Shih Tzu Day 129: Continued Grooming Improvement

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two shih tzus sitting on a porch.

gentle shih tzu grooming moments

We did some dog grooming on the shih tzus today. No clippers since we are letting their fur grow. Plus, John prefers hand trimming their faces, private parts and paw pads. I am amazed at how good Flower was, compared to the old days. She even lay down while we did her paws! I doubt if she was very relaxed, but for some reason, she did it.

A sister laying down on a grooming table. Dottie was the worst; she fought everything we tried to do. Nigel was better. John worked on him by himself while I was working. I know Lia at the Gentle Groomer says dogs get nervous when more than one pair of hands hold them, and that we shouldn’t let the shih tzus touch us, because that is a reward, but, as John says, whatever works. We could probably be more stern with them, but we are additionally using the grooming as an opportunity to pet the shih tzus, massage them and have some togetherness. That is especially important for John, since they are so standoffish with him.

We made sure they got a treat afterwards, to try to get them to associate grooming with good things!

fun shih tzu moment

Nigel can be so funny. This afternoon, I heard paws scurrying and looked up. He came from the kitchen running as fast as he could, crossed the living room floor to his dog bed, and darted back towards the kitchen. I asked John if he knew what he was doing. He said the back door was open and he was probably smuggling stolen dog bones outside.

Shih Tzu Day 128: Flower Kardashian

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a shih tzu in a Christmas dress striking a sexy pose

shih tzu malady

I’m a little concerned. I found throw up on the floor downstairs for the second day in a row, and I found some upstairs. I thought it was Flower, because of her breath, but John said he was petting Candy and she threw up. I don’t think it was a reaction to him, so I have to think it is something else! Candy does not act like she feels well. She bit my toes and fingers yesterday in our morning ritual, but she came to greet me today and didn’t do that.

The shih tzus eat a lot of rawhide bones, so is it that? I also gave them pieces of chicken last night. I had breaded it for a meal, but I tried to remove it all before I gave it to the shih tzu clan. Also, I gave them Alpo today, because I hadn’t made up any food. Candy acted like she wasn’t going to eat it at first, but I think that was because she is just finicky. All the shih tzus did end up eating it.

nudge, nudge

Flower was sitting with me this morning, but she jumped down from the couch. Pretty soon, I looked down and two cute little shih tzus, Candy and Flower, nudging my feet. Good! Candy must feel better. Nigel was next to me, so I sent Mr. Male Shih Tzu down to play, to see if Candy was up for it. I couldn’t decide if she came to visit me or him. She just stood there while he tried to play, but then started biting his face. My ailing shih tzu must have revived.

When Nigel tired of getting his face bitten, the rambunctious shih tzu wandered over to me and took my socks off, and then started biting my toes. Flower followed his cue and came up and started biting my fingers. What a bunch of little vampires!

Marcel, the shell, with shoes on

OK, this has nothing to do with shih tzus, but John called me today and told me he had been listening to Dennis Miller on the radio and he was talking about a super cute YouTube video about “Marcel the shell with shoes on.” He said there would soon be a book on Marcel. John knows I want to write a book about my experience with our former puppy mill shih tzus, so he wanted to tell me about it. Marcel is almost as cute as my shih tzus, but not quite, so check it out!

shih tzus tracking mud and shih tzus tracking squirrels

The shih tzus tracked mud all over the floor today. Then, Nigel decided to get on the couch, so guess where the mud went. Groan. You’ll have that with a house full of shih tzus!

Part of the reason that the shih tzus kept going in and out was that Candy kept sniffing out a squirrel. Squirrel patrol requires a lot of in and out activity. Out to check the whereabouts, and in — at least partially in the back door — to get shih tzu backup.

shih tzu turnabout is fair play

Flower spends so much time on the couch now that when Dottie asks to be let up sometimes, Flower growls at her. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, I wish I could teach Candy to scratch to come in like Nigel does. I get concerned about the amount of time our outward bound shih tzu spends outside. I get up many times to check. She might be on the porch, but when I reach to open the door, she sprints out into the yard. Today, however, she was sitting right by the door, and when I opened it, she came right in.

loud, quiet breathing!

There is something very cute about the way Candy and Nigel tussle. I will be working, and all of a sudden, I will hear breathing. It’s actually a kind of “quiet breathing.” But it is a hectic breathing. That heavy breathing will go on for many minutes, as the shih tzu puppies play near the dining room table. It is always a little frustrating, because when I reach for my camera, they go on alert and the little buggers move on, so I have no proof of how incredibly cute they are.

Flower Kardashian

Nigel is a very busy boy. Lately, he goes back and forth between both shih tzu “girlfriends.” Or are they sisters? I don’t know. But I wish I could get into the minds of these dogs. One of his girl friends looked particularly adorable today. I found the cutest little Christmas dress at Ross Dress For Less. It’s red, fur-trimmed, and has candy canes and ornaments all over it. I tried it on Flower, although it is a little too early for Christmas doggy clothes. I was taking pictures, and noticed that her dress was up, but I knew they would stop playing if I butted in and fixed it, so I just let it go. I was taking pictures of her on the couch, and she was facing towards Shih Tzu Central. She had a very cute butt beneath the cute dress and I thought of the Kardashians. Yes, she is my adorable little Flower Kardashian.

Shih Tzu Day 127: Chasing Tail

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two shih tzus on a couchwe’ve come a long way, Flower

I had lunch with a friend today and we were talking about the shih tzus. She said one of her children asked her if Flower still poops when she’s afraid. I thought about that. I guess we have come a long way. She hasn’t done that lately.

a shih tzu on an animal print throw. I had another shih tzu conversation with a friend recently. She found out I had adopted some shih tzus and told me that she really wanted one. She expressed that she was hoping to find a black-faced shih tzu. Her reason was that white-faced shih tzus get “eye goo.” I think she was actually referring to tear stains, which she thinks eye goo causes. I understand what she is saying, because I definitely would love it if the shih tzus didn’t have tear stains, but I don’t love my shih tzu sisters less because of it. They are beautiful in my eyes, tear stains or not. I know different things cause tear stains, though, and I will keep trying to figure out why Flower in particular has them, because I want her to be healthy.

tail-chasing shih tzu

a female shih tzu on a bright throwThe three youngsters were in a paw-boxing mood today. It started with Candy and Nigel, as usual, but then Nigel decided to take on both of them — or they both decided to take on him. I’m not sure which is correct. The shih tzus mellowed out for a while, but a little bit later I hears a loud squeak, which usually means, “Thief! That treat was mine!” I looked up, but couldn’t figure out what had happened. Dottie and Flower, on the couch by me, looked at me innocently, and Candy and Nigel looked up from the floor. Oh well. That’s one mystery that won’t be solved.

The shih tzus got restless again at about 7:15. It was time for another round of tussling. I looked up when I heard a noise like a stampede of horses crossed the dining room floor. It was Flower, with Nigel hot on her tail. Again, my guess is that there was a stolen treat of some kind involved. A little later, Dottie started to come up on the couch, and Nigel bit her tail and held it firmly in his mouth until I made him let go. That little male shih tzu definitely has a thing for tails!

When the house’s other male came home, Candy and Nigel rushed to the door to greet him. This time, Flower was right behind them. She can’t quite bring herself to go clear up to the door though. One of these days she will.

Shih Tzu Day 126: Let It Snow

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shih tzu snow day


four shih tzus wearing jackets in the snow; one is sticking his tongue out.

 

I woke up this morning to Candy barking instead of Dottie moaning. I’m not sure why she was the furry alarm clock today. She was still waiting at the bottom of the stairs, instead of going upstairs with her shih tzu sisters. When I went downstairs, I realized that it had snowed quite a bit. Maybe that’s why she was barking.

The female shih tzus went out on the porch for their breakfast, since I still don’t trust Nigel to eat near them without taking their food. They didn’t mind it, but none of them wanted to get off the porch.

However, the shih tzus were up to the challenge — and fun — of romping in the snow this afternoon. I bought them all dog jackets from Ross Dress For Less and was excited to put them on them. Flower’s is black and has a pink skull on the back. Candy’s is also pink, but says “Biker Babe.” Flower’s is pink and white polka dots. Nigel’s is black and is plain, except it has a fur collar. I thought all the shih tzus looked adorable in their dog clothes.

I didn’t have much trouble bundling up Nigel, Dottie and Candy, but Flower didn’t make it easy for me. She kept running around, until I finally trapped her in the kitchen.

I stayed outside and watched the shih tzus romping in the snow. They looked like they were having a lot of fun. A few times, Flower froze in time and I had to pull her out of the snow. Beyond that, I think she loved it. I know I loved watching them!

 

Shih Tzu Day 125: Another Rowdy Shih Tzu Day

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energetic shih tzus

a <strong srcset=shih tzu on her back on animal print blanket” width=”200″ height=”150″ />The shih tzus had a lot of energy today. Nigel was being a little too rowdy with the girls earlier. He kept going to Shih Tzu Central and picking fights with the shih tzu sisters. I couldn’t tell if they were OK with it or not. However, someone started yipping so I stepped in. I am still not quite sure what to do to get him to stop, so I follow Cesar’s advice of giving him a “bite” with my hand on his side and telling him sternly to stop. Sorry to say, he doesn’t seem to listen very well no matter what I do, so I will have to find a better way to get him to obey me.

three shih tzus playing

 

 

 

 

I walked Nigel out of shih tzu Central, like a teacher walking a bad student to the principal’s office. However, he went right back in after I sat down, and started picking on Flower. I picked him up and him in his dog bed. He stayed there for a while.

two shih tzus playingtwo shih tzus playing

 

 

 

 

I opened the door later, to see if anyone wanted to go out and play, and Nigel and Candy flew out. When andy had played enough, she came in and retired to Shih Tzu Central to get her beauty rest, but Nigel wouldn’t leave her alone. I ended up using his couch steps as a barrier to keep him out of Shih Tzu Central. I turned them around, with the back of the steps facing the living room.

two shih tzus tongue to tongue. shih tzus playing

 

 

 

 

I did let him wrestle with the girls this afternoon, since they seemed to want to play. At one point, Wild Flower left the wrestling tournament to bite my toe, and then went back into the ring. Candy and Flower bounced up to the couch later, and Nigel followed them, deciding he would bite my toes too.

Nigel hasn’t been lying in his dog bed much over the last couple of days. I don’t think it looks as comfortable as the girls’ beds, because it doesn’t have as much filling. Today, I had the red blanket on me, and it was covering my feet. He decided to lay down on the blanket next to my feet.

learning about shih tzu relaxation

I used to say that Flower couldn’t relax on the couch. I just realized how much that has changed. Dottie was stubbornly guarding “her” corner of the couch earlier today, as usual. I looked up at one point, though, and realized that Dottie was right beside me, chewing on a pressed bone. Flower was lying at the end of the couch, and I thought she looked quite relaxed.

dress your doggy for less

a shih tzu in a leopard print dress with hood. a shih tzu in a leopard print dress on a blanket.

 

 

 

 

I took my mom shopping with me recently, and after we finished at PetSmart, she waited in the car while I made an exchange at Ross Dress For Less. I showed her the pink and brown animal print dog dress I came out with and she started laughing. She looked at the store name and said, “It should be ‘Dress Your Doggie For Less’.” I thought that was clever of her. She laughed because she wouldn’t think about putting clothes on her dogs, which have including retrievers, chows and mid-size terriers. She’s way too practical for that.