When a lot of people think of breeding dogs, the first thought that seems to come into everyone’s mind is that of money. There seems to be a lot of money that is being made by dog breeders, especially for those who are into Shih Tzu breeding.

When profit is the bottom line, the Shih Tzu care is often neglected. It is vital to make sure that you are in it for the right reasons, even though the dollar amount you can make is pretty flashy.

If you truly love getting involved with Shih Tzu care and want to help others receive healthy and loved puppies, then you may be on the right path. Sharing your passion and love with others is an excellent reason to get involved with Shih Tzu breeding. When starting out, in order to ease into things, you will want to start out with just one pair of adult Shih Tzu’s in order to be able to place all of your focus and attention on them.

When you finally decide to begin taking steps towards Shih Tzu breeding, it is suggested that you start with parents who are totally healthy and have an excellent temperament. While this is not a promise that their pups will result with the same characteristics, it is worth every effort to help make it happen.

If the adult dogs you intend to breed were just recently brought into your home, you may want to think about keeping them around long enough so that you really get to know them before beginning any breeding.

With the adult dogs, you need to know about the current health of your breeding pair along with any possible health conditions that they suffered in the past. It is extremely important that you begin your breeding with a healthy set of parents in hopes that this will better your chances at getting healthy puppies, although there is never a guarantee. If the adult Shih Tzus in your home are new to your family, consider not breeding them for about a year so you can better evaluate their temperament and health. Before beginning any breeding, make sure your local vet checks them out.

One of the most stressed issues about Shih Tzu breeding is that breeders will not allow the mother dog enough time to recover from her first birthing experience before trying to breed her again. Puppy mills are famous for neglecting their dogs in this manner. Give her the time she needs before trying again and once you have the hang of Shih Tzu care and breeding, you could possibly bring in another female so that the two take turns breeding. This way, you can continue to share the love of Shih Tzu puppies with others but still keep tabs on the mental and physical well being of your dogs.

Once your female Shih Tzu has produced pups, her care does not end there. She still requires healing time both for her mental and physical health. Puppy mills will often turn right around and try to breed that female right away. This is not safe for her or her future pups. Just as humans need time to recover, so do dogs. Understand that Shih Tzu breeding is an emotional journey and do not be alarmed if you notice your female acting distant or protective of her pups. The best thing you can do to prepare yourself is to read as much Shih Tzu information as possible.