Robert's Brittany and Jake's Shih-Tzu





		My Dog Lucky My dog, Lucky, is a pure bred Shi-Tzu. Shih-Tzus started out as pets for Chinese kings and emperors. Shih-Tzu means "Lion Dog" because the hair around their faces looks like a lion's mane. Because Shih-Tzus have hair not fur, it keeps growing. Most people keep their Shih-Tzu's hair really, really long, like to the floor. Personally, I (and everyone in my family) think they look better with shorter hair, so we try to keep his hair at a few inches. Everyone who knows Lucky loves him. Even though he's lazy, they love him. He'll sit in your lap all day if you scratch his belly. Lucky has white, black, grey, and brown hair; and his skin is PINK! He is REALLY cool; he's funny; he's not very playful (it's in the breed's nature), but when he does play, he is really funny even though he only plays for like 5 minutes. Shih-Tzus aren't very smart dogs. If you throw Lucky's toy into the wall, he'll just run straight into it! He sleeps a lot, he likes being hugged, and he LOVES to lick stuff.		Brittanys Brittany's are medium dogs that originaly came from France. They were used by serfs as poaching dogs, which is why the have a very short tail. Their short tail would allow them to point, but still not alert the king's men to their presence. Many years later, they came to America, where they were still used for hunting and as a family dog. They enjoy being with the family, this also comes from their original breeding because the serfs could keep them in the house as a "family dog". There are two types of Brittany's--the American Brittany, which can have orange (a tawny orange color) or liver (a medium brown color) spots, but they are mostly white. In contrast, French Brittany's can be black or tri-color (having orange, liver and black spots). They are very friendly and love people. They are bred as hunting dogs. They have an excellent sense of smell. They are also natural pointers and even when puppies will point things they find. Apache, our Brittany would point butterflies and frogs when he was a puppy. Even now if he finds something (usually an animal) he will point to show us. You know a Brittany is on point when he is totally focused and ridged is staring at one fixed point, his tail is erect and most Brittany's will pull up a front paw. Once they are trained to know what you want them to find, they are very accurate. You may not be able to see or hear a bird, but they can and will lead you to even the most camoflaged. If you have never seen them hunt, it is a sight to see. They get so excited and are truly in their element when hunting. They are very focused on the scent so it is advisable to have an electronic collar on them when they are in the field to get their attention (we usually use the tone feature) if they are going to far a field pursuing a scent. You can't go wrong with a Brittany. They are loveable family dogs. They burst with energy and want to be a part of everything. Everything to them is fun and they love to play. They are also content to just hang out, as long as they have their time to be outside and walk/run and play. They also have more to give to their lucky owner.