I haven’t had a puppy since I was 13 years old. An extremely beautiful Rottweiler I named Boomer (literally because it’s the same name DMX gave his favorite dog). Well, Boomer died about 12 years ago, so needless to say, it’s been a long time since having to care for anything outside of myself or my children.
Welp, I guess I better get back into the swing of things, huh….
Why did we get a dog?
Great question! And the answer is I have no idea 🤷🏽♀️. We randomly took the kids to a pet store one day (completely Jamil’s idea), and instantly fell in love with probably every dog there. Still, I had no intention to purchase one.
Now, even before our impromptu pet store trip, Jamil has been making small talk surrounding getting a puppy, but it wasn’t anything I took seriously, until a few weeks later when he walked through the door with the cutest Shih Tzu I’d ever seen!
NAMING HIM
We went from Mr. Brown to Mr. Scratchy, to Brownie to Peanut (all Kenzie’s ideas of course), and I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t take naming him any of her choices. So after a quick Google search, I came across ‘Yogi’. It instantly stuck and everyone else loved it too. And it fits him perfectly, if I may say so myself 😁.
WHAT’S HE LIKE?
Let’s talk a bit about Yogi’s personality and breed shall we? If you’re a Shih Tzu parent, you too probably notice these things about your pup….
Attention seeker. Yogi is super playful! One of the first things I noticed about him was that he loves affection. In fact, the breed itself is bred primarily for companionship. They’re happy, outgoing lapdogs who love to be in the company their humans!
Loves to hide. One minute you see him, one minute you don’t. And because he’s so small, it’s very easy to get lost in all spots that would be hardest to find him. His favorite hiding spaces are under the couch or in daddy’s shoe closet.
Has high grooming demands. His hair grows wild and regularly. The hair around his eyes and butt are especially bothersome to me. One, because I always feel like it’s obstructing his sight. And two, there’s almost always poop stuck to him – so keep it cut low to avoid this.
Sleeps in weird positions. It’s the funniest thing! I’ve walked in on him sleeping in all types of weird positions. My favorite is when he’s laid flat out on his back 😆.
Difficult to housebreak. Were having a bit of trouble getting Yogi to use the bathroom regularly outside. But in doing some research, I found that crate training and placing your pup on a regular feeding / walking schedule are some of the best ways to accomplish this. Additionally, he’s left to be in his cage unless we’re there to monitor him. He’s never left alone to roam freely. If we allowed that, I’d be cleaning up poop all day.
Fast! Whew, to keep up with Yogi is definitely a task. His agility and speed is beyond what I could’ve imagined for such a small dog. He has so much energy! I won’t complain though. Chasing after him keeps the girls busy, and gives me the exercise I very well need.
Small body, BIG bark. If you only heard a Shih Tzu bark without seeing it, you would very well think it was a larger dog. It’s surprising how something so small has such strong vocals.
DOGGIE GEAR AND NECESSITIES
If you’re anything like my mom, you can’t stand the idea of having a dog dressed in clothes and treated like a human. I, on the other hand, think it’s absolutely adorable to dress them up and treat them like one of the kids! With that being said, I have so many items in mind for him! Here are a few of my picks….
A stroller: I love idea of having a stroller. Not only for the look of it, but also for convenience. I imagine that on days we’re out for long periods, or need to stop in a few stores, having a stroller for him would help us out tremendously.
Carseat: Safety first, right? I think having a car seat or seatbelt attachment are clever ways to keep your dog safe while traveling.
Outfits: How could anyone have a dog so small and cute and not want to dress it up!! Huh? How!?…… I’m online looking for cute outfits daily. Some of my favorites are overalls, rain jackets, booties and sweaters / hoodies.
Hygiene and Grooming: We have to keep our babies looking good and smelling fresh right? I’m becoming sort of a hoarder when it comes to accumulating hygiene and grooming items for Yogi. As much as I love him, I refuse to be that person who obviously has a dog because you smell it on them (no thank you!). Shampoos, puppy perfume, brushes (a must! His hair is long and and mats easily.), and dental accessories are some of my must haves.
Toys: We’ve bought so many cute toys for him and I have even more in my Amazon cart waiting to be checked out. But the funny thing is, no matter what we get him to play with, he always goes for our shoes or the loose socks he finds. But anywho, some of the toys we have for him include, log plush squeak toy, a chewing ball, and a variety toy pack that includes pretty much everything else.
Basic Needs: And of course the basic needs items you can’t go without; leashes and harnesses, cage, puppy pads, bath wipes, a bed and food bowls.
Having a dog adds a whole new dimension to our family, and I’m loving it! In a strange yet satisfying way, Yogi brings us together on a common ground. He’s our shared interest, and I’m so happy we have him 🐶🤎.
Do you have a family pet? A Shih Tzu? Let’s chat!
XO,
LEXI 💋
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