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We have a 19 month old female Shih-Tzu...she is awesome and we just adore her. For a while now, we have been thinking of rescuing a dog - more specifically, another Shih-Tzu. I found a rescue a couple of hours away that has several adult Shih-Tzus for adoption. Here are my questions:
1. Would a male or female be best, or does it not matter. Our little girl is very docile/submissive with other dogs/people but is a bit rambunctious with our cat.
2. Preferable age? Would it be best to get one around the same age? older?
3. Any other specifics I need to know beforehand?
PS - seeing the photos Teddie Ruxpin posts has really inspired me! The new dog will not only be for us to love but more for a companiion for Dalai.
Although I don't really know anyhting about your breed, in genral across many breeds, I have found that a male-female combo works well. I have also had male-female-female and male-male-female. But for only 2, unless you just absolutely fall in love with a female, might as well look for a male.
Have heard that the best combination is female/male, then 2 males and lastly 2 females (all spayed/neutered). That said, I personally have several spayed females and know others who do and they get along fine (although 2 of them have had some friction in the past). If you get one around her age (+ or - a little), they'll have the same energy level and will be more likely to play together etc. It varies from individual dog to individual dog. Sounds like your girl is well socialized, would the rescue let you bring yours to meet theirs to see who she interacts with best - ? (keeping in mind she may not interact that much w/ one of them yet they could be best buds in time).
You might want to go to some shih-tzu meetups in your area once your adopt your new pupster, just google meetup.com and put in the breed and your zip, they're a lot of fun for both dogs and humans.
Yes, Teddie Ruxpin and Velma are absolutely adorable.
Thanks for all the info. We've been looking at petfinders...found several dogs we like. We've decided to go with a male...adult. Some of the ads are really pitiful/heartwrenching. Many dogs were previously used as breeding machines in puppy mills and were terribly neglected. I need to do a bit more research and try to find an agency within 2-3 hrs of us. If anyone knows of a good place, feel free to dm me.
Just remember, if you DO get a mill dog, they're going to need all your patience and love. They DO come around, but it'll take any where from a number of months to a year or more. But it's worth it to see how they change and come out of their shells. Best of luck.
I'm not sure where you're located, but I'd be more than happy to look around for other rescues and agencies.
As for the dogs, I'd let Dalai meet the dog before bringing it home. She might get along with one and then the next one she could care less for. Since she's submissive it may not even matter, but you want to make sure they get along before bringing the new dog home. That way they're not in Dalai's territory for the meet and great.
Good luck with everything and PLEASE keep us all updated on what's going on.
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