Woman Buys $250 'Shih Tzu' Puppy, Not Prepared for What Dog Turns Into

A woman who answered an advert for "Shih Tzu" puppies has revealed how she ended up with an altogether different breed of dog.

Aastha Gupta, from New Jersey, took to TikTok to reveal how she ended up shelling out $250 on her dog Happy. "We stumbled upon his 'Shih Tzu' listing on Craigslist, saw adorable puppies in our area and we had to have him!" Gupta told Newsweek.

Shih Tzus are a common choice among America's dog-loving community, with the American Kennel Club ranking them among the top 20 most popular breeds in the country.

The puppy they thought they were buying.
A Shih Tzu puppy with a twist. As soon as one couple saw his mom they knew something was different. justahappyboy

However, Gupta quickly discovered there was something a little different about the pup they were looking to purchase. "Upon arrival at the breeders and after seeing him in person, we realized he wasn't a Shih Tzu," she said.

The clincher came when they met the mother who was, in fact, a red nose pit bull. It turned out these were not Shih Tzu puppies at all, but rather bull shih tzus.

Happy the Bull Shih Tzu right now.
Happy the Bull Shih Tzu now. He's blossomed into a unique and utterly lovable dog. justahappyboy

Despite their surprise at this turn of events, there was something about the puppies' unique appearance and specifically that of the dog they ended up taking home, who has a prominent underbite, that convinced them he was the pet pooch for them.

"We thought he was so adorable and unique which only made us want him more," she said. There hasn't been a day where Gupta has regretted their decision with the dog proving to be a unique canine companion in more ways than one.

"Some of his favorite things to do are hide in small spaces—he's basically a cat—eat cheese, car rides, and dismember his toys," she said.

He's a more complex character than some may initially realize though. "He's actually a really introverted dog," Gupta said. "He often dodges people who try to give him affection and keeps to himself a lot of the time. Nonetheless, he is a sweet boy who shows love in his own way and on his own terms."

Gupta fully acknowledges that Happy is a distinctive-looking dog whose appearance often divides people. "He gets a lot of comments on his underbite, some find it really cute and others think it's quite scary," she said. "His coat and coloring are also very unique, we are assuming since his mother was a red nose pit bull. He has weird hyena-like striping and one floppy ear."

Despite these perceived flaws and the circumstances that led to his arrival, she wouldn't change a single thing about Happy. The internet wouldn't change anything either, judging from the responses Gupta's video, posted under the handle justahappyboy, which explained the circumstances that led to her arrival.

"That's the cutest dog I've ever seen," one viewer wrote. "Cuter than most shih tzu I've seen," a second added with a third writing: "That face is worth every penny! He's kinda priceless."

"We are astonished at how perfectly imperfect he is," Gupta said.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more

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