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JoAnn and Richard
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Gold and White |
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< Keeper CH Ningisa's I'm a Keeper Winning his championship, Expertly handled by Molly Exner-Howell A special thank you to the judges that loved this wonderful guy! His finishing points included three majors! Co-owned with Charlee Byford
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I have been asked to write something about myself and my dogs. Just remember that I am fairly long winded once I get started.
My interest in dogs goes back to childhood but I started raising and breeding dogs some 34 years ago. My first breed was Pugs and, although I loved them, I found that I was at the vets more times than I wished. I started showing Pugs in the early 70's and have handled several breeds until I finally settled on the Shih Tzu.
Our kennel Ningsia (pronounced Ning-shy) is located on 10 acres in northwest Washington. Due to my husband’s efforts I have a very modern kennel with lots of room for the dogs (as well as all of my other hobbies). Our main objective is to produce healthy pets. Along the way we have been pleased to produce several Champions. We do not do a lot of advertising but rely on referrals for placing our dogs. All pets from Ningsia are spayed and neutered before the new owner picks them up. This is usually done when the pups are about 9 ½ weeks of age or weigh over 3 lbs. We are been altering the dogs at this age for the last 10 years and have found no side affects. All the dogs we have done have been healthy and are still going strong.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A PUPPY?
The Shih Tzu is a wonderful little dog with few health problems, great temperaments and as far as I am concerned one of the best toy companion dogs. There are a couple of health problems that you can read about at the American Shih Tzu Club (ASTC) web site. My main focus is on Renal Dysplasia (RD). The ASTC supports DNA research and at present there is a link marker test (see article) that breeders can use to help reduce the percentage of dogs produced with this disease. Remember this is not a cure, if you want a Shih Tzu then you also need to accept the chance that your puppy could develop kidney problems. In my opinion, if you are buying from a show breeder that is testing, you would have about a 2% or less chance of getting a dog affected with RD. To put it a little different way, 2 puppies out of 100 produced from show breeders could show signs of RD. Of these 2 pups they could be from slightly to very affected. Slightly affected ones usually live long lives once they are put on a low protein diet.
What does all this mean to you? -Well don’t be afraid to take that chance. The Shih Tzu has less problems than most breeds and the love that is returned is well worth the minimal risk.
Although there are fewer show breeders in Washington and Oregon than there were ten years ago, you can still find a well bred dog from our membership. Be prepared to wait, we are not baking cookies. Pups are rarely available on your time table. Visit different kennels and pick out a breeder that you are comfortable with. I do not put people on a waiting list, so you may need to call back every so often to see if a new litter is in the planning stage or delivery stage. Deposits are normally required and pups are not cheap. You might get a puppy cheaper from an ad in the newspaper, but you might also get more health problems (estimates are that kidney disease runs as high as 10% in the population, and with the risk being so low among show breeders, it is safe to assume it is higher than 10% in the pet population) as well as a puppy that is not a purebred Shih Tzu. Most dogs that the rescue receives are mixed, they have AKC papers and have been sold as purebreds. These dogs are normally given up because of nasty temperaments.
Don’t be in a hurry, take your time, and remember this puppy will be a member of the family for 14 to 15 years!
More on Looking for a Puppy
A bit more on JoAnn:
JoAnn has been in Shih Tzu for almost thirty years now. She has bred numerous champions, and is always on the forefront of trying to improve the breed. (See her article on Renal Dysplasia.) She is a past member of the American Shih Tzu Club board, and on the Gene Mapping committee.
Her focus is on kidney markers, and reducing the incidence of kidney disease in the breed.
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We are a Shih Tzu Club, dedicated to the promotion and betterment of the Shih Tzu breed. We have General Information on Shih Tzus, member breeders listed, and many pictures of Shih Tzus (including Shih Tzu Puppies) for you to enjoy.Welcome to our site: The Puget Sound Shih Tzu Fanciers |
