Males on the other hand are very affectionate, loyal and eager to please. They are more demanding of attention but are less inclined to be moody as they will not have the hormone fluctuations that an unspayed female will have. Males are less focused (because they want to play all the time) during training so short training sessions work best for them. They respond very quickly to food and praise motivations. A male may get a little bigger then a female, mostly more muscular in the chest/shoulder region. Once a male is neutered he will rarely exhibit “humping”, “marking”, or lifting of the leg. If he is neutered early he many never raise his leg to urinate. These behaviors will not disappear immediately after neutering but will gradually disappear over a period of a few weeks or month.

All MollyDogs puppies are sold with spay/neuter contracts so a lot of these concerns should not be an issue for you. We recommend the altering be done by six months, but five months is ideal as some dogs will start to mature sexually earlier than others.

3. Can we come and visit our puppy?

Yes, you can come and visit your puppy, however please do not be offended when we ask you to use antibacterial hand wash on your hands or disinfectant on your shoes. Please understand our need to keep our kennel building clean and virus free and our dogs and puppies safe and healthy!

“Peeping” visits can be done early on to see a litter, however no handling at an early stage. At three weeks you would be able to hold your puppy following the above guidelines.

4. What about two puppies?

Hmmm, two puppies at once. Well, I'm all for having two dogs, it's great for the dogs however, getting two puppies at once is definitely a big decision. Another way to consider doing it is to get the first puppy, train it, let it settle in and then add a second puppy when the first puppy is 6 - 8 months old or even a little older. The benefits of doing this is that you now have a dog that the new puppy can learn from, yet the first one is young enough to be playful and want a buddy. When you get two puppies at once they really tend to bond strongly with each other, which is okay, but what that means is that you have to do a lot of work to make sure the puppies also bond individually with family members and don't become overly dependent on one another. It is very important for them to learn how to be by themselves as well as together. You will have to do things like walk them separately at times, and other times together, the same with car rides, you would alternate puppies and then sometimes take them together, all so they each have their own identity. We have families that have done this both ways and it has worked for them. It is an individual family decision we just wanted to point out some of the things that should be considered so that it works out great for everyone concerned, especially the puppies!

5. Is it harder to housetrain a puppy in the winter?

Actually, we know it’s more pleasant in the spring or summer, but when the weather is nicer you and your puppy will be more inclined to stay out longer, wander around, explore the area. When its cold outside you will want to get in and out quickly as will your puppy, also the snow will cover a lot of things your puppy may want to sniff and check out. So it just depends on how you look at things. You could also litter train in the winter months if you wanted. Some of our customers have done that!

6. Can we contact your vet?

Absolutely, we will gladly give you the name and phone number of our Vet if you would like to speak to her. Our dogs, adults and puppies, are on a regular vaccination and deworming schedule and receive any other Veterinarian care on an as needed basis. Our vet comes here annually to vaccinate and give each dog a physical examination, also all females when pregnant go to the vet for an xray so puppy skull size can be compared to pelvic area to give us an idea of any complications that may occur, that way we are ready as is our vet. It also tells us how many puppies to expect. :)

7. Are your puppies registered or come with papers?

No, because our dogs are a cross between a Shih Tzu and a Bichon they cannot be registered or come with papers. However we stand behind our dogs 100% and each puppy comes with a written Health Guarantee and return policy.

8. Are the parents available to be seen?

Yes, both parents are here, are friendly and we encourage visits to come and meet us and the dogs. We love to show them off!

9. Are you a puppy mill?

We are absolutely NOT a puppy mill! Our dogs have huge runs with lots of things to occupy them and to give them exercise. The indoor pens are very large and roomy with pads in them for the dogs to lie on, the dogs are kept with other dogs to play with and cuddle up with, not isolated. Our building is heated, air conditioned and clean. Our dogs take turns living in the house with us, we have too many to have them all inside, but we like to bring them in so they stay familiar with crate training, normal family life, we have a long lane to our home so they go for long walks and all are leash trained. We have enclosed our front yard so the dogs can all come and spend time with us, we have a large front yard as we are on an acreage so there is lots of room for everybody. Check out the photos on the MollyDogs page in the photo album section to see the dogs hanging out in the yard with us. The dogs also take turns having car rides if we go to get the mail, etc and are all groomed regularly and are very affectionate and friendly.

10. What about shipping?

We will ship by air. The minimum shipping age required by airlines is 8 weeks; however we have recently changed our policy to 9 weeks due to the 8 week “fear” period. Live animals are shipped in the cargo area of the plane which is climate controlled and pressurized. The only time the puppy is outside is when they are taken from the cargo office to be loaded onto the plane and when they are unloaded. Please read our Up, Pup and Away! page in the Bringing Puppy Home section for more information about shipping puppies.

11. What about pet shops?

We do not sell puppies to pet shops or puppy brokers under any circumstances. Pet stores will sell a puppy to anyone that comes in with a credit card or the cash and have no idea what kind of life they are selling the puppy into. They also usually sell pets for an exorbitantly higher price then what you will pay when you purchase from a breeder. Any reputable breeder will not sell to a pet store.

12. Hernias in Shichons?

Hernias in ShihChon puppies, as well as other small breeds are very common and are not a “medical” condition or cause for immediate concern.
A hernia is a bulge of a part of body tissue, fat, or an organ that protrudes through an abnormal opening of the surrounding tissue. There are numerous types of hernias, each named after its affected area.
A hernia that can be pushed back into the abdomen or opening is called a reducible hernia. Hernias which cannot be pushed back are called incarcerated. This type of hernia can become strangulated if the blood supply to it is pinched off. The strangulated hernia requires emergency attention by your Veterinarian.
An umbilical hernia is the most common type of hernia found in puppies. It is when a portion of fat or internal organ protrudes through an umbilical ring which has not closed completely. These may be present at birth or may show up later. A common misconception about umbilical hernias is that they are caused by the way the Mother chews off the cord, or if the cord is cut too close to the abdominal wall, however, our Vet now tells us that they know now that umbilical hernias are genetic. This type of hernia is small and usually reduces as the puppy grows. Sometimes by the time the puppy is six months old it will shrink and disappear on its own, otherwise it can be fixed at the time of spay or neuter.
An inguinal hernia is the result of abdominal organs, fat or tissue protruding through the inguinal ring. This will show itself as a skin covered bulge in the groin area. They can show up on both sides or only on one side. These are more common in females than males and like umbilical hernias most will shrink and disappear as the puppy grows.