The short answer
You can adopt a Shih Poo in Perth, though as a designer cross it appears in rescue rather than on demand. Set alerts across Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, the foster-based SAFE Perth and SAFE, and PetRescue, be application-ready, and stay open to a Shih Tzu cross, a Poodle cross or a similar small companion. Adoption runs about $600 all-inclusive against several thousand dollars from a breeder, and the cross is not restricted in WA. The two honest commitments are grooming, because the low-shedding coat mats and needs regular clipping, and heat, because a flatter-faced Shih Poo needs real care in a Perth summer. Meet those and you have a devoted little companion.
Why Shih Poos end up in Perth rescue
Understanding why a friendly little companion lands in rescue tells you exactly what to plan for before you adopt one.
The grooming is underestimated. A Shih Poo is sold as a low-shedding, low-maintenance dog, and only the first half is true. The soft wavy coat mats close to the skin without regular brushing, and it needs a professional clip every several weeks or a committed home routine. Owners who did not budget the time or the cost end up with a matted, uncomfortable dog, and some surrender rather than keep up.
They do not cope with being left alone. This is a companion cross that bonds hard and wants to be with its people. A home that is out all day can end up with a dog that barks, toilets indoors or chews from separation distress, which gets read as a behaviour problem rather than a mismatch of lifestyle to breed.
The designer-dog boom and life changes. Small crosses are bred fast for the companion market and change hands quickly, and some end up unwanted. Add ordinary life changes, a move, a new baby, a change in work hours, and a steady few reach rescue through no fault of their own. The temperament is usually intact: most just needed a home that was around and ready to groom.
Where to adopt a Shih Poo in Perth
Because a Shih Poo is a cross rather than a registered breed, a wide alert net is the right approach. Set listing alerts on every rescue you would consider and stay open to similar small companions. For a fuller directory, see our Perth adoption resources hub.
1. Dogs' Refuge Home WA
A dogs-only, not-for-profit shelter at Shenton Park in inner Perth, running since 1935. It takes a broad mix of dogs including small companions and crosses, and every adoption includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping and a vet check. Browse the current dogs at dogshome.org.au.
2. RSPCA Western Australia
The state welfare body, with its Animal Care Centre at 108 Malaga Drive in Malaga, northern Perth. Adoptions run by appointment and every animal is health- and behaviour-checked before listing, so you get an honest read on the dog before you commit. Apply at rspcawa.org.au.
3. SAFE Perth and SAFE
Both run a foster-care model rather than a central metro shelter, so a small companion dog lives in a home while it waits. Because the dog lives with a foster carer, the notes on its coat, grooming needs and how it copes with being left alone tend to be detailed and honest, which is exactly what you need for this cross. SAFE Perth lists at safeperth.com.au and SAFE at safe.org.au. Confirm which organisation holds a given dog rather than assuming they are the same office.
4. PetRescue
A national aggregator that lists small companion dogs and crosses from many smaller WA rescue groups in one searchable place, at petrescue.com.au. It is the fastest way to scan many WA rescues at once.
Be wary of any group that asks for money before you have confirmed a real address, a current adoptable-dog list and registered status. Browse the current Shih Poos and small companion crosses on the Perth Shih Poo listings.
What a Shih Poo costs: adopt versus buy
Adoption is far cheaper at the outset. A rescue fee for a small companion dog through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, and that fee already covers desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Shih Poo from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars, with none of that vet work done yet.
Council registration is a separate legal step and is set by your local council rather than a single Perth figure. Under the Dog Act 1976, a dog must be microchipped by 3 months and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a substantially reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog and a further discount for pensioners or concession card holders in many councils. Check the WA Government dog ownership hub and your own council for the current amount.
The cost that defines this cross is grooming. Whether you pay a professional every several weeks or learn to clip and brush at home, build it into the budget from day one, because a neglected Shih Poo coat is a welfare problem rather than a cosmetic one. Adopting is many times cheaper up front, the dog arrives already vetted, and an assessed adult lets you see the real coat and temperament rather than gamble on a puppy.
Shih Poos and Western Australian dog law
The Shih Poo is not a restricted breed in Western Australia. Under the Dog Act 1976, only five breeds are restricted: the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. A Shih Poo is legal to own and to rehome normally. It simply needs to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months, with a substantially reduced fee for a desexed and microchipped dog. The dangerous-dog framework under the Act applies to any breed by behaviour rather than by type, which is a reason to socialise and contain any dog well, not a breed-specific concern for a small companion like this.
Browse adoptable Shih Poos in Perth
Shih Poos appear in rescue as crosses rather than to order, so set an alert and stay open to similar small companions. Browse live WA listings now.
See Available Shih Poos →If you have been searching “Shih Poo for sale Perth”
Plenty of people arrive here after searching for a Shih Poo to buy, because the for-sale listings outnumber the rescue ones. Before you spend anything, know that the online market for small designer crosses is one of the more scam-prone corners of the pet world in Australia. A cheap puppy, a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person, or a seller who will not show you the parents is a warning sign rather than a bargain, and Scamwatch has documented deposit scams for puppies that do not exist.
WA does not run a Pet Exchange Register or a breeder source-number scheme, so there is no source number to look up here. The practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay anything, and treat a seller who cannot produce it as a red flag. Adoption sidesteps most of that risk, costs a fraction of a breeder price, and gives a vet-checked dog a home. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase has good general guidance on choosing a dog and avoiding poorly bred puppies.
Adult or puppy, and how to choose
For almost every adopter an assessed adult is the more sensible choice, and Shih Poo puppies are uncommon in rescue anyway. An adult shows you its real size, coat type and temperament rather than a guess, often has some house-training and manners in place, and carries a lower adoption fee. Because the cross varies so much, seeing the actual dog matters: how flat its face is, how much coat it carries, and how it copes with being left alone.
When you choose, read the foster carer's notes closely. They will tell you how a specific dog does with children, other pets and time alone, and that record predicts the fit far better than the breed average. For the broader picture, see our guide to the best dog rescues in Perth and the Perth dog registration guide for the WA microchip and council steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I adopt a Shih Poo near me in Perth?
Start with the main Perth shelters and rescues: Dogs' Refuge Home WA at Shenton Park, RSPCA WA at Malaga, and the foster-based rescues SAFE Perth and SAFE. A Shih Poo is a Shih Tzu crossed with a Poodle, so it is a designer cross rather than a registered breed, and purebred-style consistency varies. Small fluffy crosses do come through rescue, but not on demand, so set listing alerts across every rescue you would consider and stay open to a Shih Tzu cross, a Poodle cross or a similar small companion. PetRescue lists small dogs from many smaller WA rescues in one place. Never send money before you have confirmed a real, registered rescue.
Why do Shih Poos end up in rescue?
Rarely because anything is wrong with the dog. The most common thread is the grooming: a Shih Poo has a low-shedding wavy coat that is sold as low-maintenance and is anything but, because it mats quickly and needs regular brushing plus a professional clip every several weeks. Owners who did not budget the time or the cost often surrender a matted, uncomfortable dog. The second thread is companionship. Shih Poos bond hard and hate being left alone, so a home that is out all day can end up with a dog that barks, toilets indoors or chews from separation distress. Add the designer-dog boom, which has small crosses changing hands fast and some ending up unwanted, plus ordinary life changes like a move or a new baby, and a steady few reach rescue. In the right home they are affectionate, cheerful little companions.
How much does it cost to adopt a Shih Poo versus buy one?
Adoption is far cheaper up front. A rescue fee for a small companion dog through a Perth rescue commonly runs about $600, and that fee already includes desexing, vaccination, microchipping, worm and flea treatment and a vet check. A Shih Poo from a breeder in WA, by contrast, often runs to several thousand dollars, with none of that vet work done yet. So adopting is many times cheaper at the outset and the dog arrives already vetted. The ongoing cost worth planning for with this cross is grooming: a professional clip every several weeks, or a serious home routine, for the life of the dog.
Are Shih Poos restricted in Western Australia?
No. The Shih Poo is not a restricted breed in WA. The five restricted breeds under the Dog Act 1976 are the American Pit Bull Terrier, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario. A Shih Poo is legal to own and to rehome normally, and like any WA dog it needs to be microchipped by 3 months of age and before it changes hands, and registered with your local council from 3 months. A desexed and microchipped dog pays a substantially reduced council registration fee.
Do Shih Poos cope with the Perth heat?
With care. A Shih Poo can inherit the Shih Tzu side's shortened, flatter muzzle, and a flatter-faced dog struggles to cool itself and is at real risk in a Perth summer, so this is a cool-of-the-day, air-conditioned-afternoons dog, never one left in a hot car or yard. Even a Shih Poo with a more open Poodle-type muzzle feels the heat under a thick coat, so keep it well groomed, give it shade and water, and walk early morning or evening. Ask the rescue or foster carer how flat the individual dog's face is, because it varies a lot across the cross and it changes how carefully you manage the heat.
Are Shih Poos good family dogs?
Generally yes, with sensible supervision. A Shih Poo is affectionate, people-focused and usually good with gentle children and other pets, and its small size suits many Perth households including units, provided the strata allows dogs. The main cautions are its fragility around very young, boisterous children, and its dislike of being left alone, which suits a household where someone is home for much of the day. As always, a foster carer who has lived with the specific dog can tell you how it is with kids and other animals far better than the breed average, so ask.
Should I adopt an adult Shih Poo or a puppy?
For most adopters an adult is the better choice, and Shih Poo puppies are uncommon in rescue anyway. An adult shows you its real size, coat and temperament rather than a guess, often has some house-training and manners in place, and carries a lower adoption fee. A vet-checked, foster-assessed adult that a rescue can describe honestly, matched to a home that is around during the day, is the low-guesswork way into the cross.
I keep seeing Shih Poo puppies for sale. Is adopting really an option?
It is, and it is worth trying first. The for-sale listings are easy to find because small designer crosses are bred for the companion market, but that same demand makes them a target for backyard breeding and online scams. A cheap puppy, a deposit request for a dog you have not met in person, or a seller who will not show you the parents is a warning sign rather than a bargain. WA does not run a Pet Exchange Register or a breeder source-number scheme, so the practical safeguard is the microchip: a dog sold or given away legally in WA must be microchipped and registered, so ask to see the microchip paperwork before you pay. Adoption costs a fraction of a breeder price, gives a vet-checked dog a home, and an assessed adult tells you what you are getting.
Keep reading
Adoptable Shih Poos in Perth
Live listings of Shih Poos and small companion crosses across Perth and WA rescues.
Best Dog Rescues in Perth
The verified WA shelters and foster rescues to set alerts with.
Registering a Dog in Perth
Microchipping, council registration and the WA rules for a new dog.
All Dogs for Adoption in Perth
Every adoptable dog we track across Perth and WA shelters and rescues, updated regularly.