This is Onyx. She is a Chow mix that came to us a week or so back for her first grooming at Digger Dogs.  She may look like a young puppy in this photo, but she's actually more around 8 years of age.  As a rescue dog, the owners were unsure of how she would behave in our shop. Well, I guess after all she's been through, getting groomed was no big deal, in fact this lady seemed to really enjoy her day at the spa; away from it all.  I mean, just look how happy that face is: 

You'd be happy too if you'd hit the lottery like she did. Onyx has only been with her current owners since the beginning of 2012. Previously, she was living a life, (if I remember this correctly) filled with stress, and lacking love and attention. She had lived with a pack of unfriendly dogs that bothered her, picked on her, and the guess is that they beat her up a bit too. Bunch of bullies! 

This is what prompted her new owners to suggest removing her from that situation and they generously offered her a new life with them.

Now - this alone is a sweet rescue story, but there is more. What the new owners didn't realize right away, was that Onyx was pregnant. They had no idea who or what the "dad" was so they didn't know what to expect. They nurtured Onyx through her pregnancy and she eventually gave birth to 6 puppies!! But Onyx was just newly rescued, not in the best of health and certainly not emotionally strong. She lost 4 of her pups pretty much right away. The two remaining puppies (black fuzz-balls) still had a battle ahead of them as their mother  wasn't doing well feeding them.  They had to be bottle fed. 
Can you imagine rescuing one dog only to find out you have 2 more and that those two extras need to be bottle fed if they are to survive! I can't. That's a lot of work. 

Well thank goodness Onyx's path brought her to such wonderful people. They did all they could and ended up saving those two pups. Now they have three chow mixes!  The boys are only about 6 months old at this point, but they too came in to Digger Dog's with their mother for their very first grooming.  I won't lie:  as a groomer, it was a challenging day having a family of new chow mixes come into our shop for the first time. They were scared, unsure, protective, and the boys clung to their mom like glue!  But as I said, Onyx seemed to be in Heaven, and seemed to enjoy a few moments alone without her sons. If Calgon sold dog shampoo, Onyx would have been a great commercial for them! We purposely groomed her first hoping her boys would watch and learn, and be a bit  less frightened.  She seemed to understand our tactic because she pranced around all proud and pretty when she was done! 

Her sons, Little Bit and Biggins, weren't so sure about this whole grooming business. And just like a couple of brothers, we had to separate them in order for them to behave.  (we hear this is common at home as well - haha)  
First up was Biggins who did his best to behave but couldn't help expressing just how nervous and afraid he really was (but don't tell his little brother that!). He never did sit still long enough for us to grab a snap shot of his gorgeous face, but we snuck this one before he left. 

Little Bit was like night and day. He came in our shop making the most fuss, acting the most upset, barking the most and loudest, and we honestly weren't sure if he was going to make it through the grooming. But we gave it a try and I don't want to jinx anything, but he did really darn good for his first time. Maybe having his brother out of sight, and his mom in sight helped, I don't know. But to look at this photo you'd think he was a regular! 

But don't let that face fool you, he was super scared, poor guy. We were so proud of him and his brother!! And after all his fussing and barking before his grooming and bath, Little Bit was so happy to be back with his mom that he settled down for a little nap. 

So that is the story of Onyx times three! Not one dog rescued, but all three.  They're getting the love and attention they need and deserve with their wonderful new owners, and we are so very happy to have meet the entire family!!  
As for Onyx, well that pretty lady really did hit the jackpot didn't she. These stories make our hearts sing! 

If you have seen our Facebook page, or have looked through our photos here on our website, you may have noticed we have a lot of Shih-Tzu in our shop. 
Ut-Oh!  Did I keep that singular? Yes I did, because the word Shih-Tzu is both singular and plural, much like the word sheep, or fish.  I have only recently learned that little fact. It made we wonder what other little bits about the breed I may have not known.  I love learning about breeds, hearing their origins, and comparing their ancient lives to their modern lives.  That is why we have decided to select a breed each month for discussion so we may share what we know, and learn what you know!  

Our first choice, is the Shih Tzu! Time has changed things for so many breeds, but actually, not so much for the this breed. 

I'm sure everyone knows about how Shih-Tzu came from China, and means "Lion Dog", but do you know why?  Apparently, the breed was designed to look like the Buddhists' idea of what a lion looked like.  The lion was a significant image because in the story of Buddha, when he came to earth from heaven, he rode on a lion.  In fact, many sources say that the Shih Tzu really originated in Tibet, going as far back as the 17th century where it was considered a Holy Dog.  This is perhaps the biggest difference between then, and now.  The Shih Tzu is no longer reserved for only the royalty and holy men, in fact it's one of the most popular breeds in America.  (according to the American Kennel Club, as of February 2012,  "the Rottweiler  made news by unseating the Shih Tzu - which had been in the top 10 since 2000. "  http://www.akc.org)

You may also know that Pekingese have a similar history and are equally as 
"royal" in ancient China. But don't be fooled when looking at historical pictures that feature dogs. One way to tell the Pekingese from the Shih Tzu is that the Shih Tzu will have little bumps on its head which is their top-knot, or pony tail keeping their hair out of their face.  Today mostly only show dogs have that style as it requires vigilant upkeep, but we still love to decorate our modern day Shih Tzu with bows and such, if not for the same purpose, but simply because they are so darn cute! However, we do have a few Shih Tzu on the longer side. 

Another thing I think is probably a well known fact, is that this breed tends to have respiratory issues and therefore should not be over exerted. I did a little research to find out what games or sports are best for this breed, and it turns out, they are pretty darn good at nose work! You'd think that with respiratory concerns that wouldn't work out real well for them, but my research finds many sources suggesting a game of "tracking" or "find it". (hiding a treat or toy around for them to find)  Other websites mention that more and more people are getting their Shih Tzu into agility as well, but for the most part, all agree these are lap dogs.  Again, that has not changed too much over the centuries. 

For such a popular and ancient breed, it's hard to believe so many end up in shelters and pounds across the country. Because they are so popular, and so stinking cute, it's super easy (and tempting) to breed and sell puppies just about anywhere.  But when people find out that they are a lot of work grooming wise, or learn their dog is not good being left alone, or any other number of possibilities, these dogs end up homeless.  It's hard to believe, I know, and yet there are Shih Tzu rescues across the country specifically working to help re-home all the unwanted Shih Tzu.  (United States Shih Tzu Rescue)

It is always best to research a breed before purchasing or adopting, and this blog post has only been a tiny bit of information about this breed. They really are fun, funny, cuddly dogs with so much to talk about and we just LOVE them.  And regardless of all the books, all the history, all the breeders'  knowledge, you can bet there are exceptions to the "rules".  If you have any unique or funny stories about your Shih Tzu, (or Shih Tzu mix) or any pictures, please share. We'll post them on our Facebook page if you don't mind. Send them to us via Facebook, or email them to diggerdogspetgrooming@gmail.com. Tell us what you've learned about the breed and what you've proved wrong! 

Thanks again for stopping by, we'll have another breed to discuss next month! 

-ingrid