When we first got Shantee, Marc and I searched the Web for information on Shih Tzus—particularly Imperial Shih Tzus (or Princess type, as they call it locally). Yeah, I know. We should have searched info first before getting one 
But Shantee was so adorable, we couldn’t resist buying here right then and there.
Anyway, there were a lot of things we found out about Shih Tzus. It’s not advisable to feed them food with yeast (it can make their coat fall off). There are arguments between breeders about the acceptability of Imperial Shih Tzus (some say they’re undersized runts, while others prize their small size). But the best thing we found out was that Shih Tzus are great with kids, but not very small children (they tend to get jealous of newborns).
We never really thought how true this was until we actually saw her with kids. She just loved them.
Shantee’s small size makes her an attention-getter everywhere we go. We always hear “aww, look at the cute dog!” every time we pass by people, or see even the grouchiest person smile when they see her. Shantee got so used to it that she sometimes ignore her “admirers” already. But not kids. She gets all excited whenever she sees kids.
Shantee always made sure to say “hi” to kids every time she sees them. And kids say hi back to her. Most often than not, they even give her a hug and a kiss.
This could be because Shantee’s breed is naturally friendly. Her breed makes a terrible guard dog (I can just imagine her wagging her tail in excitement upon seeing a thief or something), but they make great companion dogs. They get along well with people, and even other dogs. Heck, Shantee’s even friendly with Peter, our hamster! But I don’t know, I still figure that maybe her size got something to do with it, and the way we raised her to be friendly to everyone.
Shantee’s always been more comfortable with strangers who are children. Maybe it’s because they’re “less threatening” since they’re still small—like her. And the kids approach her just the same—she’s like a live teddy bear to them.
We’re still cautious when kids play with Shantee. We don’t want her getting too excited, or the kids too rough on her that she might react instinctively. But nevertheless, it’s still quite a sight seeing Shantee play with kids—and bring happiness to a kid even for just a few minutes.
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