Shih Tzu Day 114: Favorite Dog Treats: Whole Lotta Chewin’ Going On

two very cute shih tzus on a couch waiting for dog treats.

dog treats – yum

four shih tzus waiting for dog treats. Today was one of those days that revolved around dog treats. In the morning, to keep the girls occupied, I gave out pig ears, one of the shih tzus’ favorite dog treats. In the early afternoon, they got a sweet potato and chicken treat and a small apple and chicken treat, other favorites. When John got home, they got a small piece of chicken jerky, probably at the top of dog treats.

shih tzu gnawing on an apple and chicken treat.Pig ears just seem to be pig ears, but I’ve experimented with different brands of sweet potato and chicken dog treats, apple and chicken treats and chicken jerky. I tried plain sweet potato treats, but they weren’t that popular. After that, I bought Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Yam Good sweet potato treats, and the girls liked them. However, I discovered Costco carried Kingdom Pets sweet potato and chicken treats in a large value pack, so I have been buying them. I personally think Canyon Creek Ranch smells better, but the girls don’t seem to notice.

shih tzu chewing on a chicken and apple treat. As for chicken jerky, there are a lot of brands on the market. I tend to buy Milo’s Kitchen for a few reasons. First, I guess it’s relatively new, and I find a lot of dollar and two-dollar coupons for it. I also think Milo’s Kitchen dog treats smell really good. When I can find the value pack at Wal-mart, that’s what I buy. I will buy Waggin’ Train chicken jerky though. What I won’t buy is whatever chicken jerky Costco carries, although it comes in a value pack and is cheaper. The girls didn’t like it when I first bought it, and it looks dry to me.

a shih tzu with a sweet potato and chicken treat in his mouth.I buy Canyon Creek Ranch apple and chicken dog treats from PetSmart because although Wal-Mart is always cheaper on most dog treats, they don’t have a value pack. PetSmart’s value pack has been on sale for a while too. Having four dogs is like having four children: you have to find the bargains!

 

Shih Tzu Day 57: John’s Grooming Class

grooming class for John

I'm running out of firemen! I need more toys!We arrived at the Gentle Groomer at 4:30 for John’s short grooming class. Lia had told us he could practice dog grooming on her Springer Spaniel. She talked to him a while first about questions he had from the dog grooming class video. She clarified some things we should be doing, such as the body areas people most often cut when grooming — including the Achilles tendon — and how to position the clippers for the pads of the feet.

Once his personal dog grooming class started, Lia said John was a natural. I knew he would be. I’m glad, because after his dog grooming class, I am hoping I will be relegated as his helper when it comes to the shih tzus’ grooming.

While we were at dog grooming class, we had a lot of dog talk with Lia. We were discussing different breeds and Lia mentioned that shih tzus were bred to be companions, as well as “alert dogs.” She said that it is common for shih tzus to alert larger dogs of potential danger. She also asked if any of the dogs want to be by my side all the time, because of the companion part. I told her that Dottie was the only one in that role at the moment.

We told Lia about our problems with the grooming table. She said to pick up Flower, or one of the other shih tzus. Then, put her on it at least once during the day, but at first, to merely give her a treat, show her love, and then put her back down, to get her used to the fact that if she gets up on the table, she will get a treat and love. Later, she said, do some type of grooming for just a minute or so, give her a treat, and put her down, until she gets more comfortable. We’ll try that.

Before we left, Lia pulled out a flat rawhide treat called Flips to give to their five dogs. I was fascinated by the excitement from the dogs. I have heard mixed things about rawhide, but I guess I’ll give them a try. It has to be better than plastic firemen.

back it up

All of the girls were excited when we got home. They ran to meet me, but backed up quickly to the safe zone when they saw that John was with me.

We don't trust that Man, but he has been giving us tasty treats!He is the new treat person, to get them to like him, so we ushered them outside and he handed out the new treat I got from Costco, Kingdom Pets sweet potato and chicken treats. I personally think they don’t smell nearly as good as other sweet potato and chicken treats I’ve bought, but the shih tzus love them. Flower ran up to him readily, and the other two followed her lead. He gave them extra treats; I think he feels bad because of their reluctance to trust him.