The Shih Tzu is a classic little dog with a broad face, large eyes, sturdy build and coming in at about nine inches in height, total. They span the entire range of colors from black to white. Some people complain about their double coat, which requires frequent grooming. When you factor in the typical Shih Tzu price, you should always take into consideration the regular grooming trips that will set you back an average of $40-50 per trip.
Rescue Shelter | $200-$400 |
Pet Stores | $700 |
Quality Breeder - teacup | $2500 |
Fully Grown | $500 |
Pros | -baby doll face -provides love, fondness and gratitude -Round eyes and facial expressions |
Cons | -Requires frequent grooming due to double coat |
Before deciding how much you will pay for a typical Shih Tzu dog, you will have to consider three main categories: health, temperament during breeding and overall quality. According to the AKC, a Shih Tzu of the “Imperial” variety has a baby doll face, straight legs with a button nose. Many people also find that they have incredibly warm and cute facial expressions on top of that – and who doesn’t immediately fall in love with their fluffy, little bodies and beautiful, round eyes? As mentioned above, they come in one of the widest array of possible colors including exotic varieties like blue, red, chocolate and mahogany.
Buying Shih Tzu Pups at a Rescue Shelter
Shih Tzu dogs taken from a rescue shelter often have serious issues that may have to be ironed out over time – if still possible. These dogs are often uncertain of where they want to go, feel quite scared and may involve a hefty dose of additional training in order to correct bad habits that may have accumulated over time. Some of the most traumatized dogs may require as much as 1-2 years of work. Nevertheless, these dogs can provide you with plenty of love, fondness and gratitude if you rescue them and they are not entirely “damaged.” And you’ll also possess that wonderful satisfaction of knowing that you saved a dog.
Adoption fees for Shih Tzu pups usually range from $200 to $400 and are mostly used to pay for vet expenses. The standards of getting dogs from shelters have increased in recent times, with dogs now getting their shots and being neutered before going out to their rightful owners. Any known difficulties are addressed.
The next step up in Shih Tzu price involves pet stores, where you will usually have to pay over $700 or so. However, the quality of pets varies tremendously, with the majority coming from undesirable puppy mills or backyard breeders that pay little attention to quality and only care about breeding as many puppies as possible in a short time.
The highest quality Shih Tzu puppies should be purchase from professional breeders, especially those that specialize in this breed. A teacup Shih Tzu can set you back as much as $2500 for the imperial variety. The price goes down substantially as the size of the dog grows. A full-grown Shih Tzu will only cost $500 from the same breeder!