Located in sunny Southern California, we are a mother & daughter duo who are passionate about breeding their favorite dog breed – the Shih Tzu. We take pride in raising your next furry best friend to complete your heart & home.

My mom, Yolanda, has been breeding since 2005 & while I, Veronica, submerged herself toe-by-toe over time, I fully emersed myself in 2018 while taking care of my mom & my mom’s Shih Tzus when Yolanda was diagnosed with breast cancer & had three surgeries over the course of 14 months.  Today, we operate our breeding program out of both of our homes which happen to be only 15 minutes apart!

As The Shih Tzu Nursery, we are committed to raising healthy, happy, beautiful Shih Tzu puppies of all sizes – ranging from mini, Imperial, & Traditional size,  in ALL colors.  We focus on health (genetic tests & pre-breeding blood tests of our breeding moms & dads being our markers), AKC Shih Tzu standards of beauty (confirmation & coat), & temperament (socialization of our puppies begins at only 3 days old with Early Neurological Stimulation & Early Scent Introduction & continues with noise exposure, intentional daily handling to help them be compliant, potty training, water & grooming exposure, crate desensitization, car rides in a car seat, exposure to different novel textures & toys – steps, slides, toys that dance, make noise, &/or move on wheels, & a plethora of other daily fun activities that helps a pup reach its full potential by increasing nerve strength, confidence, lowering fear levels, & to be trusting of all humans & other dogs).

Our approach to puppy raising is a holistic one – understanding that raising a well-adjusted confident dog begins in its early, formative days.  Our program believes in empowering each puppy to reach its full potential & provides each pup with the tools necessary to do so.  Whether you are just looking for a companion pet & your new best friend, or you intend to continue training your pup to be task-trained or a service animal, The Shih Tzu Nursery lays the necessary groundwork for you & gives you a big head start in your training.

Puppies we raise are not able to be rehomed until they have successfully mastered certain socialization criteria & have been given a clean bill of health by our veterinary team.  This means that rehoming for certain litters can begin at 10 weeks of age, and for the smallest sizes, it will begin somewhere between 12-14 weeks.  Additionally, we believe in the mutual benefit of exclusive face-to-face meetings on our premises – so you can meet & play with your furry best friend prior to making the big commitment – & conversely, we get a chance to get to know you as well.

Whichever size Shih Tzu pulls at your heartstrings, you can be confident in your pet’s own confidence when being raised The Shih Tzu Nursery way.  Want to know about us?  Be sure to check out our FAQ section for our answers to the most common questions.  And make sure you visit our EVER AFTER & GALLERY pages too!