Shih Tzu + Poodle = Shih-Poo

I'm a busy gal and I live in a small condo apartment with no balcony, so I have special needs when it comes to a dog. Of course while he's a puppy I understand that I will have to put in a lot more time to get him up to speed with his new life, his home and most importantly, his new mommy (me, duh!).

After Patch, the nightmare Cockapoo that was my family dog, I was permanently scared away from anything to do with any of the breeds where he was conceived... until I did some research and found that a poodle cross is the way to go - they commonly refer to these mixes as "Designer Dogs." Firstly, poodles have hair and not fur so they don't shed and they are usually hypo-allergenic which is great. Next, mixed dogs tend to have fewer genetic defects when they are crossed compared to pure breeds. Finally, I always wanted a mixed child and hey, just in case it doesn't happen for me, here's a guarantee I'll get one. hahaha... bad again, I know, but how cool does it sound to say I have a Designer Dog? Just kidding - I won't Paris Hilton my dog.

So given my situation, research says that I should have a smallish dog that requires little exercise outdoors and is not too needy for attention... unfortunately, there aren't many smallish dogs that require little attention because they're all attention whores! Attention whores I tell you! I can't give up the cuteness factor and I can't compromise on the size with my limited space limitations, so I've had to make my decision on the breed based on the characteristics that I want in my pooch. Alas, I've settled on a Shih-Poo, which as the title of this blog cleverly says is a cross between a Poodle and a Shih Tzu.

Here are some of the characteristics of Shih-Poos...

A first generation Shih-Poo is a mix of a Purebred Toy Poodle with a Purebred Shih-Tzu resulting in a non shedding and non allergenic mix. This breed will grow to be about 10-15 lbs and because of the Shih-Poo's smaller size, they are great condo/apartment companions. The Shih-Poo typically has a soft, cuddly coat that is easy to groom, a long tail, a button nose and comes in a variety of colors such as black, white, blonde, tri-colored, fawn with a black mask, red, chocolate and others.

Shih-Poos are excellent family pets as they are wonderful with people of all ages. They make an excellent lap dog and like to travel. Not requiring a lot of exercise, this breed can fit comfortably into any life style.

The Shih-Poo's temperament is very loving and laid back like the Shih-Tzu. They rarely bark, are never aggressive, love to cuddle, are generally easy to train, and have a very patient disposition.

Alas, the choice for a Shih-Poo was obvious for me! Can't wait to choose one... I'm leaning towards a dog that is all one colour as I'm not that into the multi-coloured ones as much. We'll see though... you never know which one you'll fall in love with. =)