When buying a puppy I want to say, "Buyer Beware".

There are many so-called "breeders" out there today that are only looking to make money on their puppies and they are not breeding for the betterment of the breed.  When going to a breeder to see puppies, make sure you meet the Mom and Dad of the puppies to be sure of the temperaments they have passed onto the pups.  Also make sure the pups have been vet checked, ask to see the vet papers so you know that the puppy you are interested in has seen a vet and was given their first shot by a vet and has had a stool sample checked for parasites.

Under no circumstances, EVER buy a puppy from a Pet Store, as these puppies are all born in puppy mills and taken away from their undernourished Mom's way too young, sent to the Pet Stores to be sold, and are very much overly priced to keep the Puppy Mills in business.

The new "Designer Dogs"that are being advertised now are nothing but "mutts".  They are mixed breed dogs and they will NOT have AKC papers. AKC registered papers are the ONLY papers that you will want when buying a puppy. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as an "Imperial or Tea Cup Shih Tzu". The AKC recognizes Shih Tzu to be between 9 and 16 lbs. Yes, sometimes you will get a runt in the litter, but to deliberately take two runts and breed them to get "Imperial Shih Tzu" is not a good idea because these puppies can have a lot of medical problems and the breeder is not breeding to breed standard.

Make sure the breeder you go to is a member of the American Shih Tzu Club.