Bringing home your new Shih Tzu pup is a very happy moment for you, your family, and your puppy. Everyone is happy and then comes the time to try and train the little dog. A Shih Tzu pup is very arrogant and stubborn and they do not respond to punishment so you are going to not only have to exercise the utmost in patience while training your pup but you are also going to have to find new and creative ways to use positive reinforcement to have it do the things you want it to do and not punish it for things you do not want it to do.
You want your new Shih Tzu pup to feel comfortable in your home. You will be using a crate or a pen to housebreak it but for the first few minutes just let it wander the house so it knows there is a whole big house to conquer. Watch for signs of needing to use the bathroom like sniffing and circling and get the dog outside if that happens. If they do their business outside then praise and reward them profusely and hope you are setting a good precedent.
The very first concern of any new Shih Tzu pup owner is housebreaking. This takes months, even in the best conditions, so be prepared and be patient. Find a spot in a room in the house and get the dog a large crate or make a large pen area. Put the dog’s food and bedding in there and play with it while it is in the living area so it feels comfortable there. Then confine it only when you are home.
Every 45 minutes you need to take the dog outside to the designated toilet area and see if it does what it needs to do. If it does its thing in the designated toilet area then praise it profusely. You cannot leave a Shih Tzu caged up for too long or it will start to get confused and anxious and soil its own living area. If that happens you are back to square one so make sure you keep a close eye on your dog while it is in the confinement area.
It is extremely important to maintain a clean and tangle free coat on your Shih Tzu pup. A tangled coat on a Shih Tzu pup means that you can probably expect health issues with the dog so keep that coat clean and neat by brushing at least once a day. Ask your breeder about how to properly bathe a Shih Tzu, as it is something that requires a delicate touch if you do not want the dog to become unreasonable.
The Shih Tzu loves to be the center of everyone’s world and you will need to show your Shih Tzu a great deal of attention and shower them with constant love and affection. They love to play so make sure you have lots of toys around and that you take time each day to play with your pet and make them happy. If you take the time to make your puppy happy then they will return that to you many times over.
Rebecca Simpson, a native of Hong Kong, wrote a graduate thesis on the influence of dogs on recent Chinese royal culture. The Shih Tzu is as well known for its delightful personality as it is for its long, flowing coat. Shih Tzu information can be found online, at public libraries, and from breeders.
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