WELCOME TO THE SHIH TZU SPA TALK! WEB SITE

About Me and Shih Tzu Spa Talk!:

Who Am I? and Why Was Shih Tzu Spa Talk! Started?
I am a wife to a loving husband. I am a business owner (I own a few, actually). I have a double Major in Fashion Merchandising/Design and in Interior Design. I have a Minor in Fitness Education. I have a professional background/interests/hobbies in Fitness, Nutrition, Cosmetology/Haircare, Holistic Health & Wellness (a newly found interest!), Photography, Print Graphics, and of course -- in everything to do with Shih Tzus! I am the "Mommy" to a gorgeous little 3yo female Tzu, whom we purchased from a Show Breeder. She was 10 weeks old when we brought her home. And despite a hellacious puppy stage (LOL), she has grown into the most loving, sweet, little furbaby you could ever meet. She is the love of our lives. There's nothing like a Shih Tzu!  My love of the breed, and finding very very very few online info on Shih Tzu Grooming and Breed Specific Nutrition topics, has led me to create the Shih Tzu Spa Talk! board and web site. Having a Shih Tzu in full coat, along with my passion for Beauty and Haircare, has been a perfect match. I love grooming her. It's an obsession, of sorts. And coupled with my strong interests in Nutrition, starting a site dedicated to discussion of Shih Tzu Breed health, grooming and nutrition issues, just seemed the perfect thing to do. And thus, Shih Tzu Spa Talk! was born. 

What Is The Purpose Of The Shih Tzu Spa Talk! Web Site and Board?
The reason the site was created, was for me to be able to share with others, my personal experiences of what I have learned about Shih Tzu Grooming issues, Shih Tzu Breed specific nutrition issues, Shih Tzu Breed specific health issues, and Shih Tzu Breed specific behavioural issues, Resource links concerning the breed, as well as share shopping link information.  I am not a breeder, nor a show handler, nor a Vet. Again, I am only sharing what I have learned from having dealt with my particular Shih Tzu. Hopefully, the sharing of my information, will benefit others. But this is not an end all. This should be a beginning point. My hope is that after reading the info on this site (particularly the health and nutrition articles), other Shih Tzu owners will continue to further research. Always consult a Vet before attempting to begin any type of nutrition or health program. Be aware that not all vets are equal. I've found out the hard way, that many neither truly care for animal, and/or are interested in doing research to find out what ails the animal. The status quo seems to be: medicate, medicate, and if all fails...give some more medication. I hope to be able to enlighten others to seek other alternatives, and to not be afraid to question vets, if they are unsatisfied with the services received. The other main component to this site, is the Grooming information provided.  A pet peeve of mine is when people purchase a particular breed that requires a lot of coat care, and they negate on that responsibility later, as it proves too time consuming. The end result is either a very unhappy, suffering, matted dog; or a shorn down one, who little resembles the breed he is! My feelings on this are simple: IF you are unable or unwilling to care properly for a time-consuming coat, then do NOT get a Shih Tzu! Period.  No ifs, ands, or buts. A dog is not an object. It is not an ornament. It is a being. And as such, it deserves all the respect any other living creature should have. This is not to say that every Shih Tzu need be kept as if it were in an AKC Conformation Show. However, it does suggest that one should maintain the dog to look as it is supposed to, whether in full coat, or in a "breed appropriate" pet clip (Shih Tzu Breed books often have a section on "appropriate pet cuts"). I have seen a lot of pet clip abborations, from dyeing dogs strange colors (pink, yellow, rainbow colored!), to having them buzzed down in a strange fashion. I hope that by my sharing product information on what I have found to be spectacular on a Shih Tzu Coat, that the information may help other Shih Tzu owners with their furbaby's coat care needs.

Whereas the Shih Tzu Spa Talk web site is for me to share my information, I have also created the Spa Talk! message board, for others to also share their advice and experiences, learn from one another, and of course, share photos of their precious Tzus. Unfortunately, due to a hacker attack on the EzBoard servers, all threads on the message board (and 20,000 other Ezboard boards) were lost. My suggestion would be that if you find information that is valuable to you on my board, please do save it to your hard drive, as you never know how long it will be around.  You may lurk on the site, or (if you own a Shih Tzu) you are welcome to join. 

What Is This Web Site NOT?
This is where I get to have a bit of fun. *grin*  What this web site is NOT, is:
-NOT based on "all facts, no opinion". Rather, this site is all based on my opinions, which I derived from research and discussions with various vets (based on fact, I would assume?), personal experience with my dog(s), information gathered from Shih Tzu Breed Books, other Shih Tzu forums, and the like, etc. In other words, this is a very opinionated site. My suggestion is that you read the information here, and then continue to do your own research. Every Shih Tzu is different. What works for one, may or may not, work for another. Again, I can only base my information on what I experienced with my dog. As all of the topics here, are also covered on my message board, I suggest you also read the threads on the board, so as to garner how other dogs react (grooming product reviews, food reviews, health info, yeast info, etc).

Disclaimer: 
I am not a vet. I am not a professional groomer. I am not a canine nutritionist. I can only share what I have done, and what has proven to work, for my particular Shih Tzu. I, nor any member information contributors, shall be held liable in any manner, for any harm that results from the following of any information contained within the Shih Tzu Spa Talk! web site or Shih Tzu Spa Talk! message board. Follow any information, at your own risk. Please seek consult from a Vet, Groomer, or Canine Nutritionist, etc before attempting to follow any grooming, health, nutritional, etc info found on these sites.