We strive to meet our Puppy Families' desires in terms of their ideal puppy, although we believe that temperament and personality should be the primary factors in permanent home placement. We screen all of our puppies over a period of many weeks to determine suitability in different home situations, and, as we want our Puppy Families to be happy with the puppy they are adopting, we will work with you personally on selection.

Besides temperament--and we do focus on consistency in temperament in our program--gender, size, and color are other selection factors. It has been documented by breeders that there is little difference in temperament between males and females, if male is neutered with 6 months of age. Ultimate adult size can only be estimated by the size of the parent dogs and lineage, but again this is only an estimate, and cannot be guaranteed Within 4 weeks of a puppy being born, we will know color and gender availability and will contact families regarding the availability of their selection. Flexibility on any/all of the three selection factors greatly improves the likelihood of there being a puppy for your family!

We require a $350 deposit. If there is no puppy born and available that has the one PRIMARY "Most Important trait" of your desired gender or color traits on the original application, then you deposit can be applied to a future litter for up to 2 years. For example, if you will only accept a male, and one is not born, (or if we are considering withholding it for our breeding program), we will roll it over until the next litter. If a family declines a puppy that does have their "primary" desired trait (gender, estimated size, or color) or declines a puppy within 3 weeks of the go-home date, the deposit will be transferrable to the next litter. All this being said, we are happy to work with you to satisfy your ideals!

The application below will help us select the best puppy for your home. So that we can best assess your desires, we welcome your phone call. Be sure to include your telephone numbers in your application. If you have not heard from us in 24 hours, please email or call us directly at (510) 914-6768, in case of email problems. Please state clearly if you are unwilling to accept a puppy of a different gender and color than you indicate on your application.

I will do a final assessment on temperament and conformation at 7 1/2 to 8 weeks, which is the age at which both of these factors are most effectively evaluated. If there is a puppy that I choose for the breeding program, that is when I will decide. At that point, I will allocate the remaining puppies to families on the waiting list based on: 1. temperament and 2. the other characteristics (gender, size, color). In the case of multiple comparable puppies, the families who have submitted their deposits first will be asked to select their first choice of the litter. Payment in full is required by cashier’s check or paypal, one week before pickup date, or, in cash when the puppy is picked up. The puppies will be microchipped, given a medical examination, and then made available to their new owners between 9-12 weeks of age, and must weigh a minimum of 2 lbs. Please be advised that some tiny Shih tzu’s take significantly longer than 12 weeks to reach the 2 lb mark. If the family is unavailable to take possession of their puppy immediately, I will board him or her if I am available for a small fee. (We can also babysit our puppies/dogs for vacations etc. for a competitive "family rate".)

We want you to follow the development of your puppy's litter each week as they grow and learn, and always post regular updates and photos on the "Puppy Photo Blog" (at least weekly) after they are born. We occasionally allow visitations of 1-2 people at a time to see the puppies, depending on the mothers' feelings.

Do not hesitate to call (between the hours of 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM PST) should you have questions on the puppy allocation process. PLEASE PHONE WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO FIND OUT ABOUT UPCOMING LITTERS: 510-914-6768