Adopting a Shih Tzu in Glasgow: rescues, costs and care

Every Shih Tzu and Shih Tzu cross listed with us within about 41 miles of Glasgow is counted under the short answer, live. It is often zero. None of the dog rescues we list is in Glasgow itself, and Shih Tzus rarely reach them. Our Glasgow Shih Tzu page shows any listed today; widen the search with our small dogs and older dogs pages for Glasgow.

People search for "Shih Tzu rescue Scotland", so we looked. The UK Shih Tzu rescues we checked either say they work in England and Wales or say they can no longer cover Scotland, and we found no Scottish one with its own website and a registration we could confirm. That is why this page has no breed rescue to recommend.

In practice that means a general rescue or a big centre. Ask to be told if a Shih Tzu comes in, apply quickly when one is listed, and be open to an older dog or a cross. Be wary of groups that ask a deposit to reserve a dog or just pass you to the owner: no rescue has checked that dog or that home.

A rescue fee buys a dog whose vet work is under way or done. Further afield, at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, about 42 miles away, an adult costs £250 and a dog over 9 £150, and Dogs Trust charges £300 for a dog in Scotland.

Blue Cross puts a bought puppy at £400 to £3,000, before neutering and the first of many grooming bills. PDSA puts the set-up cost of a small dog at £415 and the monthly cost at £69 or more, and a Shih Tzu's coat adds a groomer every few weeks.

An adopted Shih Tzu almost never comes with its parents' health tests, so the useful question is what the rescue's vet has already found. These are the areas UK breed sources raise:

• Breathing. Dogs Trust describes Shih Tzus as brachycephalic, with short noses, flat faces or both, and PDSA lists BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome), which can cause severe breathing problems.
• Eyes. The one test The Royal Kennel Club asks every Shih Tzu breeder to do at a minimum is an eye test. PDSA names dry eye, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy and retinal detachment, and notes that gunk collects at the corners of the eyes and needs gently wiping away.
• Teeth and kidneys. A short jaw can leave the teeth crowded or out of line, PDSA notes, and renal dysplasia, an inherited fault in how the kidneys form, can cause kidney failure in a young dog.

The Royal Kennel Club lists grooming as every day, and PDSA explains why: the Shih Tzu has a double coat that knots without a daily brush. Most owners who don't show their dogs keep the coat clipped, which Dogs Trust says a professional groomer can do every 6 to 8 weeks. Keep the hair around the mouth and nose short and clean, because trapped food can make the skin sore.

A rescue Shih Tzu may arrive matted or clipped right down, and may not yet like being handled. Ask how it copes with a brush, a bath and having its face wiped, and book a groomer early.

A flat is enough for this breed on The Royal Kennel Club's profile, with up to an hour of exercise a day. PDSA puts it at an hour a day, split into a couple of short walks with time off the lead somewhere secure, plus play and short training sessions, and says a Shih Tzu shouldn't be left alone for more than four hours a day.

That last point matters more than the size of your home. If everyone is out at work all day, tell the rescue, and ask whether the dog you like has coped with time alone before.

Rescue Shih Tzus are adopted, not sold: you apply, the rescue checks your home suits the dog, and you pay an adoption fee. Puppies seldom come into rescue, so be open to an adult. Our Glasgow Shih Tzu page lists any available near the city, each with a link to its rescue.

If you buy, ask for both parents' eye test results and how the puppy breathes at rest and at play. Puppies from health-tested parents can be searched on The Royal Kennel Club's "Find a puppy" service, and Dogs Trust says some vets offer pre-purchase consultations on breed health. Police Scotland's advice on marketplace fraud is to avoid paying for anything you haven't seen, and it takes reports.