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For anyone who may balk at the price of good pups nowadays, or who may think to himself, At those prices I should become a breeder! let me assure you that breeding does not make millionaires. There are a lot of bad reasons people breed their dogs, but there are only a few good ones. If you dont meet all three of the following conditions and you still want to breed your dog, take a long, hard look at the situation in our crowded shelters across the country before you decide to contribute to the problem.

Good reasons to breed your dog:

1. You have in your possession a five generation pedigree (at least) for your dog that contains numerous champions in conformation, obedience, and/or fieldwork. There is no evidence of in-breeding, and you have a stud in mind with a complimentary pedigree.

2. Your dog is in excellent condition and closely fits the AKC standards for the breed.

3. You possess an abundance of time, patience, and indeed, passion for dogs in general, and your breed in particular. Whats more, you are in a financial position to cover the expenses that invariably incur with breeding dogs (see below for details).

If youre a dog-lover looking for a way to make a few extra bucks, do yourself a favor and open up a kennel or a high-end poodle salon. Dont imagine that raising pups will bring in the bucks, for the reality is the very opposite. But in case youre still seeing dollar signs

This article should give you an idea of the cost involved in breeding a dog.

To begin with, there are the initial costs, like purchasing the mother. If you remember condition #1 (above), you know that youre going to need to be picky if you want to breed her. Plan on approximately $800. Youll then need to have a series of tests run to make sure she meets condition #2. These tests include hip X-rays to rule out hip dysplaia, eye tests to check for cataracts, and tests for thyroid disease, in addition to any other tests recommended for the breed. These tests will cost you at least $300. Of course, you dont have to do these tests, but it you dont, you have no way of guaranteeing the genetic health of your pups, which serious buyers will be expecting. Then, of course there are the dog supplies youll need for the first year before your gal is ready to breed (food, toys, vitaminsyoure going to want to keep her healthy), but you had already planned on those, right? Tack on another $1,000.

So now we get to the fees at the time of breeding. Expect at least $400 for the stud fee, although its more if you insist on a champion-quality stud. There may be travel and boarding expenses, but well give you a break and pretend that dream-guy lives down the block. Once your gal is pregnant shell need routine vet exams to check for infections that might affect the health of the pups. If anything goes wrong you may have to pay for ultrasounds or an emergency C-section. Oh yeah, pregnant dogs eat more, and need more vitaminsWere talking $500 or more, even for a healthy pregnancy.

Youll need some special equipment for the big day: whelping box, heat pads and lamps, thermometer, scissors, towels, baby scales, tweezers, hemostats, baby suction bulb, bottles and/or tubes for feeding (just in case mom gets an infection or cant feed her pups), milk replacement formula, and nail clippers. But you probably have most of this stuff lying around, right? So well be modest and say $100. Whew! The pups arrive and all is well. Now the money starts rolling in, right?

Wrong! Youve only just begun. To keep those pups in tip-top shape youll need puppy wormer (given at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks), diarrhea medication, wellness check-ups with the vet, vaccinations and eye certifications, extra puppy food and vitamins, and advertisement fees! Plan on $300 minimum for each pup, plus $100 to take them off your hands. Oh, and youll need time off work to care for mother and pups. But you had ample time, right (condition #3)?

Wow! All those expenses add up fast! For a litter of four youll be dishing out at least $4,400. Even if you sell your pups for $800 (thats average for a well-bred puppy), youre out $1,200. While some of these expenses are one-time, can you expect to make money down the road? After seven litters, you might. But then again, consider that annual maintenance of the mother will cost you $1,000, and you shouldnt breed her at intervals more frequent than two years. Maybe its understandable why 75% of breeders do not attempt to breed again. The verdict is inif youre thinking of breeding for the money, you should know right now, breeding definitely does not make cents!

Emma Snow an animal lover works in marketing for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net leading portals for pet management.

Therapy dog training, while important, is something with which many people are not familiar. A therapy dog is one that is used to do animal assisted therapy and activities. Organizations train the dog to help people in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and virtually anywhere people need some sort of therapy. So, then, how do dogs become therapy dogs? It is a fairly simple process.

A Good Citizen

Though the requirements for therapy dog training vary from state to state, it is almost universal that the dog must be certified as a canine good citizen. In order to receive that, you have to train your dog to be focused and well behaved around distractions. Generally your local animal shelter or even a therapy dog training center will have classes available for you to learn how to turn your dog into a canine good citizen.

Classes for Therapy

Therapy dog training can start as soon as your dog has been certified as a canine good citizen. The training consists mainly of teaching your dog how to ignore things like hospital equipment and school noises that he or she may not be used to being around. They also train the dog to help with simple activities and therapy with those who need it. However, in many cases, the therapy is really just the presence of the dog. Those using the services of dogs trained in how to perform the therapy can be anything from walking them, to reading to them, to simply being around them.

Where to Go

If you are interested in therapy dog training for your four legged pal, then you should check out the internet or your local yellow pages. Whether you live in Virginia, California, or anywhere else, there is an organization in your area that will help you not only teach your dog how to become a therapy dog, but also get him out in the community and doing his part. Additionally, you can volunteer to help with everything from training to the therapy itself. Just get in contact with your local organization.

Therapy dog training can be incredibly rewarding. When you teach your dog how to react to the situations with which he will be presented, you are putting him in a situation to be more than just a pet. You and your dog together can be real additions to the community and help your fellow man.

Dean Iggo is the webmaster of http://www.dogtrainingadvisor.com providing tips and advice on dog obedience training at home, including obedience, potty training and more.

I understand that Apso means dog, but could also mean goat-like or shaggy in the Tibetan language. To the Tibetan people it was used to mean Temple Dog. In that connection it became known as Lion Dog. All these meanings were a long time ago. It seems I read repeatedly that many people understand and agree it was about 1650 that three temple dogs, holy dogs (they called them), were sent to China and that from these three came the Shih Tzu. It seems there are many (from what I read) who are in agreement that about 100 years later, the temple dogs had been the sole property of the Dalai Lama. Some of these dogs were given away to distinguished Russian visitors, and were stolen before they reached the border along with several many more that disappeared from Dalai Lamas monastery during a civil upheaval and then reappeared in various parts of the country. According to the historians this was the end of the Temple or Lion Dog, the Apso. From then on, all sorts of small dogs that looked vaguely like the Apso of old became known as Apso. This is told as being the beginning of the Monastery dog and also the caravan dog.

Whether or not the present day Apso or the Shih Tzu can be regarded as pure representatives of the historic Tibetan Holy Dogs, they are clearly historically related, the Apso that developed along Tibetan lines and the Shih Tzu because of climate, environment and human planning became essentially Chinese. I think I can understand this much of some of the mystery surroundings the development of Shih Tzu. And I do believe this much is absolutely true. Although the Apso and the Shih Tzu are closely related in their distant past, for centuries the two breeds have developed along totally different lines. The Apso remained in the remote vastness of Tibet where it could adapt to the climate without difficulty. And the Shih Tzu was taken eastward to share in the life of luxury at the Chinese Court.

The Shih Tzu was brought directly from Peking to Scandinavia and was classified as a Toy, which was probably a correct interpretation of the Chinese ideal. The introduction of the Pekingese strain was also probably designed to help make the larger mountain watchdog (the Apso) more suitable for the Imperial Palace. All of this part of the Shih Tzus unique heritage of which none of us should be ashamed.

Of note here, I would like to emphasize, this is an article regarding the history of our Shih Tzu. This article is by no means an advocate for anyone to interbreed the Shih Tzu with any other breed for any reason. The American Shih Tzu Clubs Code of Ethics clearly states that the crossbreeding of the Shih Tzu to any other breed is strictly prohibited and not at all acceptable.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com