeks. This way, they will learn an important socializing skill with friends and family.
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