The Bichon Shih Tzu: Your Ready-Made Travel Companion

If you’re looking for a little dog with an enormous personality, the Bichon Shih Tzu mix is the dog for you. This sought-after breed is a cross between the French lap dog, the Bichon Frise, and the Chinese lap dog, the Shih Tzu. Breeders have refined both breeds for centuries to create happy canine companions who want to be the center of your world.

Your Bichon Shih Tzu mix wants to go everywhere with you. His small size makes him easy to carry in a messenger bag or handbag, and his coat does not shed, so you will save a lot of wear and tear on your furniture and upholstery from not having to constantly remove dog hair. And allergy sufferers in your family will thank you for getting a mixed breed instead of a purebred Shih Tzu.

If you look at Bichon Shih Tzu pictures, you can easily see that the mixed breed’s flat facial features come from the Shih Tzu, and the fluffy coat comes from the Bichon Frise. Bring out the supermodel in your dog by taking lots of Bichon Shih Tzu pictures. This breed is so active that it is hard to capture a clear image of the dog at play. Use a digital camera to keep costs down - it costs the same to develop a picture of a hairy blur as it does to develop a portrait of an adorable dog.

Some of the best dog portraits are created when the dog is tired or sleepy, so play with your dog to encourage sleepiness, then grab your camera and start snapping when your dog starts to yawn. Get down to your dog’s eye level, even if it means lying on your stomach on the floor. Take a variety of shots of your dog looking at the camera as well as candid shots of the dog at rest or at play. Light-colored dogs like the Bichon Shih Tzu photograph well against a dark, neutral background. Stage a dark backdrop, free of clutter, to get the best pictures of your dog.

A veterinarian should examine your new Bichon Shih Tzu as soon as you can schedule an appointment. At the vet clinic, your dog can get any necessary treatments, like de-worming and vaccinations, and you can schedule an appointment to spay or neuter your dog.

If you don’t already have a veterinarian, consult friends and family members who have pets to find out where they go for veterinary care. Very soon you will have a list of veterinarians from which to choose. Select the recommended vet clinic closest to your home, as you will want your dog to be a Bichon Shih Tzu picture of perfect health.

At your Bichon Shih Tzu’s first appointment, the veterinarian will examine the dog’s eyes, ears, mouth, and coat, and will listen to the dog’s heart and bowel sounds. Fortunately, cross breeding has eliminated some problems specific to each pure breed, like the Shih Tzu’s watery eyes and wheezing and the Bichon Frise’s sensitive skin.

A professional breeder of champion toy dogs, Rebecca Simpson is in great demand as a lecturer about the dangers of puppy mills. Comparing Shih Tzu pictures with Bichon Frise pictures will reveal which traits of the mixed breed descended from each of its purebred ancestors. Gathering Bichon Frise and Shih Tzu information from a variety of sources is a good way to keep up with changes in breeding and care. Consult with your veterinarian about the best care for your Bichon Shih Tzu mix.