For some reason, someone came to this site looking for “shih tzu dachshund mix”. Quite how they ended up here I’m not sure but it’s an interesting mix… well not as interesting as the Shih Tzu / Doberman mix that I first thought it was. Anyways, Shih Tzh dogs are cool, we were going to get one once. So then cross these two…

Perhaps something like this little fella from Buy Puppies Direct who looks dead cute. In this case, his mother was the Dachshund his father the Shih-Tzu.

Or perhaps these little chaps I found over on Litter Ads, almost as tiny as the real thing! (I think the ad those dogs are from is long gone):

That’s all I can find at the moment, if you have any pictures then let me know in the comments below!

Swicki: Shih tzu / Dachshund mix

I was actually looking for a serious description of and Australian shepherd to post on this site - in honour of our “Blue”. Who is not 7 months old. Instead I found this story by Pet Illustrator Connie Bowen of her two Aussie shepherds and they sound just like Blue. Especially the part about the gradually dismantled sofa and the furry cheer leader team! (Our other dog, Ollie, plays the part two but his singing voice isn’t as tuneful!)

Dog Behavior - Our Two Australian Shepherd Puppies And The White Couch

I had heard about a Sunday evening spiritual gathering in my neighborhood and was curious to go and make some new friends. My husband and son decided to stay home so I went along looking forward to a quiet evening with like-minded folks. I arrived right on time and was greeted by my gracious hostess. As I entered the lovely living room, I actually screamed when I saw it! A pristine, white couch! The couple’s Persian rugs still had all the fringe and the rungs on their wooden chairs were without bite marks. Their woodwork had no scratches or mud spatters and their screen door was still in tact! Right then and there I made the decision; these people could not survive one minute in my house. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve just been reading How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb? and they’re spot on for our dogs!

Ollie:

Border Collie:
Just one? And I’ll replace any wiring that’s not up to code

Blue:

Australian Shepherd:
First, put all the light bulbs in a circle.

And Jaxx:

Shih-tzu:
Puh-leeze, dahling, I have servants for that kind of thing.

If you’re like most of us, your dog is part of the family. You take care of her like one of the kids, making sure she’s healthy, giving her Heartgard Plus (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) every month to keep those nasty heartworms away, and taking care of all those other items like spaying, flea and tick control, and daily walks, armed with the ol’ pooper scooper. Even so, you might not be aware of one of the most pervasive canine problems out there, especially for larger breeds. It’s called hip dysplasia, and it can turn your happy-go-lucky pup into a pain-wracked old-timer who rarely wants to move off the rug. Read the rest of this entry »

Many will derive great joy from owning a pet this year. Some will receive a pet as a gift, others will say farewell to an old friend. The common theme amongst these pet owners is an uncommon companionship with their chosen pet.

More than half of all homes have at least one pet and many are beginning to realise that there are new choices and considerations that appear in the form of pet insurance. It’s true that whilst some may feel this is a frivolous notion, as expenses continue to rise in all aspects of finances, the insuring of pets has become a more common incident. Read the rest of this entry »

With our two dogs growing fast, the concern of when they will start to cock their leg comes to mind. We’ve been told by Blue’s breeder that if they have their balls chopped off too early then this can cause kidney problems later on, and other sites suggest that this can halt their development in other ways such as the dog retaining puppy like features and attitude. Whilst this may seem cute and desirable, it sound barbaric to have it done too soon.So

So why do they cock their legs? I’ve always been of the impression that it is a territorial trait to get their scent higher up, and this is confirmed in many dog manuals. One thing you can do to encourage a dog to start to cock his leg is with more socialisation with groups of older males.

(In progress… to be continued…)