Rowdy

When my dad passed away last November I inherited his dog, Rowdy. He is a four year old male Shih Tzu that lives up to his name. He is a very calm dog until someone comes over, then watch out. He gets so excited and if I don't pick him up he'll torment whoever his attention is directed to until they acknowledge his presence. He will eventually calm down but in the meantime he acts just like an unruly child. 

When our boys were small we had outside dogs but not an "indoor" dog. It has been a big adjustment for me.  My dad had him paper trained but not house broken. It took us about a week to train him but once in a while he has accidents. He's smart enough to hide when he does that. He knows that mama won't be happy. He also hides when he's chewing on something he's not suppose to have. Those "somethings" are usually the grandkids toys they've left laying around. 

I bought a book on Shih Tzus and it's really helped me out.  I'm learning how to be the "pack leader" .  Sometimes it is his will against mine. You see, my dad had him since he was six weeks old and spoiled him rotten. He's used to having his way and pouting if he doesn't. He loves to play "fetch the ball" and he runs in circles around the livingroom when we play "I'm goin to getcha". He can be quite comical at times. I know he made my dad laugh a lot. He was a good companion for my dad. He's also turning out to be a good companion for my husband and me. I think my dad would be happy about that.