Growing up, I always wanted to have a dog. But because the dog my parents had was killed when I was a baby, my mom never wanted to get another dog. When I finally got married and we purchased our first home, the first order of business was to get a dog. Next thing I knew, we had 3 dogs. They really brought so much energy to the house, and were always up to something that would have us laughing. When we had to downsize our living space, we found new homes for our larger dogs (I still miss Sticks and Sparkle *thug tears*) and kept the smallest dog – our Shih-Tzu named NuNu.

girls-night-in

NuNu is 8 years old, and though she is little – her personality is larger than life. So much so, we created an Instagram account for her @nunutheshihtzu and gave her the hashtag #everybodyknowsnunu for obvious reasons. She has not only brought a lot of good vibes to our household, but to everyone who spends time with her. She is sorta a therapy dog for family and friends. She loves to cuddle up, and the toughest of men have talked gibberish to NuNu while petting her. She just has that calming effect on people.

dogs improve health

As you can see, dogs can have a positive effect on your overall health. They can also be trained to recognize the onset of health issues, which is so dope. And sometimes when I’m home alone, I don’t feel as lonely because NuNu is right there to keep me company. If you’re considering adding a Shih-Tzu to your family, here are some things to know about the breed that we love so much.

shih-tzu breed 101

This definitely describes NuNu, which makes her a perfect fit for our family. She’s about 9 lbs, and does not shed, which makes her great for apartment living. She also has very little exercise requirements, which is great for us because we are busy and don’t have a lot of time to take a dog on long walks.

If you’re a dog lover, have you experienced any of these benefits of having a dog?

 

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