Once you own a dog it isn't about the breed, it is about the pet and your feelings.

I luvs me some Gatsby, he is smart, loving,never sheds, and if you bath him every week or 10 days he will always smell like fresh cookies, :)

On the down side he needs almost daily brushing even with a short (1-2 inch) cut. The breed is prone to allergies. Gatsby will eat himself alive and the cookies go bad if he gets a single flea. There have been more than average vet bills and if we don't want him looking like fu manchu and having to brush him 2 hours a day, he must go to the groomer every 60 days minimum at 50 bucks a trip. He also barks at strangers and nothing has worked to stop it.

If I were getting another little dog it might be a pug. They are cute and also think they are big shots like Gatsby. I know some of the problems would be absent, but others could appear. If I were getting another Shi Tzu I would get a black/white instead of a white/tan. The allergies are less likely I hear and that is the most aggravating problem.

I will say this, before Gatsby I would have never believed it possible to keep a dog totally free of fleas. With today's medications and gallons of insecticide it is possible.