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Harvey and I are the proud daddy and mommy of four shih-tzu dogs: Winston, Willow, Whitney and Webster. We love them very much. I don't think I could live without my dogs! As much as I love my horses, these dogs are even more special to me. Shih-tzu dogs have beautiful temperaments. A lot of tiny breeds are high strung and yappy. This is not so of Shih-Tzu's. They are docile and very confident dogs. They thrive on affection. Here is a little bit about each of my fur kids!

Winston J. Woollybear is and adorable gold and white shih-tzu who was born on June 20, 1998 and has been a joy to us since the age of 10 weeks. He is a wonderful pet and truly a family member. Just looking at him makes me smile. He's always so happy and sweet. I adore my horses, but Winston is in a different category. I feel so maternal towards Winston! He's such a loving companion and I don't know what I'd do without him. He means the world to me. He's also got a ton of nicknames (Winston JAY, Weatie, Little Joe, JuJu Bean, Baby Bear, etc.). Poor little guy is probably confused or thinks his Mom can't remember his name. Winston is just wonderful. He is the first Shih-Tzu I have owned and I know I'll always want to have one. Winston is just like a big dog in a little dog's body. He's not yappy at all and is so laid back and calm. Winston is my best friend and I love him so much it hurts.

Winston got his own dog! He saved up his allowance and bought a little girl shih-tzu that we helped him name. Winston's Willow-Meena is a brown, black and white shih-tzu who was born on May 20, 2000. Winston is pretty happy to have his own dog and thinks that she will keep him company when his mommy and daddy are at work and when his mommy is out with her horses (grrr...) Winston's mommy likes boy doggies better usually, but told him he could have a girl if he really thought he'd like hanging out with a little girl better than with a little boy. Willow seems to be a lot like Winston. Sweet and adorable and pretty calm and laid back. Did we mention adorable? As Willow has grown up, she and Winston have become the best of friends. Willow loves her people and is very devoted to us, but it is easy to see that Winston is her favorite "people". Willow is very energetic and extremely loving.

You can never have too many Shih-Tzu dogs! We "adopted" Whitney. Her previous owner could not keep her anymore and wanted her to have a good home. She is two years old, very laid back and cute as can be! When she first came home with us, she did not know how to play with Winston and Willow. She reminds me of a little prim and proper lady. She learned to play after about 5 days and the three little dogs love each other. Whitney plays with Winston and Willow but shows zero interest in toys. That's okay, though. Winston and Willow are not very charitable when it comes to sharing their toys. The dogs spend the day together when we are at work. I think they sleep most of the time judging from how they act when I'm at home and not at work. I would not mind trading places with them once in awhile. They could go to work and I could stay home and be lazy all day! Whitney, like Winston and Willow, is very sweet and affectionate. She loves to have her tummy scratched. She's a very calm girl and we love her so much!

And then there were four! We adopted Webster on January 25, 2002. He is a brindle and white pure bred one year old shih-tzu, who is currently sporting a short hair cut and doing his cocker spaniel impression. Webster is very very affectionate and seems to be pretty smart, too! He is chunkier than our other three and he has a real mommy fixation (earns him big brownie points). I can't make a move without him on my heels! We are so happy to have him as part of our family. We adopted him from this Twin County Humane Society, a mere 250 miles from our house. His previous owner had to give him up because she was no longer able to care for him due to illness. As sweet and loving as Webster is, I'm sure it was not an easy decision for her to make. He will have a home with us for the rest of his life.

This is Keeper.  We got him as a kitten and he is a Maine Coon.   Keeper was born in the spring of 2000 and is a HUGE cat and pretty docile and lazy.  He loves to take naps and loves his people.  His worst vice is sharpening his claws on furniture, which makes his "mom" very angry at him.  Overall, he's a good cat!  Harvey, my husband, is pretty much Keeper's person.

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Our Nigerian Dwarf Goats

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Nigerian Dwarf

Breed Facts

Height of the Nigerian Dwarf Goat

	Ideal	Maximum
Does	17" to 19"	22.6"
Bucks	19" to 20"	23.6"

Ideal weight is suggested to be about 75 pounds based on HES evaluation information.

Animals are disqualified from the show ring for being over-sized for the breed standard, curly coat,roman nose, and pendulous ears or evidence of myatonia. (This is associated with fainting goats.)

The most commonly asked question about Dwarf goats is: What is the difference between these and Pygmy goats? Although they have similar origins, they are separate and distinct breeds. Pygmies are bred to be "cobby" and heavy boned. (The best pygmies look like beer kegs with legs.) Dwarves are bred to have the length of body and structure, in proportion, of a dairy goat.

Dwarf goats come in many colors. Main color families are black, chocolate and gold. Random white markings are common, as are spots and other color combinations such as red, white, gold and black.

Color is one of the BIG factors that makes breeding Dwarves so popular. You never can be sure what color the babies will be until they are born; even then you can't be sure because many times their color will change.

Dwarf goats are gentle and loveable. Even breeding bucks are handled easily. They make wonderful pets and great animal projects for young children in 4-H.

Breeders of other types of goats find that their Dwarves blend in with the rest of their herd well and do not need special quarters, just adequate fencing to contain them because of their small size.

Dwarf goats breed year round. Many breeders breed their does three times in two years, giving the doe a 6 month plus break. This is of course a personal choice for each breeder.

New born kids average about 2 lbs. at birth but grow quickly. They reach sexual maturity at a young age so be sure and separate the bucks and does. Those little guys have been know to breed and be fertile as young as 7 weeks of age.

Does can be bred at 7 to 8 months of age if they have reached good size. Some breeders prefer to wait until they are at lest 1 year or older.

Dwarf does can have several kids at a time, 3 and 4 being common and sometime even 5. Dwarfs are generally good mothers and able to take care of their babies should you leave them to do the raising of the kids. They can also provide a surprising amount of milk for their size. They can give three to four pounds per day of 6 to 10% butterfat.

Bucks are able to be used for service as young as 3 months of age and easily by the time they are 7 or 8 months old. Dwarf bucks are vigorous breeders but are gentle enough to be used for hand breeding or pasture breeding. Both methods are used successfully.

Dwarf goats are registerable in 3 registries. American Goat Society (AGS), International Dairy Goat Registry (IDGR), and Canadian Goat Society (CGS). Dwarf shows are growing in popularity and becoming more and more available. Most are sanctioned by AGS.

While the Nigerian Dwarf's numbers are still very small (only 3500 animals are registered in the USA with AGS) they have a very bright and profitable future ahead.

Website Designed and Maintained by S. Jill O'Roark of Whinny For Me Farm