Tag Archives: PetSmart

Shih Tzu Day 23: Alone With Shiloh

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strange people invade the Shih tzus’ home

My niece, Nikki, and her friend, Clarke, arrived at 8 a.m. this morning, for their three-day weekend visit. Shiloh made instant friends when he ran to the door to greet them with his tail wagging. The girls stayed in their safe zone. Since they had driven all night, our visitors wanted to take a nap before lunch. Mom arrived at about 10. We decided to take Shiloh to PetSmart, so I wouldn’t have to kennel him before we left. He did very well, except he did decide he needed to lift his leg and anoint a crate. We did crate Shiloh for lunch and later, when we decided to take a long drive to the Castle Rock Outlet Mall, since I don’t know if I can trust him to not fight with Flower (or trust Flower to not fight with him). While Nikki and Clarke shopped, I went to Petsense. Delores had told me they had better prices than PetSmart and Petco.  I didn’t get the impression that dog food and treats and dog toys were that much cheaper, but I still have to check my receipts against what I bought. They do offer a ten percent discount to people who adopt pets from the rescues they work with, such as BFF Rescue. While I was there, I had a nice conversation with a woman who also has a shih tzu, and her daughter. They told me they buy stuffed animals from dollar stores for the shih tzu and that she loves to play with empty water bottles. They also pointed out Skinneeez, “stuffless” animals in the store, and said the shih tzu loved hers, although she had successfully torn it apart. I decided to get an ostrich and see if one of them would play with it. When we got home, I set down the ostrich to see which dog would get it. Candy got there first, and dragged it back to their corner. The Pork Chomps treat I bought at Petsense wasn’t a hit. They seemed hard to me, and I don’t know if that’s the way they are supposed to be or if they were just old. (I don’t know why I keep searching for the ultimate treat. They’re fine if I just give them Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky or Waggin’ Train chicken jerky or chicken and apples, as well as some of the other treats I’ve brought home to them.

Shih Tzu Day 7: Flower Ventures Out

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Flower ventured out into the living room on her own tonight. This is the first time I’ve seen her do it. She walked around only for a few minutes and then went back to the pen.

I spent part of the day looking for doggie beds and food and water bowls for the shih tzus. When Barbara and Delores brought them over, they brought a dark grey oval cuddler that Dottie usually lies in. However they all take turns in it. They must like it because it’s comfy; I like it because the cushion comes out and can be washed separately.

I guess the bed is okay, as long as I can chew on my Pork Chomp in it!

They also brought over a striped, rectangular dog bed, but they don’t use it very often. I started out looking for beds at PetSmart and was disappointed with the variety. I did find some colorful oval cuddlers, but they didn’t have a removable cushion. Petco was even more disappointing. TJ Maxx had some cute beds, but still, without removable cushions. I ended up getting one-piece beds, including a large, rectangular bed from Murdoch’s that all three can lie on. Then, I bought a rectangular faux leather cuddler from Costco and a red corduroy one from the third PetSmart I went to.

Flower tried out the faux leather cuddler, but they seem to prefer huddling together on the Murdoch’s bed or climbing back in the grey cuddler. I know that part of it is just that it’s what they’re used to.

I had told Delores that I had bought a ceramic dog bowl from the Dollar Tree, but she mentioned concern about lead and said that aluminum or glass is probably the best, and that dollar stores usually carried some cheaper than PetSmart. I thought the ones I found at Family Dollar were too big for shih tzus, but I did buy two for water. I ended up getting smaller ones at TX Maxx. Of course, then I saw some a little bigger (and cuter) at Ross that I might have to go back and get.

While I was looking for beds and bowls, I couldn’t resist looking at some dog clothes. Some day!

Shih Tzu Prelude: In Search of a Shih Tzu of My Own

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Candy, Flower and Dottie

Candy, a 2-year-old shih tzu

Off and on when I had looked at shih tzus online, I had looked at the Denver Dumb Friends League’s Quebec Street Shelter and Buddy Center, as well as local rescue centers. I recent read that the Dumb Friends League was charging only $50 for an adoption fee throughout the end of June. I looked at the site, but I didn’t see any shih tzus.

Another choice was the Colorado Shih Tzu Maltese & Lhasa Apso Rescue, but I cringed at the $300 adoption fee. Bella, the dog I had met at PetSmart, had been in the Evergreen Animal Protective League’s foster program, but they didn’t have any shih tzus on their site that were under 5. I had determined I wanted a dog at least that young.

I looked at Adoptapet.com and Petfinder.com. Each site showed a handful of shih tzus. Three shih tzus came up in Arvada, near me. They were listed by the BFF Rescue, a shelter that transfers homeless dogs from high kill shelters to foster homes until they can be adopted by a new “forever family.” Candy’s profile said she was born on 4/24/2009. That meant she was 2 years old. She was 11 pounds, which was average for a shih tzu. I read she was from a puppy mill. It also said that she had come to the BFF Rescue with her half sisters, Flower and Dottie. I read on that Candy was “still very shy and will need a lot of time and love in her new home.” Having a “shy” dog didn’t bother me. Joey had been shy. It said that Candy and Flower were very bonded and that the rescue was hoping to find them a home together.

Flower, a 2-year-old shih tzu from a puppy millDottie, 5 years old, is Candy and Flower's half sister.

With that in mind, I read Flower’s profile. Flower was  born on 4/13/2009 and was 14 pounds. Along with being shy, her profile said Flower was  “afraid of many things and would need a lot of love and understanding.” Her name made me think of Happy Flower, a dog I had seen on the Dumb Friends League’s site shortly after meeting Bella. this Flower, obviously, wasn’t yet “happy.” Maybe she could be, with the right person. But could that be me?

The adoption fee on either dog was $175, which wasn’t as good as the Dumb Friends League’s special, but was better than what I would spending going through the EAPL. I was definitely interested. I also stole a glance at the profile for Dottie. She was born on  9/17/2005, which made her 5 and a half years old. Although I had told myself I would look at dogs 5 years old and under, I still thought I wanted a younger one,  but she had a cute face. I read that she was also shy and afraid of many things, that she would need a lot of time and love and that she was good with other dogs and cats. It also said she would need another small dog in her new home.

I liked the fact that the dogs seemed to need each other. Our Yorkie was very possessive and never wanted other animals near us or her. I picked up the phone and called the number given for Delores at BFF Rescue, hoping to speak to her about Candy and Flower.

Shih Tzu Prelude: Saying Goodbye to Our Dog Guest

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Goodbye, Sweet Little Shih Tzu

Rosie gazes at me from the passenger seat.I called mom this morning to tell her about Bella, the runaway dog. She was bored and asked if I wanted to go to lunch. We went to Culver’s, which is our regular lunch place. When we got to PetSmart, I had them check the shih tzu for a microchip; I was disappointed, because she had one. I know; that’s selfish. I was really hoping someone had neglected taking care of that matter, and I would have an adorable dog!

How long do I have to wait?The woman at PetSmart took my phone number. Mom and I left the store, and I drove across the street to the Dollar Tree. I went in, leaving my phone charging in the car. When I came back out, Mom said that someone had tried to call. I checked my voice mail. A woman had left a message, saying that she heard I had Rosie, and that she would really like to see her again. I felt guilty for wishing that this dog didn’t have a chip, and she could be all mine.

I called the owner back and explained to her that I was out with my mother, but that I would bring Rosie home as soon as I was done. She told me that she had hired someone to mow the lawn, and the person had left the gate open. Rosie had taken the opportunity to explore, a day before we had found her. The woman and her friends had been praying to the Saint of Lost Animals for her safe return. They were praying that while I was praying she didn’t have a chip!

I could not bear to part from Rosie right away. After dropping off Mom, I ran an error for John, picking up a backpack from a military surplus store. I left Rosie in the car for a few minutes. When I walked out, the sweet, little thing was sitting up in the passenger seat, her paws on the dashboard, gazing out the window. I took out my Droid and snapped her picture.

I took her home and snapped a few more pictures, said my goodbyes and then loaded her back up into the car and drove to the address I had been given. As I walked up the walk, I hugged her and told her I would miss her. When I rang the doorbell, I heard a chorus of barking. When her person opened the door, three little white canine friends rushed forward, welcoming back their friend. I told the women that I had always wanted that many dogs and that I was jealous.

I ran back to my car for my Droid, so I could take more pictures. Rosie touched my heart when she gazed up at me while the other dogs raced around in circles. I am definitely going to miss this shih tzu! I feel guilty that I am wishing I had no conscience, and I had decided not to check this little darling for a chip!

Shih Tzu Prelude: Encounter Three — Runaway Shih Tzu

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Runaway Shih Tzu

Some time ago, our HOA announced a yard sale day for today. John and I got on our beach cruiser bikes (Electra Boney Fingers and Eight Ball), checked out a few yard sales, and then headed to our regular bike path. We didn’t plan to take a long ride.

We rode about five miles, and then turned around to come home. About a half mile from where we were to get back on the path, John turned and asked if I had seen what he had seen. I didn’t know what he was talking about; he pointed to a dog that was running as fast as it could ahead of us on the path.

The runaway dog was, to my surprise, a shih tzu. The shih tzu paused ever so briefly, trying to decide if it should veer left to continue on the path, or veer right, the way we were headed. The dog made its decision and scurried right, into an apartment complex parking lot.

We followed behind it, watching as it scrambled through the parking lot. I held my breath as it headed toward the end of the complex and the street. It ran along the sidewalk towards Sheridan, one of the busiest streets in the neighborhood. John is a much stronger rider than I am, so he pedaled faster, trying to get ahead of it to stop it, afraid of what might happen if it headed across Sheridan. A person in a car had slowed down, and appeared to be concerned, too. The dog sprinted on, out of everyone’s reach.

As the dog reached Sheridan, John hollered at me not to look. I prayed that it was a red light, and that the shih tzu would make it across. But the light was green; the shih tzu sprinted across the road, as cars stopped to let her cross. We waited about a minute for the light to change in our favor, and then we crossed. John went up ahead, following the bike path for at least another mile before the dog had to make another decision regarding which way to go. It scrambled across another street, this one not so busy, and into a backyard. As John got off his bike to go find it, I knocked on the door and told the owner that we needed to fetch a stray dog from the back.

The shih tzu darted back and forth, until it was finally in a location that didn’t allow it to escape. John gently picked up the shih tzu, and determined it was a female. Her paws were bleeding from running, and she was shaking. We were miles away from home, and John now had the chore of carrying her under one arm and steering his bike with the other. He was used to carrying our Yorkie, who had weighed about 10 pounds, but this dog was heavier. John stopped a few times to rest his arm, and then we continued on.

Once we got her home, the shih tzu bolted under the dining room table. We let her stay there for a while. Then, I went around and picked her up and took her to the backyard, trying to prod her to do her business. Instead, she ran under John’s ATV trailer until we could get her back out.

This isn't the home I ran away from, but it's not bad.We didn’t know how long the shih tzu had been on the run, but we imagined someone was looking for her. She looked freshly groomed, and she didn’t look or act abused. We got in the car and drove around the neighborhood, particularly near where we found her, looking for any “lost dog” signs. We didn’t see any.

On the way back, we saw a pet carrier at a yard sale and bought it. Then we went to PetSmart and asked for the best food for a shih tzu. When we got home, we tried to give the shih tzu some food, but she wouldn’t eat it. We didn’t know what to call her, so I started calling her Bella, after the shih tzu I met months earlier.

When it was time for bed, we took Bella upstairs with us. As we got ready, I sat her on the bed. I thought she might jump down, but she headed towards the headboard, and lay as close to it as she could. When I woke up in the night, she was lying right between us, on our pillows.

John got up at in the middle of the night and took her downstairs. She went outside and then came back in and headed for the pet carrier.