There are many people with the devotion to take care of pets but are not so financially endowed; so they look for Shih Tzu for sale but keep one eye on their budget. Because of this chance they’ll get a genuine breed for a steal of a price that many puppy mills exist today. The profit motive is what drives non-legitimate Shih Tzu breeders to breed without concern for how healthy the puppies will turn out to be. The results are unhealthy litters, dubious bloodlines, and probably faked schedules of deworming schedules and inoculations.

You will probably get a good deal though, a price below the usual average, and it would be a good deal had these pups (or adult dogs, they have them, too) were of the legit breed. It’s doubtful though if you’ll get a healthy dog of the legit bloodline. The only way to get a good deal is to contact a legitimate breeder.

Look for a list of breeders online and check if they are members of breeding circles – if they are, then most likely they are legit. You can check their background better if they are members of such clubs; references are easier to acquire that way. The breeder himself will provide you with a list of references you can check, that is if he wants to come off as legit, and not as a puppy mill representative.

Here’s a tip right out of the social networking age – send out word to your contacts and friends online that you’re looking for Shih Tzu for sale. Who doesn’t have a Facebook accounts these days? Your status is the most quickly scanned item in updates, so change that to indicate you’re in the market for a cute Shih Tzu. On your instant messeger accounts, you can do the same when you log in to them. You can never know how much your social contacts can help until you do this. You might get lucky if a friend of a friend happens to be a legit breeder and that lands you a discount.

If you’re not looking for puppies of a legit bloodline, or if you’re not looking for puppies at all, it’s recommended to adopt a Shih Tzu from an animal rescue group. Keep in mind that the chances of getting puppies from there are low, since shelters mostly take in any and all orphaned dogs; you can narrow down your search if you find a rescue that takes only Shih Tzu. Most of these dogs each have their own stories of abuse and neglect and that’s why the animal rescue’s staff will interview you extensively to make sure you are capable of taking on the responsibility of adopting a dog they took care of themselves.

There’s also a key difference in money here – adoption is nearly always free compared to buying dogs or puppies from legitimate breeders; even if the staff offers inoculations to add to the existing ones the dog has undergone, it’s always cheaper.

Your online search for Shih Tzu for sale may lead to you to breeders or animal rescues. Ultimately you’ll need to decide whether you want puppies or adult Shih Tzu. Breeders have a financial reason to encourage you to seek Shih Tzu for sale, while animal shelters may only want to find a good home for their abandoned but lovable dogs.