Rehoming guide
How to rehome your Shih Tzu
Checked 27 October 2026
The short answer
If life has changed and your Shih Tzu needs a new home, the national charities on this page take every breed, and you can list your dog with us at the same time. The two things the next home most needs to hear about are the coat, which Dogs Trust says typically needs brushing every day, and how your dog copes on their own. Be honest about both, and about any history of snapping or biting.
List your pet for free
Every listing checked by a person. Adopters message you through the site; your details stay private.
Why Shih Tzus end up needing a new home
We haven't found a current, verified UK source that says why Shih Tzus are given up, so we won't guess. What the sources do describe is what the breed needs. PDSA says Shih Tzus love company and should not be left alone for more than four hours a day, and The Royal Kennel Club lists the coat as long and needing grooming every day.
None of this makes your dog a problem, or you a bad owner. It usually means the match didn’t fit, and a careful rehoming fixes exactly that.
What to tell adopters about your Shih Tzu
Grooming and handling. Say how often your dog is brushed and clipped, and how they behave at the groomer. Dogs Trust says you can have the coat clipped by a professional groomer every 6 to 8 weeks, and PDSA says the fur around the eyes, mouth and nose needs keeping clean. If your dog's coat is matted right now, say so rather than hiding it.
Eyes, breathing and vet records. PDSA lists conditions Shih Tzus may develop, including dry eye, cataracts, BOAS (brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome), crowded teeth and intervertebral disc disease, and The Royal Kennel Club asks breeders to have eyes tested. Pass on your vet records and say what has been diagnosed or treated.
Being left alone and barking. PDSA says Shih Tzus were also used as watchdogs to announce visitors, so some bark when someone arrives. Tell adopters how vocal your dog is and how long they cope alone.
Children and other pets. PDSA says Shih Tzus can be good-natured family pets but should always be supervised with children. Describe how your own dog is with children, visitors, other dogs and cats, including any snapping.
Shih Tzu rescues that take owners’ dogs
We couldn’t confirm a Shih Tzu breed rescue that is taking owners’ dogs when we checked. The national charities below take every breed, and you can list your dog yourself at the same time.
National charities that take any breed
Dogs Trustdogs
Two routes: Homestay, where your dog stays with you while Dogs Trust finds a new home (it says Homestay dogs "generally find a new home within two weeks"), or a kennel or foster place, which "could take a few weeks". Giving up a dog to Dogs Trust is free, and it aims to reply within 72 hours. Start with a call on 0300 303 2188 or its online form.
Blue Crossdogs, cats, rabbits
Home Direct keeps your pet with you while Blue Cross finds a new owner. That is "the quickest way", it says, because space in its own kennels, cattery and small pet units "is very limited". It takes dogs, cats, rabbits and small pets. Call pet admissions on 0300 777 1960 or use its online form.
Should you charge a rehoming fee?
You can ask for a rehoming fee, paid at the handover after the adopter has met your pet, and never as a deposit beforehand. PAAG's worry with "free to good home" adverts is that people may take an animal on impulse and that a free advert "may devalue an animal" (PAAG). A fee does make the handover a sale, though, so animals can't go to anyone under 16 and you should be honest about your pet's health.
How listing your Shih Tzu on LocalPetFinder works
- Fill in the free listing form. Photos, age, health, how your dog is with children and other animals, and an honest description. It takes about ten minutes, and your dog stays at home with you.
- A person checks it, usually within a day, before it goes live.
- Your Shih Tzu appears next to rescue dogs on the Shih Tzus pages for your city (Ashford, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bath and North East Somerset, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Cardiff, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Cheltenham, Chester, Chesterfield, Chippenham, Colchester, Coventry, Crawley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dover, Dumfries and Galloway, Durham, Eastbourne, Edinburgh, Exeter, Falmouth, Folkestone, Glasgow, Gloucester, Grantham, Great Yarmouth, Guildford, Hartlepool, Hayle, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Kendal, Kidderminster, Kingston upon Hull, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, Llanelli, London, Lowestoft, Luton, Maidstone, Manchester, Mansfield, Margate, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne, Newport, Newquay, North East Lincolnshire, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Penrith, Peterborough, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Sleaford, Solihull, Southampton, Southport, Spalding, St. Helens, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Swansea, Torbay, Truro, Wakefield, Walsall, Warrington, Watford, Wellingborough, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Worthing, Wrexham, York), marked as listed by the owner.
- You choose. Adopters message you through LocalPetFinder, so your email and phone number stay private. You decide who to meet and who takes your dog, and you hand over in person.
We take listings from owners anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the new owner needs a dog licence before they take a dog, so ask to see it before the handover.
Ready to find your Shih Tzu a good home?
List your dog free. Every listing is checked by a person, and you stay in control of who adopts.
Start your free listing →Before the handover: the must-dos
The microchip has to be transferred
In England, Scotland and Wales a dog can't be passed to a new keeper until it's microchipped, and the new keeper must update the database (England, Scotland, Wales); in Scotland the keeper's own details must also be correct before the handover. In England the same applies to cats, while in Scotland and Wales chipping a cat is optional. Check the chip is on a government-approved database and do the transfer at the handover.
No deposits, no couriers
Never ask for, or accept, money before an adopter has met your pet in person, and hand over face to face. A request for a deposit is the classic sign of a pet scam, and on LocalPetFinder it gets a listing taken down.
Banned dog types can’t be rehomed at all
It's against the law in England, Scotland and Wales to give away a banned dog. In England and Wales it's illegal to "rehome, sell, buy, or transfer ownership of an XL Bully" (gov.uk: England and Wales). In Scotland, since 23 February 2024 it has been illegal to sell, advertise, gift or exchange an XL Bully, Scottish guidance says it is unlawful to "sell, give away or rehome an XL Bully" (gov.scot), and since 1 August 2024 it has been an offence to own one without an exemption certificate. If you think your dog could be an XL Bully, don't list it.
Adopters must be adults, and you must be honest
Adopters must be 18 or over, and the listing must be accurate about health, behaviour, and whether your pet is good with children, dogs and cats. A good match is the one that lasts.
Rehoming your Shih Tzu: your questions
Tap a question to expand
Will a Shih Tzu rescue take my dog?
We found no active Shih Tzu breed rescue to recommend when we checked on 27 October 2026. The national charities on this page take every breed, and you can list your Shih Tzu with us at the same time. If you find a breed rescue yourself, check that it is a registered charity, that its accounts are filed on time, and that its site shows recent activity.
My Shih Tzu has bitten. Can I still rehome them?
Ask any rescue whether it can take a dog that has bitten before you apply. Tell any rescue or adopter the full history, including when and why it happened, and ask your vet for advice.
My Shih Tzu's coat is matted. Should I sort it before rehoming?
If you can, book a groom, and either way tell adopters the truth about the coat. Dogs Trust says the breed typically needs brushing every day. The next home needs to be ready for that routine.
Related guides
Rehoming where you live
Rehoming guides for other dog breeds
Sources: The Royal Kennel Club: Shih Tzu · Dogs Trust: Shih Tzu · PDSA: Shih Tzu