Shih Tzu Starter Kit

Before arrival

• Crate (24 inch): Not a jail. A bedroom with a door. Dogs settle faster with a den, and it makes housetraining far easier.
• Crate pad: Something washable inside the crate. Skip the fancy bed until the chewing phase is over.
• Baby gate: Blocks the stairs, the kitchen and the cat's room. The cheapest training tool you'll ever buy.
• Stainless steel bowls (water + food): Plastic scratches, holds bacteria and gets chewed. Steel or ceramic, at floor level.
• Same food they're eating now: Ask the breeder or shelter what they eat and start with exactly that. Switch slowly over 7–10 days, or enjoy the diarrhea.
• Collar + engraved ID tag: Name and your phone number on the tag. A microchip helps only if someone scans it.
• Harness, never a collar (small): That airway (or windpipe) is fragile. Leash goes on a harness, always. The collar is only for the ID tag.
• 6-ft standard leash: Plain, fixed-length, 6 feet. Boring is good.
• Poop bags + dispenser: You'll need roughly a thousand of these this year. Buy in bulk.
• Enzyme cleaner: Accidents will happen. Normal cleaner leaves the smell, and the smell says 'pee here again'.
• Durable chew toys (small): Teeth need a legal job. Otherwise they'll choose your shoes, your chair legs and your charger.
• Dog-proof the house: Hide cables, shoes, medicines and chocolate. Lock the trash. Check the fence for gaps.
• Book a vet visit for week one: Bring any records you got. A first check catches problems while returns or guarantees still apply.
• Decide on pet insurance before that first vet visit: Anything the vet notes at that visit can count as pre-existing later. Check what this breed is likely to cost first.
• Microchip registered to you: A chip registered to the breeder or shelter won't bring your dog home to you. Update the registration.
• Slicker brush + comb: That coat keeps growing instead of falling out. Brush often, or it turns into felt. Budget for a groomer.
• Nail clippers or grinder: If you can hear the nails on the floor, they're too long. Start handling paws on day one.
• Dog toothbrush + enzymatic paste: This breed is prone to dental disease. A few brushes a week saves expensive cleanings.

Nice to have (2)

• Puzzle toy: Feeding a meal from a puzzle toy is ten minutes of quiet. Worth it.
• Car restraint: A loose dog in a car is a projectile. Crate or crash-tested harness.

Day one

• Small soft training treats: Bribery is a training method. Tiny, soft, high value.
• A boring routine: Same potty spot, same meal times, same bedtime. Quiet first days, no welcome party.

Nice to have (1)

• Treat pouch: Rewards have to arrive within a second or two. Pockets are too slow.

First week

• Orthopedic bed: Big frame or risky hips and elbows. Memory foam beats the cold floor. Pick one with a chew-resistant, washable cover.
• Cooling mat: Flat face, poor built-in AC. Somewhere cool to flop, and no midday walks in summer.

Nice to have (1)

• Life jacket near water: Many flat-faced dogs swim like bricks. Life jacket near pools and lakes.

Don't buy (yet)

• Retractable leash: Little control, teaches pulling, and the cord burns fingers. Get a plain 6-ft leash.
• Rawhide chews: Choking and blockage risk. Pick chews your dog can't swallow in chunks.
• A giant bag of a new food: Start with the food they already eat. Big bags can wait until you know it agrees with them.