What's The Difference Between "Mini" and "Teddy" Shi-Chon?

WOW! What an angry bunch... no need for the anger. I am Vet of 24 years and yes there are Hybrids (some have opions as mutts and some have opinions of Hybrids). If bred properly they are not only adorable puppies but very healthy dogs. I have personally known this family ofr over 20 years and in no way shape or form are they a BYB or a Puppymill they are a group of 9 breeders all with great dogs, and wonderful puppies (most of the breeders and or familys have 5-9 adult dogs). I actually own a Golden doodle and a "Shih Tzu Bichon Mix" myself and very simply for the non-shedding dander reasons. Both dogs are very healthy 1 was purchased from DCDogfinedrs ( Lauren) and the other was a RESCUE. My thoughts are that ALL breeders are not bad nor are RESCUE organizations both have great people in them and both have mis-guided people, some live in great homes and take proper care of their pets some do not. I am shocked that so many people would be so eager to jump on a band wagon to make claim to who these folks are without proper knowledge. Did you know that they actually support two RESCUE organizations? Brad (an attorny) actually took 3 months off of his practice to take his kids and wife to New Orleans to help RESCUE pets during the floods.. Iknow this because I offered my service for the medical care. His sister actually was part of the recent RESCUE of a VA puppymill where she RESCUED 47 Westies and helped place in homes from NYC to ATLANTA.. and if I may add they do it without advertising what they do it without support. They are one of the most humble family's I know their grandfather a VET (45 yr practice) was also a great person and animal lover I worked for him for 11 yrs. Bravo I say for this family they have a sight to show they care. Very simply in this world we live in there will always be GOOD and BAD there will always be folks with all sorts of opinions it is what makes the world go round... However, when a breeder offers a lifetime RETURN (PAID Policy) and a 5yr Health warrantee on a healthy puppy it does not get much better than that! I ofetn wonder why we as "Dog Lovers" never attack the person that took the pup to the shelter or gave it up to RESCUE.. most breeders, animal lovers, Vets and ethical folks would NEVER consider that route.. it is usally someone that purchases at a whim and changes their mind without consideration for the animal's needs at all... I see it in my practice everyday. It is the most difficult part of my job.. to see heartless humans.

There is NO difference between MINI and TEDDY because both of those names are adjectives to describe the size of the mixed breed dog being sold.

If you do not like being told the truth about your mutt maybe you should consider not asking questions.

Your dog can NOT be honestly registered with AKC because both the sire and the dam's numbers must be used when appling for papers and AKC does NOT register mixed breeds. Unless your breeder is lying about the puppies' parentage, when she registers them, there is no way the puppies can be AKC registered and everyone knows ACA will register anything because registries such as that were started to make the ignorant believe the dogs they are paying hundreds of dollars for are worth it. Just because people are ignorant and believe the lies they are told, does not make it true. AND just because a dog is AKC registered does NOT mean that it went through all neccessary health and genetic screening. AKC is a registry that records the history of breeds, nothing more. AKC does not make breeders responsible or reputable.

In response to hybrid vigor or hybrids being nonshedding: hybrid or mixed breed dogs can still have health or genetic problems and shed dander because you are still crossing two first generation dogs. The pups will inherit genes from both parents so no guarantee can be made but I would think a vet, (someone that had to have all that education) would know this.

Also, I must have missed where she said lifetime RETURN (PAID Policy). How would you know this since it is not mentioned?

Bottom line is if you want the dog get it but don't expect everyone to think you are getting something more than you are because anytime you pay hundreds of dollars for a mutt, you got taken.

Your dog cannot be AKC registered. Why? It's a mixed breed. The American Canine Association is a bogus registry that will register any dog. It's no proof of quality. The only thing a pedigree does is provide breeders with a genetic paper trail so that they can prevent genetic problems from infesting the lines they breed.

Where are the X-ray results for your dog's parents' hips, knees and the copies of the CERF exams for their eyes? What about the test for von Willebrand's disease, since shih tzus are prone to this blood disorder? What does the pedigree look like - have your dog's ancestors also had these same tests?

You got ripped off. You paid hundreds of dollars for what? A mixed breed whose breeder didn't bother doing genetic screening? Let me guess; the breeder didn't interview you to determine if you would make a responsible owner, did they?

Your last edit reads more like a car purchase than a dog purchase. All of these "advantages" you cite a responsible breeder would have given you and more.

And, if it hasn't sunk in yet, there is NO SUCH THING as a "mini" or "teddy" mixed breed ANYTHING. That should have been your first clue that someone was trying to sell you a poorly bred dog with a fancy moniker. You're a fool if you think that a fancy name means quality or that you paid a good price for a quality dog.

They already ripped you off once by making you pay a huge sum of money for a mixed breed with a cutesy name, so they are sure to rip you off again my giving the size of the dogs cutesy little names, to, to give you idea smaller ones should cost more.

there is no difference, probably just using it as an excuse for why the puppies looked differnent being they have 2 different breed parents, and he/she just made them up, and the person probably wanted more money.

and because BYB and desighner breeders know nothing about breeding, they probably did not have the Mother checked for roundwarms after she mated. Most dogs have a few roundworms in there gut, but more larvae in the muscles, and when a female dog becomes pregnant her hormones cause the larvae to become active, infecting the puppy through the bloodstream before birth. Unless the mother was treated after mating, the puppies have a high chance of having roundworm infestation in there intestines by 4 weeks old.

EDIT: Just because a dog is a purebred does not mean the breeder is god. A lot of purebred breeders of pomeranians, yorkshire terries (yorkies) and chihuahuas, etc., claim to have "tiny teacup" dogs availbe, when really there are some realll genetic problems going on but they convince people this is a rare, tiny dog worth 2400 dollars. When in reality all they want is your money and the dog is probably not in that great health.

Your breeder is also lying to you about being registered with the AKC, for AKC does not recognize mixed breeds they only recognize purebreds, and a Shi-con is not a purebred at all.

Also, were not convinced NO good/knowledgable would ever breed mixed breed "desighner dogs" for money. and $450 is a huge rip-off for a mutt. I can buy a dog at my local shelter for $85-$95 and the ads in the newspaper where someone is selling a mixed breed i have never seen go past 100-rarely 150 unless they are advertising desighner dogs such as what you bought, the price is quite higher because they rip people off.

Look i am very sorry you have gotten ripped off, we are not trying to be mean we are trying to educate you. We obviously don't want this to happen, and also would save a lot of dogs life and quality if it didn't happen. The world has gone from improving breeds to pretyy much down-breeding them to make them 'cuter' and more people to buy. The dog you bought can be a good pet, it is not the dogs fault it is born, we just discourage buying from Back yard breeders, desighner dog breeders and bad purebred breeders because if they stop making money they will stop breeding the dogs, and putting so many other dogs through torture to produce them.

actually you CAN get a mutt AKC registered. if the dame is a registered AKC dog, then her littler can be registered as well.

its very sad that that is allowed though..it's very deceiving.

after reading everything you've gotten it's apparent that you have gotten your dog from 1 of a VERY minimal group of "breeders" that are trying to legitimize mix breeding by actually doing something right. offering health guarantees/ vet testing etc. count yourself lucky, or even SMART (esp if you shopped around) as MOST "designer breeders" do NOT offer any such heath guarantee.

that being said, your dog is NOT recognized by the AKC for it's "breed standard" but ONLY by it's mother. it's registered as a PUP of an AKC dog, not that it IS an AKC dog. mixed breed "designers" are NOT recognized by the AKC, for proof of that...try to enter your dog into a dog show w/your AKC registration papers in hand. you will be turned away at the door.

that's just fact.

as for the "mini" and "teddy" those are just made up terms that these new "designer breeders" are making up in order to sound exotic or new.

$450 is a lot of money for a mutt, but considering that your dog was health checked, shots, health guarantee..it's not too bad.

most rescues charge the same amount for their mutts too.

do NOT think you have a new "breed" of dog. you do not. you still have a mutt. a mutt w/parents that have AKC registration and pure bloodlines, but alas it's STILL a mixed breed (aka mutt).

i love mutts.

I'm VERY found of Bichons. I'm sure your puppy is very sweet. but please be VERY watchful of his health. even the cleanest of BYBs or puppy mills can be full of sick dogs. (NOT saying yours came from such a place, BUT after your first experience I'd be leery if i were you).

that being said, EMBRACE the mutt that your dog is...it's not a shi-chon...or whatever the ridiculous "fad" name is..it's a MUTT a beautiful mutt!

there is nothing wrong w/being a mutt, so i never will understand why ppl will dress it up with these ridiculous names.

There is no such thing as a "shi-chon". It is a mixed breed mutt. There is no such size as a "teddy", the breeder has made it all up to get money off you. I think you bought a shitzu x bichon - Is that what you wanted? Look up those dogs on the internet and that will give you an idea of what you got.

You can not get a AKC reg Mixed breed dog if the breeder is saying you can or offering you any papers they are fake So run away form that breeder.

You need to calm down!!!.

Mini and teddy are FAKE words made up by a BYB.

$400 for a MUTT .

Bravewol... - Great answer

Please calm down, if this dog is the you want then get it it is up to you, no one else.

but please know there is no such breed as a teddy or a mini.

the breeders just do this to sell more dogs that are mixed

and AKC will not register just any ole dog, trust me, they make sure both parents are AKC before letting the litter be registered.....

so if you didnt want anyones honest opinion, why did you post the question.

and there is no need to call names, that is not what this site is for.

get your dog, and I am glad if you think you are buying a healthy good pup, but beware of puppy mills, they are the ones that make up the names of these dogs, and why the heck would some breeder be selling mixed breed puppies and renaming them for which there is no such breed.....

because to them, the name of the game is money...and no matter what kind of health guarantee you get or says it has vet checks, most of these little dogs do have health problems,and I hope for your sake, you realize that you could be spending alot of money on vet bills for a dog that was bred so tiny, it may stay sick all its life..,.its called inbreeding to down size the dog,and its all for money, not to improve any breed standard or for the good of the dogs.....MONEY

and dont tell us not to write what we want, its our choice to do so, and its yours to pay for an outrageous price for a mixed breed.

good luck

Breeder/show.handler 15 yrs..

I dont breed to sell dogs, I dont sell dogs, I show dogs and I bred to improve the breed standard, no inbreeding or linebreeding in my kennel.....

can your breeder say the same thing.

grow up and smell the roses and dont tell someone how to answer your questions, dont like the answers, then dont post them...and you are so misinformed, just because the dogs have been tested and all the wormings and junk you listed so well....

well, You are so wrong, AKC does not rank the dogs under them due to testing or being wormed...you need to do alittle more research before you post such an outrageous claim.

There is no difference. Those "names" have been used by the "breeder" to make their mutts sound more appealing, so that they can dupe you into accepting the ridiculously high price tag. "Shi-Chon" is not a breed, the only purpose of breeding them is so that someone can make money off your naivety. It seems to have worked. Stop pulling your hair out, it doesn't matter, there is no such thing as a "mini" or "teddy", or even a "Shi Chon"... it is all marketing.

Did your "breeder" look anything like this, below?

Hey there! My name is Kathy Burgess I just recently purchased a puppy from Melissa Kellogg with DCDogfinders. I love the puppy! She is smart, sweet, healthy and very well behaved. When I bought my puppy she gave me all the pedigree inofrmation on the parents , the clearences of the parents shot records Health cert. and I saw both parents. I loved the expereince, the puppies and to be honest when I die I would love to come back as one of their dogs! What a life! they have play area inside and out she changes their toys every 3 hours her dogs have movies and music all inside the home. She had 5 dogs and 1 litter of puppies we saw them all and stayed and had lunch with the entire family while her kids and mine played with the puppies. My puppy doctor was so impressed he bought one too! I have refered many people to them because of the dedication, time and love they give these little puppies. It was more that I expected and after visiting 3 rescue homes and 2 breeders none could compare to the quality care and experience that my family had. 5 Star service, quality and care of people and puppies and GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! by the way I bred great danes for 20 years and have been a local shelter volunteer for 16 years. Bark less and wag more! Kathy B, Leesburg, VA