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ADOPTED ON 09-19-15 – Sophie was a wet, dirty, matted, nearly frozen puppy when she was picked up off the street by one of our loving rescuers who just happened to spot her lying there. She was so sick, covered with snow and sleet, and very near death. After spending several days with the vet she pulled through. Who knew that she would end up an absolutely gorgeous Havanese /Shih Tzu, with a sparkling personality to match?

This dog cannot be adopted to Massachusetts residents due to new laws regarding rescue dogs being prohibited from adoption. Please contact Patricia Cabral at: 617-626-1786 or Mike Cahill at: 617-626-1794 for questions regarding what dogs you are allowed to adopt.

RESCUE IS THE SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM 

Sophie is a two year old, 30 pound princess and her southern foster mom can’t say enough about her! She loves everyone she meets, is very laid back and is the most happy-go-lucky girl you will ever meet. She loves to take walks, ride in cars, and play in her back yard. She is completely house trained, healthy, and has wonderful manners in the home. Sophie does like to wander, and this may be how she was lost in the first place, so a fenced in yard would be strongly recommended and ideal for her. We would never want this to happen to her again! She is great with children and other dogs.

Sophie is very special, and if she could talk she would tell us that she would love her very own pillow bed for daytime and a special human to sleep with at night. She’d thrive with love and attention, walks and playtime. With her carefree spirit the rest would be a breeze!

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ABOUT THE SHIH-TZU BREED
His name means little lion, but there’s nothing fierce about this dog breed. The Shih Tzu is a lover, not a hunter. Bred solely to be a companion, the Shih Tzu is an affectionate, happy, outgoing housedog who loves nothing more than to follow his people from room to room. In recent years, however, owners have started taking the Shih Tzu off their laps and into dog sports, training him for obedience, rally, and agility competitions.hih Tzu are lively and energetic companions. Yet, they are also amazingly low-key and satisfied—assuming they get an adequate amount of attention. They like nothing better than to be held, stroked, petted and pampered by their owners, and are perfectly happy sitting on the couch with you for hours while you dote on them. This is a noble breed—but they are never too proud for a roll on the floor with a treasured squeaky toy.

PET COMPATIBILITY
Shith Tzu’s are generally good with other pets. The majority of Shih Tzu behavior problems occur because a dog is not clearly shown that their human family member is the “Alpha Dog” or “leader”. If a dog gets mixed messages or if a dog is inadvertently led to believe that they are the “Alpha Dog”, this will cause a dog to think and act as if they are the head of the household and that is when behavior issues, such as aggression issues, will occur.

When you have a Shih Tzu and you bring another Shih Tzu into the home, or you bring another dog breed into the home, this opens up the question of “Who is Alpha Dog?”. Your Shih Tzu will then need to figure out how this new dog affects the household.

Your Shih Tzu will begin to think “Is this other dog now in charge?” “Am I still in charge” “Do I need to fight to hold my place as Alpha Dog?” For your Shih Tzu to get along with another dog, clear boundaries must be shown and both dogs must be trained to understand how you expect them to behave.

CHILDREN
A Shih Tzu will either think of children as his peers or he will consider them to be part of his “Alphas” and therefore he will listen to commands, behave well in order to receive praise, etc. Rarer is for a dog to perceive a child as a “Beta” (ranking lower than the canine and making for a terrible household environment in which the dog tries to rule over the child).

For a happy and peaceful household, we will want to eliminate any chance of children being seen as peers or as betas. If a Shih Tzu, shown in a loving and gentle way, learns that a child of any age is indeed an Alpha, that puppy or dog will then behave as such: He will not nip at, will not bark at, will walk beside and will gently protect, play with and respect the child.

How to Accomplish This – The methods of achieving this are very similar to how adult humans should approach the care of a Shih Tzu. Children who are involved in the care and training of a puppy or dog will be seen with the proper ranking. This is so important, as a Shih Tzu (or any dog) will rarely challenge ranking that has been established AND reinforced.

 TEMPERAMENT
The Shih-Tzu is a happy, hardy, alert, and spunky little dog. It is dignified, courageous and sometimes arrogant. This dog does well with polite, careful children. It is gentle and affectionate, makes friends easily and can respond well to consistent patient training. This dog makes a very alert watchdog. Some can be difficult to housebreak. It is a naturally active dog but if it is allowed it will lie around in its favorite spots. Daily walks are a good idea.

PERSONALITY
The Shih Tzu is an alert, lively, little dog. It is happy and hardy, and packed with character. The gentle, loyal Shih Tzu makes friends easily and responds well to consistent, patient training. It makes a very alert watchdog. It is courageous and clever. Playful and spunky, this affectionate little dog likes to be with people and is generally good with other pets. Give this dog rules and limits as to what it is and is not allowed to do. Be its firm, stable, consistent pack leader. Take it for daily pack walks and you will bring out the sweet, trustworthy dog in it.

WHAT  THE ADOPTION FEE PAYS FOR 

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• Always teach children how to approach and touch dogs
• Always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children to prevent any biting or ear or tail pulling on the part of either party.
• Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
• Children need to be taught how to how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs and young children.
• No dog should ever be left unsupervised with a child because often-young children don’t understand that a cute little dog, or any dog, might not want “love and kisses.”
• Never let young children pick up a puppy or small dog. Instead, make them sit on the floor with the dog in their lap. Pay attention to the dog’s body language, and put him safely in his crate if he appears to be unhappy or uncomfortable with the child’s attention.
• Always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and always supervise any interactions between dogs.
• Teach your child never to approach any dog while he’s eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog’s food away. No dog should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
• Be prepared dogs will protect themselves
• Most important, it is your responsibility to make sure that your children and the dog are supervised at all times and safe. You cannot leave it up to the dog, the dog is an animal and will behave like an animal. They rely on us to guide and protect them, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• THIS IS YOUR JOB, NOT THE DOG

DISCLAIMER: THE BREED POSTED ON OUR DOGS’ BIOGRAPHIES ARE OUR BEST GUESS BASED ON SEVERAL YEARS OF DOG RESCUE. ADOPTERS WHO NEED TO KNOW THE EXACT BREED OF A PARTICULAR DOG MUST HAVE THE DOG TESTED AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE.

Application instructions: click the link below to apply for adoption of this dog.

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Click the expand button in the lower right corner of each video to view full-screen. See Cesar Millan’s tips on dog behavior.

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SHIH-TZU DOGS

Shih-Tzu Quick Facts

• weight: 9 – 16 pounds
• height: 10 – 11 inches

Ideal Human Companions

• Singles
• Seniors
• Families with older children
• Hair stylists

Trademark Traits

• Long, elegant coat
• Cute “chrysanthemum” face
• Lively
• Loves to be pampered
• Playful
• Dainty and precious
• Noble and aloof

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1. Introducing Your Dog to a New Home
2. Cesar’s House Rules
3. How to introduce your dog to new people

http://youtu.be/qhhayGagH4M

http://youtu.be/QcyKbeSN7yk

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Sponsored Dogs – They Need Your Help!

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