I thought a thread sharing favourite tips, products, solutions to Shih-Tzu problems etc. would be quite useful.

For instance, white proper old-fashioned terry towelling nappies! I had three dozen when my 22 yearold daughter was a baby, and I still have some of the original ones now! However, when I was expecting my fist litter, I launched out and bought a dozen and a half new nappies, and a dozen white facecloths. They were fantastic for use during whelping, and after the happy event, could be washed at the highest temperature, and were clean, fresh and hygenic, ready for the next time.

Another thing that I discovered and used last time I had a litter was `puppy pads`. They are meant for house training. I am talking about the thick ones with a blue plastic backing. I hate newspaper, although I know it`s pretty hygenic, it is so dirty! I had decided to leave my bitch with lots of newspaper to rip up and nest with, right up until the time she was ready to produce her first. The plan was that I would sneak in a pile of these, and could whip away the soiled ones as and when it started to get too messy. Good plan, except that the bitch did not want to have her puppies in a place convenient to me! After a whole night spent scratching at the door of our smallest bedroom, and obviously with her legs firmly crossed, tired, frustrated and bleary eyed (me that is!) I relented, and opened the door to see where she wanted to go. Well she was out the room and on our bed like greased lightening! The first of eight puppies was produced within minutes, and the bed was kept clean with the pile of puppy pads I had picked up as I followed her through to her chosen spot! (:o)

I also swear by Franley puppy mats - again meant for house-training. These are thinner, and much cheaper, made out of something like thick blotting paper with a waterproof coating on the back. Brilliant for when you have people coming to look at the puppies. The puppies can be groomed and washed, and actually look so much better without that newsprint patina! (:o)

I have to confess, because I don`t have many litters, I use the Franley puppy pads all the time with my litters. It soaks up the puddles instantly, and really helps to avoid feet staining. (:o)

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2000

Answers

Gravel!

I have an outside run for my dogs, about 40 foot by 20, which I had gravelled years ago. Admittedly, it was about six inches deep, but it has really lasted well, and still doesn`t need topping up. Biggest benefit is that it is so easy to clean up after the dogs - no scraping on concrete, or speading on grass! No puddles of urine for them to wade in either. I disinfect it once a week with a watering can, then rake it level again. Works very well for me.

Also, if the dogs go and laze about on it, it doesn`t seem to be so drying on the coats - I find concrete really bad for that. So far, touch wood, I have not had a puppy who has had any problems with it, although my old girl goes out every night, picks up one piece of gravel, then spends half an hour or so rattling it around in her mouth. I can only think that it is some sort of teeth cleaning thing! (:o)

-- Anonymous, July 11, 2000

I always take a couple of sheets of icepacks with me to summer shows. The flexible type that look like sheets of icecubes. I have a grooming sheet that I bought from `Over the Top Textiles`, and if any of my dogs look as though the heat is getting to them, I lay the sheet over the ice packs, and let them lie on that. I always make sure that they can move off it, in case they are getting too cold, but invariabley they don`t, and it really seems to help keep them comfortable.(:o)

-- Anonymous, July 24, 2000

Always read every bit of `doggy` correspondence the minute it comes in, especially before launching into a tirade about Breed Clubs declaring UDI and making decisions without a general consensus!!!(;o)

This is a recently learnt lesson on my part!!!!(:o)

-- Anonymous, July 29, 2000

Roz - love the hint about puppy pads - something I've never even thought about!! As these pads are quite hard to get here in Ireland I wonder would the human 'incontinence' ones do as well? My mother will be thrilled with this idea as she always has to have newspaper down on her kitchen floor (I should be ashamed to say because of MY shih tzu bitch who lives with her!!) and is always complaining about the marks newspaper leaves.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2000

Stephanie, I can send you some samples over, if you like. The comany who makes them has a web site, but it appears to be down at the moment. They also do the puppy mat in the form of rolls - big 50 meter rolls. I`ll give them a ring tomorrow and get the latest price - I haven`t bought them for a while. If you would like me to stick a few in the post to you, just e mail me your address. (:o)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2000

I know a very nice helpfull hint I like to share with everybody because I just found out that it really works. My dogs picked up mites from the grass (in Germany they are called autum-grass-mites, and they live between july and october, they attack some dogs and other dogs do not get them) I found out, that they attack mostly the gold and white colored dogs and never my black one. The dogs start to scratch a lot and you also can see some bright orange mites sticking to the skin. Of course I used a strong medical shampoo and they all died (not the dogs) , but it left the coat very brittle and dry. Instead of using strong medication, you can use curd soap and it will leave your dog with a strong healthy skin, without getting hot spots to a reaction to the medical shampoo.

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2000

Elisabeth - what is curd soap? (:o)

-- Anonymous, August 21, 2000

I thought this might be the right place to ask this question. I never had it with the shih tzu boy ,so after 15 years i decide to kep a boy.This is completly new for me again.Does anyone of you have any idear,what i could feed to put more weight on him.Any suggestion? He is right now on Eukanuba.I add a three times a week babyfood,which he like and noodles with butter.Peanutbutter.He has right now only 5,5 kg,which is not much for me.I never had this problem with the girls.His sister is in good weight and Skunny too. Or did you think i want to much and he is still in the process of mature and this will change by itself. Come on boy owners,advise needed from expirenced.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Curdsoap is in german "Kernseife" I did not know the translation and I found it in the dictionary. If I look for the translation the other way around in the dictionary they translate curd with what we call white cheese. But it is not the same. Kernseife is the type of very cheap soap people used years ago for cleaning or washing laundry. I believe it is just the first type of soap. Maybe Brigitte can help?!

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Brigitte, I shall put my thinking cap on. I believe there is a complete food which has a higher absorbtion rate than the one you are using. I just can`t remember which one, it may be Royal Canin, or possibly Hills Science Diet. I shall check with my vet when I see her later in the week. BTW how old is you boy? If he is not a puppy, you could put him back on a puppy food (ie growth formula), but I would always advise checking with your vet first. I`m sure someone else on here will come up with some ideas too, but I will get back to you on it!(:o)

Elizabeth, I think I now know what sort of soap you are talking about. It sounds like good old fashioned househould soap. Does it come in great big bars?(:o)

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Hi Brigitte - the original whirling dervish!! How many feeds a day do you give your boy? Perhaps he would eat a bit more if you divided his feeds up into smaller amounts it could be that he needs to eat little and often, some people add suet to a feed, Enervite might help encourage appetite, does he on the whole eat well? I do think there are many Shih Tzu that are late maturers and often the very finished puppy that looks so good in the early classes isn't as good later on. The complete food that I use with other foods is Nutro, they do have one that is supposed to put weight on, you could look into that.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

I try to answer both of you. The boy is 19 month and running all day long.Playing jumping running.I try to give him nutrical,but he don't take it.I feed him three times a day and always watch that he get extras.I start now with cheesecream etc.I will go ask in the shop aboutt his Nutro.I know that one of the petshops have it. There is another problem.My dogs do not eat can food or cooked beef. If i remember the boy i had years ago,put weight on him when he was three.I was at the vet and had bloodtest done and he is okay all in level.My vet said i should feed him uncooked beef and cottage cheese. What should i say he did not like both of the stuff. The other point is that ,if he is not getting eukanuba he is on strike until he start vomiting.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2000

I have my dogs on Nutro also. It is made with no animal by products, no soy, no corn, etc. You can order it online at petopia.com. That is Petco's online store.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2000

I think I would prefer to feed chicken rather than beef, either feed it raw i.e. chicken wings or cooked with his complete food. Will he eat pasta? you could cook some with butter melted over it. Actually have you wondered why it is so easy for US to put on weight but not the ones you would like to see heavier??

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2000

Thanks for the given advise.He eats Pasta.Elisabeth gave me a good advise.I will try to give him " eagle food".I talk to someone yesterday and she stated that her male is getting thin too,because of the hot girls in home. I think Mighty will live in a deli within the next weeks. I keep you updated ,what happend.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000

Yes, the soap I am talking about is probably the one you think of. It is white and comes in big bars. You will find them in shops close to the cleaning products. It is a really good thing also for dogs becoming hot spots. When you wash your dogs with it you think the coat feels terrible as long as they are wet, you do not need conditioner (only little in the length of the hair) but by drying the coat it comes out so beautiful and strong. It is also a good thing to use for washing the head, because I found out that a lot of dogs becoming hot spots two days after bathing at the head and around the neck. In this case also do not use conditoner or any sprays on the head.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2000