by Angelina Brown

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Growing up on a farm where every animal had a purpose, from the cat who caught mice to the hogs that were sold at market, I had no experience with spoiled pets. Until I got my Shih tzu. Shih tzus THINK they're put on this earth to be guard dogs but in reality, they have no practical purpose. They exist to be cute and lovable, nothing more. So, when I got this tiny puppy with silky fur and liquid brown eyes, I had no idea what kind of world I was entering.

First, it was the crate, because tiny dogs are difficult to housebreak-they can sneak off and do their business in a corner when you're not paying attention. Then, there was the liner for the crate because she was so tiny, she couldn't lay on that hard plastic tray without shivering and getting sores. Then there were the collars, specially sized for toy breeds, and they came in every style imaginable: plain nylon, decorated nylon, plain vinyl, rhinestone decorated vinyl, six different colors of leather, some rolled, some flat, some decorated, some plain. And each collar had a matching leash, a ribbon of nylon, vinyl, or leather with a tiny clasp on one end. And, when she was especially young and a sharp yank on her collar could snap her neck, my little darling wore a harness that snapped around her chest and neck, and matched the collar and leash. Then, since she was born in November and her coat was so fine, she needed sweaters and coats to go out into the winter air to do her business. And then a set of boots because she kept getting ice between her tiny pads and crying because it hurt.

And then her coat started to grow out. She needed ribbons, handmade, to hold her hair out of her beautiful eyes. And she needed tear-stain remover to keep her liquid eyes from staining the fur under them with her tears. And a special comb to keep her undercoat from tangling and causing mats. Then, she needed coat conditioners because she had dry skin, and dog cologne so everyone would know she was a CLEAN dog. Then, I bought clippers to shave her tummy so she could stay cool in the summer; scissors to trim her paws so she wouldn't slip on her own hair when she walked; which meant I had to buy clipper blades, cleaning spray, and a small toolkit to take the clippers apart and clean them regularly. Then a set of tweezers to pull her ear hair out so her ears wouldn't get moist and infected. And special shampoos to keep her white hair brilliant and her dry skin moist.

That doesn't even cover the toys. She had to have Nylabones to

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