Welcome to Phoenix Shih Tzu
Breeder of Exquisite Purebred AKC Shih Tzu
We are a small IN HOME Shih Tzu breeder.  Our fur babies are born and raised in our living room.  They are given lots of love and attention.  We breed for health, temperament, confirmation and beauty. We make sure our fur babies end up in wonderful pet homes where they will be spoiled rotten and live a long, healthy and happy life.
About Us
We purchased our first puppy in 2005 and fell deep in love with the breed. Shaun was 7 and had been in a ski accident and was laid up in bed and we wanted to get him a therapy pet. I was worried he would be allergic but I found out that Shih Tzu are hypoallergenic and non-shedding. After researching I found that Shih Tzu are sweet affectionate animals who are happiest when they can sit on your lap or nap at your feet. Our Skittles changed our lives. She became an important part of our family and we have the sweetest family memories with her. I am working on a little slideshow movie about her and will link it here when it is finished.
After realizing how wonderful this breed is I saw that they came in so many different colors and had become friends with the breeder who we got our Skittles from. Jeri became our mentor and a close family friend. Thank you Jeri for helping us navigate the dog breeding world, always giving us good advise, and most importantly giving us our Skittles.
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As we added to our dog family, we were very lucky (winning the puppy lottery some would say) and were able to get our lavender Buttercup (thank you Shelby!) who will have a future memorial video link here _____
We took a 7 year break from breeding and started back after missing having puppies during the COVID lockdown. We moved and after getting settled in North Idaho have started breeding this wonderful Shih Tzu breed again. We kept our name "PHOENIX" because it is who we are and always will be, even though it causes some confusion with people thinking we still live in Arizona. We do visit Arizona a couple times a year and love it when we can deliver a puppy out there.
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We breed healthy quality beautiful Shih Tzu with sweet dispositions. While we breed to the AKC standard, a lot of our puppies do end up smaller than the 9-12 pounds you would usually see in this toy breed. We focus on making the transition from our loving home to yours as easy as possible. We strive to breed the best animals we can, educate their new owners and ensure these precious creatures get the love, care and attention they deserve. Contact us to find your new ShihTzu baby.
One of the most memorable moments from of our time raising ShihTzu puppies in AZ was meeting Kurt Warner and his wonderful family. His wife, Brenda had reached out to tell me they were interested in adopting a puppy. On Valentines' Day in 2009-- shortly after Kurt led the AZ Cardinals to the Superbowl-- the whole family came to visit the puppies. They were such a kind and loving family. The puppies were too young to go home, which didn't sit well with one of their little boys. In a sly but sweet move, he slipped a puppy into his pocket, hoping no one would notice as they left. We all laughed. Pretty adorable family!
Later, once the puppies were old enough, Brenda returned to pick one up. Crazy that was 16 years ago today!
