Bichon ShihTzus
BabyBarks
We offer stock dog and puppy food, nutrical, toys, exercise pens, kennels and other necessities!
Cash only.
All other necessities can be found using the provided Amazon links below.
Happy shopping!
Come and shop the BabyBarks Boutique!
We now have a "mini-store" right at BabyBarks!
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Exercise Pens. I love them. A perfect control space for managing your puppy in any room. Easily adjustable for protecting walls, making a containment space or even using a couple together as a mini-yard outside. I recommend a 30 inch height as our dogs can jump anything lower. We've found the gates built into this style of pen handy for easy access.
If you choose to shop for your own exercise pen, please beware of certain "styles". Some, like the AmazonBasics brand, have metal loops sticking up across the top that could catch your puppy's collar if he jumps and potentially hang him. Stick with a smooth topped brand, such as these two. The few dollars saved isn't worth the risk when safer options can be found.
What's the difference between the two we've suggested? The one on the left is the brand I tend to buy because I love the easy entry gate. Just lift up and swing out and you're in the pen. No fumbling with latches and alignment. The brand on the left is a perfectly functional and a good alternative if the easy entry option is out of stock or two pricy.
We have a limited number of exercise pens (no gate) available at the BabyBarks Boutique for $75 if you want to grab one when you get your puppy.
Finally, you may want something like a "baby gate" to close off a stair way or an entry way to a different room. We have two of these on each entrance to the dining room in our home and it provides a space that we can either keep the dogs in or out of.
We do have the occasional family who wants a pen that doesn't sit right on their carpet or hardwood. This pen, with a bottom and top cover would work for that. A word of caution in that we have not personally used this style. I'm not sure if the puppy will be able to grab a bit of the fabric closures and chew on them? I'm not specifically worried about the puppy in this case, but whether or not they will wreck the functionality of the fabric piece.
Safe Spaces
Kennels. A perfect spot to safely and comfortably contain your puppy in the house or car for limited periods. Allowing a puppy to have his own personal "cave" speeds up the potty training process when used correctly.
What's the difference between the three we've suggested?
Left: The kennel we use for our dogs in the 5-9lb range (19 inch)
Middle: (23 inch). 9-12lbs. Top loading and front loading. Very sturdy. 90% of the kennels we use are this exact one
Right: The kennel we use for our dogs in the 13-16 lb range (28 inch).
Using a simple towel or these cute puppy blankets in the bottom of your kennel is a great initial choice. There may be some accidents while your puppy is learning and it needs to be something easy to change out an wash.
We use these travel dishes for our puppies being transported. In general, in a home setting, a puppy doing kennel training or closed in for the night should NOT have access to food and water or it will have to go the bathroom right away. Travel dishes are literally for travel only and a great tool for in the car or on the airplane.
Effective Learning
We'd recommend starting with a 6-8 foot nylon leash until your puppy learns his "walking" basics. Puppy neck sizes vary, but it's likely that an extra small collar will work at first and in most cases our adult dogs wear a "small". I've linked small collars in an assortment of fun patterns! I personally prefer a collar over a leash as the goal is teaching the dog to stay with you and not allowing for the pulling that a harness creates.
101 Dog Tricks and 51 Puppy Tricks are wonderful, easy to follow, well illustrated guides for teaching your puppy all sorts of fun behaviours. Your puppy is old enough to start learning tricks as soon as you get him home.
Cesar Millan DVDs are a fantastic resource for learning the basics of being the "leader of your pack" which is imperative to really successful dog training. But now we'd simply suggest signing up for a month or two of "Disney Plus" for full access to all the Dog Whisperer episodes. Health, happy, obedient dogs are raised by families who understand a dog's culture of leadership vs follower. It's important that you put a little time into learning how to be a good pack leader.
You'll need somewhere to hold your positive re-inforcement treats as you train your little one and sit and stay. Having a pouch like this on your hip can make it easy to "hand out the goodies" when the response is correct!
Even the best puppy will need some correcting as they bark and chew. A little squirt from a squirt bottle is an awesome consequence that doesn't scare or hurt them, but gets your point consistently across.
It gives me peace of mind to be able to watch the dogs when I'm out of the house (or even in another room!) and see what they're up to. This one was a breeze to set up, has great night vision and I can check it from my phone, wherever I am. Now I know if they are sleeping, barking, getting into mischief or using the doggie door, all in one glance.
Effective Learning
Busy, Growing Minds
Potty training time! We recommend outdoor training, but through the night for the first few weeks or for the extremely cold days in winter, peepads can be helpful. Without a "pad holder", puppies tend to play with and rip up their peepads. Even with the holder, some puppies will still figure out how to do this and the ensuing mess should be an encouragement to stick to outdoor training, but still lovely in a pinch!
Hang a bell similar to this one from your door and help your puppy ring it each time he goes out. In no time, he'll be using the bell to signal you on his own. If you like a higher tech option that you can hear clearly to wherever you are, try this wireless digital alert tool.
When you do have an "accident", a spray such as this is wonderful to have on hand to completely eliminate the scent left behind as any remaining smell would encourage puppy to repeatedly use the same area. We use a "pooper-scooper" similar to this one for both our grass yards and cement run. It's an incredibly handy tool for clean disposal, without bending over, for use on short grass or cement.
Tidy Potty Training
Unique Enviroments, Effective Tools
Specialty items: Condo and apartment families: This faux grass potty pad is an excellent outdoor option for you. Place this on your deck and take your puppy out to use it as an alternative to indoor peepads. It's beneficial to get a puppy going outside as soon as possible and this will give your puppy a target rather than piddling randomly on your deck. Get the largest size possible. The larger the space, the more likely your puppy it to use it for both piddling and pooping, hit it accurately and the "cleaner "it will stay before needing to be washed down.
Why a doggie door? Because it takes the potty training time down by 90%! It is the best kept secret in dog ownership. You can pen an 8 week old puppy infront of a doggie door and they will consistently use it to go to the bathroom outside and you won't even need to prompt them. Doggie doors are incredible. We train the vast majority of our summer and early fall puppies to use the doggie door, so they already know how to push through it when you bring them home.
Not Lost for Long!
Afraid of losing your puppy or dog? Does the idea of finding him missing and having NO IDEA where to look make you break into a cold sweat? It should!!! But now there is a solution to that that is nothing short of miraculous!
Apple Tags can be attached to your dog's collar and allows you to TRACK your dog right from your phone. If your dog goes missing, you just ask Siri "find my dog" and it brings up a map that show you right where your dog is and you can drive there in moments. These are a BREEZE to set up (takes 2 mins) and can locate your dog almost instantly in an urban setting. Sadly, they don't work well in the wilderness or rural setting... but for populated areas, they are amazing! The battery lasts for a LONG time and they attach easily to your dog's collar. This is the tracking solution that will take the panic out of a missing dog scenario. I have purchased several for my dogs and we take them with us and wear them whenever we leave our acreage. Hands down my new FAVORITE product!
Amazon only offers a 4 pack and I've attached that link here, but you should be able to order a single tag from the Apple store ($40) if that's your preference. This collar will hold the airtag in a special pocket. You would need to order a small for an 11lb+ dog. There are alternatives to this collar that also hold an AirTag if you prefer a different design. I've linked a cat collar because they are small enough for our dogs, but you can likely find a great alternative. Or you can use this handy "collar holder" to attach the tag to any collar you like.
Grooming supplies. We use Johnson's Baby Shampoo but if a puppy seems unusually itchy, we'll switch to Selsons Blue for the soothing antibacterial and fungal properties. Any conditioner can be used. We love these little nail clippers for tiny puppy claws! They are actually made for a cat, but they'll allow you to get the hang of clipping your dog's nails with ease. These are our preferred brush and nail clippers. The septic powder is to stop bleeding in case you cut a nail a little too short. We are advocates of dental care, which means a finger brush and dog tooth paste. Good oral hygiene includes chew bones and hard dog food, but human parents brushing your dog's teeth a least a few times a week will really keep your pooch's teeth in tip top shape.
Do you need a product to clean the eyes and ears? You really don't. Keep the hair trimmed away from the eyes (see the curved scissors below). You want to leave the ears alone. You don't need to wash them down or do anything special. You really don't want to get water in them. Just give them a wipe with your wet towel at the end of a bath.
Basic Grooming and Hygiene
Advanced Grooming
Warning: you do not need the following few products with your new puppy. But we have had families ask us what brand we suggest if they were to groom their dog themselves. Grooming your dog yourself can result in a significant financial savings, over time, and provide a fantastic bonding opportunity. However, we would always recommend taking your puppy to a professional for his first 3 or 4 grooms so that he learns to stand well and relax during the experience before you become involved. Oster is a great name brand, a 7F blade is perfect for a short summer cut and the 3F is a great winter length.
Travel Options. Planning on taking your puppy on a flight? We'd recommend an inexpensive collapsible kennel with good ventilation, a couple of pockets for convenience and some closed in sections so your puppy feels private and secure. Of course the sky is the limit (literally!) and you can pay more for one with any bells and whistles your prefer. We love the option of zipping down the sides on this particular model. This mesh pen is not also NOT suitable for every day use as a puppy will eventually chew through the fabric or mesh if used daily. Keep in mind that this type of pen is a temporary option but awesome on a trip for its light weight and easy fold down convenience. For long term or at home use, a metal exercise pen is a better option for both size and long term durability.
Travel Simply
Proper Nutrition
Food. We feed half and half Kirkland Natures Domain Small Breed Salmon and Lentils Formula and Kirkland puppy food. Bichon Shih Tzus tend to do best on high fiber (naturally empties the anal glands), low protein food and the non-chicken protein source tends to be a great fit. You can't buy this food from Amazon, can get it at Costco or order it at Costco.ca($10 more per bag than in the store). We do offer the food for sale at our kennel but you will find it $10 cheaper per bag if you purchase it at Costco yourself. The end goal for all Bichon Shih Tzus, as of adult age, is a non-chicken diet. Why is this? It's consistent across all breeds of dogs that a common allergen is chicken, so better to avoid it in adulthood if you feel your dog is a bit to "itchy". Why do we use a chicken puppy food if there is an allergy predisposition? Because finding a non-chicken puppy food is next to impossible and you'll only need one bag before you head on to the Salmon food for the rest of your dog's life.
NutriCal - this product is invaluable in our kennel. If you read the "care guide" you'll have noticed multiple references to hypoglycemia. Typically we recommend smearing corn syrup in your puppy's mouth if you see hypoglycemic symptoms. Nutrical is the vet recommended version of a hypoglycemia treatment and nutritional replacements paste. If we ever see a puppy who looks under the weather, isn't eating enough or might be hyplogycemic, Nutrical is what we use in our kennel to treat this. If we don't have any on hand, corn syrup is our go-to alternative. So every tip we give regarding hypoglycemia in the care guide applies but instead of corn syrup, we use this paste. It's a sugar source, but the benefit over corn syrup is the added protein content and vitamins... so it's a more well rounded nutritional additive. I'd really recommend it if you are adopting an extra small puppy, have a really long road trip or transit to get your puppy home from the kennel or a house full of kids, as they tend to push a puppy's energy reserves to the max, putting them at greater risk. We have NutriCal/Tomlyn Paste available for sale, on site, in our kennel during your visit at the BabyBarks Boutique for $20
Purina Pro Plan FortiFlora is a probiotic specially developed for dogs. If you see stool getting soft or diarrhea coming on, sprinkling some of this over your dog's food can help the GI system. Personally, we just choose to add Vanilla yogurt to their food, but I'm sure this is at least as good or better than that option. One warning is the fact that dogs REALLY LIKE this! You could create a picky eater if you feed it frequently instead of just when actually needed.
Poop Eating. Yes....... it's in that moment that you realize that your new pet isn't human after all! Not all puppies eat poop, but some have watched their mom clean up after them and think it might be something they should mirror. In that case, don't use this product right away. Start by cleaning up after the puppy immediately after they go and using your squirt bottle to correct. Usually this solves the problem in short order. If you feel you need a little more help after trying that, consider this product or something similar.
Treats to Enjoy
Treats. Remember, until 2-3 weeks ago, your puppy's only food was mom's milk. They don't need rich or exciting treats to thrill them. In fact, if your treats are too rich and you feed too many, you will give your puppy diarrhea. We'd suggest goldfish crackers as a start, purely because they are so bland they shouldn't give your puppy a problem. Cheerios or little pieces of carrots are an equally wonderful treat. If you feel you need to up the ante for training, something like a little Puperoni ripped into small pieces. These mini rawhide rolls will give a puppy an exciting chew, but no more than one a day. AVOID bully sticks and rich treats such as pure liver. As your puppy ages she may enjoy antlers, himalayan mountain chews, and larger raw hides. Wait awhile before offering these larger and harder chew options. We offer all to our older dogs in rotation.
Granted, we didnt' need a whole section for dishware. But, come on! Just look at these cute dishes! Find one that suits you and your style best and your dog will look that much more amazing as they snack away. Ha! Be sure you choose something dishwasher friendly. NO plastic or wood bases for your new pal. Ceramic or stainless steal is easily sterilized and can't be chewed by your new pal.
Serve with Style
What to wear? Should you buy your dog boots or a coat for the cold Canadain weather? We'd suggest skipping the boots as you lose one on a walk and what good are three to you on a four legged dog? It's really hard to find a doggie boot brand that is easy to put on and stays on. However, if you are interested in a doggie jacket, our favourite brand comes from Greenhawk. These are lovely to use in the cold weather after a short haircut. Click to see these jackets. They have several styles to pick from. They are easy to put on and race out the door, they wear well, wash well and are a good fit.
A 8-11 pound dog will wear an extra small.
A 12-17 pound dog will wear a small.
Training Tools for Special Circumstances
Specialty training devices. These are not needed for the average dog, however we do occasionally have adopters with particular requests. These products are for use with puppies older than 6 months. They should not be used with younger pups.
The majority of our adopters say their dog either doesn't bark at all or very minimally. However, we do have the odd family who live right on a walking path or right in a high traffic area, and also have a dog who barks more than they'd like. In those cases, I'd firmly state that the first step should be indoor training. Squirt your puppy with the water bottle if he is carrying on and use a command to tell him "stop". Be consistent inside and you should also see some consistency with your expectations outside. If you aren't really consistent, don't expect to see results. However, if your setting makes this extra difficult, Petsafe barking collars can be a huge help in allowing your dog to enjoy leisurely outside time and the collar will help remind them that barking isn't appropriate. We use Petsafe collars and I've found them a reliable and safe brand with a good warrantee.
Are you a gardener or have a special space in your yard that you don't want your dog going near? The pet safe collar (right) is designed to specifically warn your dog to respect a certain area. If you don't want your dog in amidst your award winning flowers, this would be a great option to allow your dog to enjoy the entire yard, except where he shouldn't be. If you can fence off your special place while your dogs is a puppy (use exercise pens or simple fencing) so he doesn't practice going in there, and then use this collar through adolescence, you should have an adult dog who has no interest in bothering your flowers, or whatever space is special to you. Again, we've found Petsafe collars reliable and well made.
Do we recommend "invisible fencing"? No! You've chosen a small breed of dog that would be easily attacked by a larger dog or predators. A real fence not only keeps your dog in, it keeps everything that wants to harm him OUT. Keep him safe! Make a solid, well fenced boundary between your special fur family member and everything that may want to hurt him. The only exception to this would be using invisible fencing to keep your dog away from a particular area IN your fully fenced yard. Have a large garden section that you don't want him romping in? Sure, invisible fencing may be a good option in that case.
We hope you have found this interactive list a convenient resource. From every group of adopters, we have so many families sending us pictures of an exact product or asking us to send them a link, so they can find the exact item we'd recommend. Hopefully this will be easier for everyone! If you find a link no longer works, please let us know!
I have endeavoured to make it clear if I think you can find a better deal elsewhere, but please shop wherever brings you pleasure and savings! If you'd like a printable list of the above products so you can shop around without using our links, you'll find that below. Walmart and Petsmart would be budget stores to find many of these items for comparable prices.
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