Grooming Your Shih-Tzu

"It's HARD to be so beautiful...."

I am not going to attempt to put together a grooming page on how to SHAVE your shih-tzu, as much as it is requested.

After giving it careful thought,

I believe this should be left to the pros.

I know you THINK you will save a bundle, but you won't.

First you need a proper grooming table.

You need proper shears (nothing under $100.), proper scissors and proper blades and a LOT of practice.

You will need a good vet on standby to suture your dog

when you fillet it or cut it with the clippers, particularly around the eyes and under arms.

The razor burns you will cause until you do your first

25 cuts will be painfully excruciating to the poor dog.

I think you should bush your dog every day,

should wash your dog once a week,

and go to a groomer every 3 months.

Nails should be cut as needed.

Recent finding state dogs may live as long as 20 years

with proper diet and having it's teeth cleaned regularly.

To do daily care:

Tools you will need;

* Pin brush-around $15-$25 get a good one with No balls on the tips. Balls on the tips break the hair.
* Metal comb, fine and medium
* Rat tail comb~for making the part down the back and making the top knot
* Slicker brush curved~for brushing undercoat
* Finishing spray or spray conditioner

Lay doggie down on her side, get her used to this at a young age. Lightly spray coat and start brushing with long smooth strokes, start on underside and work up her side to her back in layers. Each layer is gently brushed and little knots are worked out with your fingers. Don't rip through knots or pup will never trust you to brush her like this. After you have gone up her entire side, turn her over and brush the other side same way. Now turn her on her back and brush her tummy, careful attention to armpits where snarls form. I clip mine here to avoid problems later. Next make her stand, and go through her entire coat with the metal combs making sure you did not miss any spots, use medium comb first, then fine metal comb. Next make top knot: Part hair with plastic rat tail comb from eye corner back across ears and then across head to other side. I tie this up with a soft tiny band for everyday. Don't make it too tight or it will make the eyes "bug" out and bother the dog. Ba!

nd it about 1 inch from scalp and then take a few hairs in the middle and holding these, push the top knot down to the scalp. This makes the top knot poof in the front. Next comb face "furnishings" these are the mustache and the beard~use the plastic comb for this, never brush this area or you may injure the eyes. Lastly, take rat tail comb and part the hair down the middle of the back to the tail. You can also use a knitting needle for this. Finish the dog with a light spray again all over avoid eyes, and gently brush the coat down with the pin brush. Poofy feets can be fluffed up with he slicker brush. Sometimes I also use the slicker brush on the undercoat when I am brushing the layers but don't brush too hard or you will scratch your baby. A small reward ends the grooming session. Either a kiss and praise and a small tidbit for being good.

Shampoo your shih tzu once a week if you can. Clean dogs do not matt as fast. Brush her/ groom everyday!!!!!! If she is in long coat you may have to do this 2 times a day. Puppy coats start to "blow" around 6-8 months old, and they get their big doggie fur. Then you have to brush, brush, brush, or you will have a matted dog. The blowing of the puppy coat lasts about 6 weeks...then it gets better. Most people get their shih tzu clipped around this time 7-8 months old because of this.

Good shampoos for shih tzu: My favorite is Pet Silk moisturizing shampoo and conditioner...recently I tried this following shampoo and it was nice for a change. But I still like Pet Silk the best. You can buy it at http://Cherrybrook.com just type in Pet Silk in the search and it will come up.

~Shampoo Tip for Minimizing Mats~

from the Momma of Sugar Bear and Huny B Bear

Does your furbaby tend to get mats easily? This isa great shampoo.

I use it on Sugar Bear and also on Huny who each have different texture coats and it works

equally as well on both dogs. This is a people shampoo and it is a bit expensive, but you don't

have to buy a conditioner so it evens out. The shampoo is called Physique~Shampoo + Conditioner.

It comes in a silver cylinder bottle, you can buy it at stores like KMart or big discount stores.

Wash your shih tzu with this shampoo and do not apply conditioner as it is already in the shampoo.

Gently work in in and let the silky foam work into the hair. Rinse well. I use this shampoo/conditioner

all the time and it tends to build up in the hair. It is a good idea to use a vinegar/water rinse (1/2 cup white vinegar to a quart of water) every third bath and work this into the hair to clean out the build up on the hair shaft. Work this rinse through the hair, rinse well, then shampoo. You will notice that the blow dry is easier and the upkeep on the hair is much easier with less matting and snarls.

Compliments of Lynne The BOW Lady

SHOW BOWS AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FOR SALE By special order on her site

http://www.doggiebowties.com

Karen DeAngelo has been a shih-tzu breeder since 1986 and has won 2006 and 2007 for Best Shih-Tzu pictures on the www from http://DogLovers.com

The Leo Wanta Sage, Pt. 27: Wanta Confident $4.5 Trillion Will Be Released As Corrupt U.S.Authorities Backing Themselves Into A

According to Michael C. Cottrell, treasurer of the financial group waiting to distribute $4.5 trillion to the American people, Ambassador Leo Wanta assured him on Thursday the money eventually will be released, as corrupt U.S. authorities withholding it illegally are "backing themselves into a tighter and tighter corner."

Wanta and Cottrell, who together formed AmeriTrust Groupe, Inc. to oversee proper distribution of the massive amount of money, were hoping the money would be released by the end of the business day on Sept. 7, the same day the Chinese were also to be paid trillions by the U.S. government for prior investment gains.

However, the deadline passed without the Wanta $4.5 trillion being paid and still being illegally withheld in a Clearing House Interbank Payment System credit account (CHIPS), an account credited to Goldman Sachs and Co. at Citibank.

In what has become known in international financial circles as one of the most important and explosive stories in the history of modern banking, the Wanta settlement has been the subject of a Bush administration cover-up ever since Ambassador Wanta entered into an official written agreement in November 2005 to repatriate money for the betterment of the American economy.

Further, in May Wanta verbally agreed to the distribution of the $4.5 trillion with President Bush along with the assistance of one Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA) court judge and two U.S. Supreme Court Justices.

The settlement, also negotiated with the help of two major U.S. law firms, represents only a portion of the $27.5 trillion offshore fund established at the end of the Cold War, which is now under the legal control of Ambassador Wanta, as duly appointed trustor, a position given to him by former President Ronald Reagan.

"Well the news is, so far, we have not been paid and the reason they don't want to make a pay-out is they do not want it to show up on the books," said Cottrell in a Thursday evening telephone conversation. "We have heard, though, through one of the people working for the government that they have not said they won't pay us just that they can't pay us now."

Concerning an estimated $32 trillion payable to the Chinese on Sept. 7 and the Wanta $4.5 trillion, Cottrell added that Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr., went to China for an Asian/Pacific Economic Conference and, on directions of President Bush, cut a deal with Vietnam and Taiwan China to essentially "buy more time" in an effort to delay release of the Chinese and Wanta money.

"Last night they struck a deal to essentially buy more time which allows them to use Fanie Mae and Ginnie Mae as a cover," said Cottrell. "They are also using 1933-1934 U.S. dollars held in a repository of Taiwan Central Bank that were given to China from 1933-1945. Now each box of cash in the repository is worth $100 million and that is to be repatriated. In 2000, a bank law was passed allowing for a five percent repatriation fee and we believe they are using part of that as actually money being traded.

"Now the Fanie Mae and Ginnie Mae's are used as a front and they use the cash from the boxes from the repatriation. To cover all of that they have been given loans both to Vietnam and Taiwan and those loans allow them to do trading through Deutsche Bank similar how they are trying to use our Chip worth $4.5 trillion in Citibank to turn over tremendous profits like I explained earlier.

"Now they are using this cash and the cover of loans for Taiwan and Vietnam. They still have not paid us, but we learned there are going to be funds paid out tomorrow apparently via CHIP, however, we rather doubt at this point if we are going to be paid.

Cottrell added that in lieu of nonpayment, Ambassador Wanta "has already lowered the hammer," notifying the major banks in Europe, save Deutsche Bank, who have all agreed to put "stop orders" on any transactions with the U.S. government of $100 million or more.

"Most of the major banks in Europe other than Deutsche Bank have already agreed to the stop orders based on the failure to pay Ambassador Wanta," said Cottrell, including Credit Swiss and UBS. "We have asked the Chinese but I have not heard confirmation that they will go ahead and pull the $32 trillion owed in CHIPS. However, given that President Bush and Paulson cut a deal with Viet Nam and Taiwan whether the Chinese pull the CHIPS is irrelevant because they now have a cash flow through the system that allows them to stash more money away.

"What is most aggravating to me is that the President of the United States and the Secretary of the Treasury have made a deal with a communist country to circumvent an American company from paying taxes. That is what makes me angry because these guys go over and strike a deal to circumvent the American people. They essentially would rather cut a deal in Hanoi then allow us to pay the $1.6 trillion in taxes and use the rest of the money for the betterment of the American economy."

Besides alerting European banks about nonpayment, Cottrell said he didn't want to "tip his hand" on future plans to secure release of the $4.5 trillion, saying he fears the U.S. government would use this information to circumvent their plans.

Although Wanta and Cottrell have been trying to get paid since June, he still felt optimistic the money will be released.

"I was just talking to Leo tonight and he said we will get paid and that there is no question or doubt about that," added Cottrell. "But what they are doing is boxing themselves into a tighter and tighter corner because this is truly a fraud against the United States of America. The more they try to circumvent the more violations of federal law keep adding up."

In related matters, one week ago Cottrell learned James R. Wilkinson, deputy national security advisor for communications, signed off on the release of the $4.5 trillion being held in the Clearing House Interbank Payment System credit account (CHIPS), an account credited to Goldman Sachs and Co. at Citibank.

Wilkinson and Paulson are the only two officials with signature approval over the $4.5 trillion Wanta money, but both have failed to comment publicly.

Wilkinson assumed his post in 2003 after serving as Director of Strategic Communications for General Tommy R. Franks. In his present position, he reports directly to the National Security Advisor and the White House with the specific task of crafting long-term messaging for the National Security Council.

However, according to Cottrell, after Wilkinson officially "signed-off" on the $4.5 trillion, disturbing twists and turns began to take place as the funds never were properly directed into Ambassador Wanta's account.

"We tried calling Paulson a week ago, but his secretary told us, point blank, never expect a call back from him - ever," said Cottrell Wednesday in an extended telephone conversation about the reluctance of the highest officials in the land to release trillions that would benefit the American economy.

Instead, after repeated inquiries, Cottrell learned the Bush administration had deviously devised an illegal plan to defraud Ambassador Wanta and, in turn, the American people by diverting the CHIPS account first to the Deutsche Bank/Berlin and then to two other banks.

Cottrell added this method of "signing-off and then transferring credit accounts" is used by less than scrupulous individuals as a financial smokescreen, giving the appearance the money is being released when, in fact, it is being illegally diverted for other purposes.

"They have been lying to everyone and it is clear they never want to release the $1.6 trillion into the U.S. Treasury. They are simply trying to steal the money and it appears they really want to bring down the economy and the country," said Cottrell, referring to the $1.6 trillion to be paid by Ambassador Wanta in federal taxes generated by the massive $4.5 trillion settlement.

Regarding the trillions of offshore money generated by Wanta at the end of the Cold War, it was always the intention of President Reagan and Ambassador Wanta to use the money for the benefit of the American people. But after Reagan left the political spotlight, Wanta was indiscriminately and illegally jailed by operatives working for the last three presidential administrations, who have instead pilfered trillions for their own agenda and personal gain.

After Wanta's release from a Wisconsin jail in 2005, he was instructed in a 2003 memorandum opinion by Federal Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, to try and return the $27.5 trillion to U.S. coffers according to President Reagan's instructions.

The $4.5 trillion settlement is a culmination of his efforts after finding a dark and ominous financial trail of theft, bribery and deception, discovering in his quest to retrace the whereabouts of the offshore money that much of it had been stolen or diverted for private use by the last three presidential administrations.

Wanta also discovered to his dismay that a CIA disinformation campaign had been waged, spreading false rumors of his death, making it easier for those criminals inside the government to abscond with trillions.

To date he has provided the Arctic Beacon with documentation of more than $745 billion in stolen funds, including accounts leading to Bush. Sr., Neil Bush and former President Clinton.

Wanta added that at the time he entered into the settlement in May he had further identified upwards of $2 trillion in stolen funds from accounts under his control, keeping the documentation as financial leverage in case the $4.5 trillion settlement falls through.

And since President Bush was notified in writing of the settlement in July, observers claim his "false American colors" have come shining through as he placed an immediate illegal hold on the money in an effort to protect the "financial dike from exploding" and the criminals in government being exposed instead of doing the right thing and injecting an immediate trillion dollar boost into the American economy.

After learning of the Wanta settlement and the fact the Ambassador was still alive, the Chinese set the Sept 7 due date for the return of their investment money, long since frozen by U.S. authorities in what has become known as the "China Foundation Money."

"The link between Ambassador Wanta and the $32 trillion owed the Chinese goes back to the days of World War II-Cold War and connections with his Chinese business partner, Howe Kwong Kok," said Cottrell. "Out of loyalty and respect, the Chinese have thrown their support behind Ambassador Wanta and have applied added pressure so that U.S authorities release the money.

Greg Szymanski

Saving Money on Diamonds and Jewelry Matching (Tips from the pros)

Tips from the Pros (how to become a smarter diamonds shopper)

A few simple facts will help you save money and become a smart diamond shopper!

1. Diamond grades have points at which the cost of the diamond can rise or decrease precipitously, thus you should try to find a diamond that is a lower weight group but with similar measurements to the higher group.

For example a 1.00 ct with 6.1 mm would cost more than 10% from a 0.96 ct with 6.1 mm this difference in weight won't be noticed to the naked eye. There are a few simple facts that will help you to save money when you are Looking for your diamond.

2. Fluorescence makes a difference in the appearance in only 2% of the stones but it receives a 2-5% discount in the market.

So by buying a medium fluorescence diamond you will lower the price of your purchase with a low probability to notice a genuine difference. (Very strong and strong fluorescence has a higher probability to affect the appearance of the diamond).

3. We all want a perfect diamond to our loved ones or ourselves but we cant always afford a flawless diamond, the clarity of the stone is not visible to the naked eye between IF-VS2 and even SI are not supposed to make a difference once the stone is set in a jewelry so if you have a budget that you must keep SI1 is more than enough.

4. Very important - all of the above is based on the assumption that the stone is graded according to the GIA grading.

Now how would you match the diamonds you buy with your own jewelry

Matching a diamond to your jewelry

To perfectly match your diamonds with your jewelry you must keep reading.

1. Colors-after you know your budget and preferable design you need to match the color of the diamond to the jewelry. Color in diamonds?! First of all there are natural colored diamonds and second of all the material from which the jewelry is made will help you better choose the color of your diamond.

As a thumb rule white gold setting helps the diamond to appear as a higher color than rose gold. So if buying a D color diamond doesn't suit your planned budget choose a lower color with white gold.

2. Measurements-find out what is the range of the needed measurements for your chosen jewelry before purchasing the diamond. 1.00 ct round diamond can be 6.6 mm and it can also be 5.9 mm so you need to research a bit before matching a diamond. (You can and should do it the other way around buy the diamond according to your budget and than bring it to a local jeweler for setting or buy both from the same online vendor to ensure a perfect fit).

3. Multi diamond jewelry-if you decide to purchase a multi diamond jewelry dont forget that the human eye determines colors through comparison so it will have a less wanted affect if your side stones will be D color and the center stone J color the other way around should create a better affect.

If you are looking for diamonds Gemisimo loose diamond search site which has some good diamond tips and an advanced diamond search engine, which will help you compare prices from over a dozen online gemstone vendors. This will help you get the best price for the diamond of your choice.