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| Gizmo: The Original |
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| Lhasa Apso puppy |
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| Welsh Corgi pup |
We need your opinion and vote on this:
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| Corgi: legs & body about right, ears wrong! |
A veterinarian wrote that Gizmo was a Shih Tzu. At 30 pounds plus when a fat, otherwise normal Shih Tzu weighs in at around 16 pounds, he was twice as big as Beowulf and any other Shih Tzu. Call him SUPER SHIH TZU. There were debates about Gizmo’s ancestry whenever and wherever dog people gathered.
Some thought he was a corgi, which would make him related to the dogs owned by Britain’s royal family. If that were so and he knew it, Gizmo might begin snubbing us.
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| Lhasa: Could be??? |
Others said he was related to a Lhasa Apso, which once attempted to bite both Grace and I during a stroll through Central Park in New York. Gizmo has never tried to bite us and, as far as we know, has such a nice disposition that the thought has never occurred to him. One woman said he was definitely an Australian Terrier, but I looked at its picture and it bore little resemblance to Gizmo. At first, I thought she suggested a “Mongolian Terrier,” which apparently does not exist, or at least is not AKC registered.
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| Coton De Tulear: Maybe? |
My own research (consisting of wandering through web sites looking at pictures of really cute dogs) indicated that he might be a Coton De Tulear, named for the city of Tuléar in Madagascar, and in recent years known as the Royal Dog of Madagascar. But they are small dogs weighing in at 13 pounds when sopping wet – could Gizmo be a Super Coton, even though that sounds like French for a cotton ball so large it cannot fit into a vitamin bottle? At the dog park, there was a general agreement amongst three dog owners that Gizmo was definitely and surely a Tibetan Terrier, which was probably the right name for the breed. Because they were so certain, as soon as I got to my computer, I Googled "Tibetan Terrier" and looked at the pictures. Well, that was about the closest match. See for yourselves:
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| Maxwell, the Tibetan |
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| Phoebe, the Tibetan |
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| Tibetan, yes; Gizmo: possible |
Finally, after several discussions and some light-hearted disagreements, the matter was settled. A woman mutt owner at Ironwood Park announced, “I tell people that I have a Designer Dog and let it go at that.” Meet Gizmo: Designer Dog or maybe a Tibetan, Lhasa, Shih Tzu, Coton de Tulear or Corgi mix. Your opinions and/or vote appreciated... and remember, I'm from Chicago, so voting more than once is encouraged.
“If your dog doesn't like someone, you probably shouldn't either.” Unknown
HE'S a designer dog.
ReplyDeleteLabel: Are Lhasas Biters?
ReplyDeleteFrom my friend Corwin: how to tell if Gizmo is a Lhasa Apso:
Reach for the dog when it is under the bed. If the dog bites you and your hand comes out bloody, it’s a Lhasa Apso.
Corwin was in the kennel business, was bitten 20 times (usually his fault) and 19 of those bites were from Lhasas! He describes Lhasas as having “the disposition of a rattlesnake with menopause.”
Is that true? Lhasa owners please respond.
Gizmo has hidden under the bed, we have reached in and brought him out, usually because we needed to leave and he belonged in the cage. At no time did Gizmo growl at us, let alone ever bite or gnaw at us.
Corwin’s conclusion: Gizmo is a Shih Tzu.
Any other absolute “tells” indicating what kind of dog you have, such as biting the hands of people reaching for them under a bed? Please respond because what Corwin revealed would never be found in a description of the dog.
I think Shitz
ReplyDeleteGail in Palm Springs
Buster Brown weighs in at 20 pounds and looks a lot like your dog and he is a Shih Tzu. Bill Edelen last Shih Tzu was very heavy but I don’t know what the total weigh was. The best manner of a Shih Tzu is their love of their masters but you may have to a sample of the spit to find out. Gayle
ReplyDeleteGayle in Palm Springs
He could very well be a Super Coton as they do exist, commonly known as the tall coton de tuleur, a version which I have being 18 inches tall and 22 pounds.
ReplyDelete