In September 2007, we were blessed with the most wonderful gift from our children.

In the summer we put our 10 year old Shih Tzu down, and were so heartsick that we decided to not have another pet for awhile. While we were on vacation, our kids searched for a Chinese Imperial Breeder and found you. You really worked with them to have our baby delivered before we returned from our vacation. She was such a beautiful surprise; all I could do was cry happy tears when I saw her. We named our precious princess, “Hokulani” (Hawaiian for heavenly star). She brings so much joy to us every day. Hoku is the love of our lives. It’s wonderful to see how attached Hoku and my husband are. She shows so much affection to everyone that she knows.  My husband says that one important thing that she has taught him is patience. How great is that huh? There is so much I want to say about her, but it would take days…hahaha~

          Although we have not formally met, I feel like I’ve know you forever. Thanks for always answering my questions and being a fun e-mail buddy! I know you’ll be a friend for a long time. Although my hubby doesn’t know it yet, I know I am getting another baby from you sometime in the future.  Thank you Linda I will continue to keep you posted on our little one.

Aloha and Hug,

Jane

 

March 18, 2008

Dear Linda,
 
I am so impressed with your generous spirit and grateful that you were willing and able to go out of your way recently to help a 4-year-old autistic girl by donating one of your puppies. Anyone who knows anything about autism will tell you that they do not deal well with change. Several months ago this little girl's therapy shih tzu was stolen out of her yard. Her mother told her the dog was "on vacation" and would eventually return. Who knew that you would be the angel that could make that happen!
 
The story is an interesting twist of fate. Several weeks ago I was driving on a very busy street and saw a woman following a dog that was limping and she was trying to get it off the street so it wouldn't be killed. I pulled over to help thinking it was her dog. It wasn't. The woman was just a good samaritan trying to rescue a dog. Once we got the dog, we realized it had been hit and was hurt. Turns out (after a trip to the vet) the dog had alread been hit and had a broken femur. This woman could have ignored the dog as many other drivers did and gone about her business and her busy day, instead, she chose to rescue a furry little soul. I was impressed that she would go out of her way to do this. So often we become consumed with our own problems and trials that we can't look outside ourselves and give where we can. That was the first miracle of my day. As the woman and I talked about why it was important to us to save the dog from an untimely death, she told me about her autistic daughter and the loss of her dog. The idea came to me to contact you and see if we could do something to help this woman and her daughter. I got the woman's phone number and told her I would contact her about our furry troubled rescue dog to find out the status.
 
Immediately, I came home and contacted you and explained the situation. That was the second miracle of the day. You generously offered to donate one of your puppies to this little girl and had a puppy in mind. After emailing me a picture of the dog I contacted the woman and made the offer. "How would you feel about getting another shih tzu for your daughter?" She was polite and kind and said, "Thank you, I will eventually but right now I can't afford to buy one so her dog is going to remain 'on vacation' until I can afford it." I then said to her, "What if it didn't cost you anything?" She was stunned. I told her about your generous offer and she burst into tears! After arrangements could be made, you were kind enough to send photos of the dog to my new 4-year-old little friend. She bonded immediately with the photo. Then she got the shih tzu and the bond was finalized. I've never seen such a little girl so happy!
 
Linda, I cannot express in words how kind you are. You made the difference in a little girl's life. As a follow up, the mother was able to arrange for your puppy to be trained as a therapy dog and will be able to accompany her daughter to school and everywhere else she wants to go. Thank you for participating and facilitating this miracle.
 
Best,
 
Kammy Yorgason

April 15, 2008

To Whom It May Concern

 I have always had indoor cats and never owned a dog.   My pure black Himalayan cat, Pookie, passed away from kidney failure on January 30, 2007, at the age of 16. He weighed 12 lbs., was the most exceptional cat in the world and was so gentle & loving that everyone that met him, wanted a “Pookie.”  I work out of my home in Los Angeles, and every day, he would lay on my lap as I sat at the computer for hours.  He was my friend and my constant companion.  I was so grief stricken when he died and I couldn't imagine ever getting another cat and never even considered a dog. 

 About three months after Pookie went over the Rainbow Bridge, I went into a store and a woman came in carrying a bag with a pure black four month old shihtzu hanging out of it.  He had such sweet eyes and looked so much like Pookie that I started to cry. She had bought him at a very exclusive pet store near my house.  When I called them, the owner told me she would try to get me a black shihtzu from one of their breeders.  I thought this would take months, but she called in a few weeks and said she found one and e-mailed me his photo.

 At that point, I started researching the net for information on shihtzus and breeders.  I learned that full grown Imperial and/or Toy shihtzus are small (7-9 lbs.) and that standard shihtzus can weigh up to 13, or even 15 lbs.  I e-mailed and called countless breeders throughout the country and found that many told me what they thought I wanted to hear, even though this wasn't necessarily true.  I was also given erroneous information about some catteries, which were turning dogs out like puppy mills.  Some told me that their shihtzus would stay small, had specific genetic tendencies, etc., but when I called references, clients, and other breeders, I got conflicting information.   

 Discovering Linda Duncan was a gift from God!  After calling lots of people and leaving messages and sending e-mails, I was referred to Linda by three to four entirely different sources.  I saw some very cute shihtzus on her website, but not a black one.  When I called her and explained that I was looking for a black shihtzu, she told me she did have a 1-1/2 year old, solid black female who had given birth to two boys a few months before, but that she wasn't actively trying to sell her.  She e-mailed me some pictures of her and I fell in love.  Linda told me that Smoochie was a really sweet and loving

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dog, but that she was not a community animal and would be much happier in a home where she was the only dog and would receive lots of attention - this match was made in heaven!  Linda said that she loved her so much that she really didn't want to let her go, but that she knew it would be better for Smoochie to be with the perfect family.  After talking for over two hours and getting to know one another, Linda agreed to let me fly to Las Vegas the next day to pick her up. 

 She took her to the groomer for a bath in the morning, bought a crate at Petco so I could transport her with me on the plane and met me at the airport with the cutest dog I have ever seen in my life.  Having never had one, I knew nothing about dogs, and for the first few weeks, I called Linda at least once a day, usually several times, with a myriad of questions.  She gave me so much information and assistance and was always available to help out, whether I had questions relating to diet (raw food vs. standard), toys, crating, training, doggie door, wee wee pads, treats, bathing techniques (she taught me on the phone how to bathe Smoochie, which I do each week), grooming products, leash training, commands, etc., etc.  She was always very  patient with me, listened to what I said very carefully, and offered kind encouragement whenever it was needed.

 My husband and I had plans to go to Mexico last December for two weeks.  I expressed my concern to Linda about leaving Smoochie at home, as I wasn't sure if my daughter was going to be in town to take care of her and I was going to have to find a 'stranger' (someone Smoochie didn't know) to stay at our house to care for her.  Linda was incredible!!  She not only offered to have Smoochie stay with her in Las Vegas for the two weeks, but also thought she could arrange for her ex-husband to pick Smoochie up in L.A. and drive her to Vegas, so that I wouldn't have to fly her roundtrip.  Luckily, my daughter stayed in town and was with her during this period.        

 Smoochie is the 'dog' version of Pookie and has been a wonderful addition to our family.  She is the absolute sweetest dog in the world and follows me everywhere, all day long, which makes my heart really smile.  She loves my husband and our three grown children, their mates, and our two grandsons.  Whenever they are around, Smoochie automatically (& immediately) rolls over on her back for a tummy rub (her favorite activity, except for sleeping).  She also loves playing “pig ear.”  I throw the ear in our backyard, and she runs and fetches it.

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 Everybody that meets Smoochie is astounded at how sweet and loving she is and how much she resembles Pookie.  She lays in the exact position, on the exact same throw rug in the kitchen that he always laid on, and she jumps up onto the back of one of the  large pillows on our sofa and lays there for hours, just like Pookie did.  

 Incidentally, I've kept in touch with the gal who had the black shihtzu that I first saw, and at the age of 6 months, he was already bigger than Smoochie was at two years.  I also, subsequently found out that the dog the pet shop owner was going to get me was not a “Toy” shihtzu and would have been as big as “Buster.”  

 I have recommended Linda as a Breeder every time I hear of anyone who wants to buy a shihtzu, and if I was ever to buy another dog, I would definitely buy one from her.  She has had so much experience and truly loves and understands each of her puppies.  She takes such good care of them and you would be very lucky to take one of her dogs home.  She has made our world a much happier place!

 If you have any questions or would like more information about my experience with Linda, please call me at (310) 271-4377.

 Very truly yours,

 Patti Green

 

Meet "Koko"

Isn't she adorable?

She is Hokulani's cousin (by owner) and they get to have play dates quite often.

Jim and Lulu just love her so much. It is a good thing because she has an A+ personality. She has settled down some now that she is a little older.