My 10-month-old dog's hair won't grow. Is she really a Shih Tzu?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Honestly, I think that her mom is either purebred or almost is. I would expect your pup to either be a purebred Shih Tzu or being very close to it so in terms of behavior and expectations, I would be expecting what I would expect for a Shih Tzu. She is adorable! Good luck and have a great day!

Thank you for submitting your question Bbay Girl. I agree that she is a chihuahua mix. The long wire hairs are likely from a terrier. There are DNA test kits available if you are curious. You submit a cheek sample from your dog and they will send you a breed report. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Puffy. I do not believe that her hair coat indicates any disease process. Rather it is likely result of her genetics. What breed was her father? My guess is that her appearance is closure related to him than the other pups. I hope this information helps!

I am wondering if she could be a different breed then you were told if you feel she is so small. As long as she isn't sick then it is just her and she may not get so big. If you are concerned I would discuss this with your veterinarian and they can evaluate her to see if she is a healthy pup. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These look more like a Shih Tzu than a dachshund. It’s awfully early to be able to tell for sure. They don’t look as long bodied as a dachshund and the thicker coat and rounder snout look more like a Shih Tzu. They are adorable regardless. You can always get a DNA test done. I’ve used the MARS Wisdom panel for my mixed breed dogs. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes I would be concerned. She may have microscopic mites (demodex) that need to be addressed. A vet will need to see her and scrape her skin to look at the mites under the microscope. If found, they can start Buzy on treatments and eventually the hair should grow back. If it isn’t mites the vet may need to do more tests to determine why she isn’t growing hair. Once a diagnosis is made the correct treatment should fix her problem. Good luck and kisses to Buzy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If he is itchy at all then it could be due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!