You went to the adoption home and found your little Shih Tzu. This is an exciting time, but I am sure you are also a little bit worried. Did you make the right choice? How will the dog behave? What medical problems does he have?

Hopefully you have talked to the personnel at the rescue home and they told you a bit about the dog’s background. Good. You have a good idea what problems you may be facing. 

Your first task is to know the medical condition of your dog and a visit to your vet for a complete checkup is a good start. But before you go, try and get as much medical records from the rescue home as possible. It will assist your vet and may also save you money, as your vet is less likely to do unnecessary tests with proper records available. Unfortunately medical records are not always available for rescue dogs, but it is worth a try. Your vet will inform you about any problems your new Shih Tzu may have, but maybe you are lucky and your Shih Tzu receives a clean bill of health.

Once you know his medical condition your next task is to work on your dog’s behavior. If he has bad habits you need to provide him with sufficient training to change these habits. Just remember that it is a new environment for the dog and he needs time to get used to his new surroundings. His previous family may have dropped him off at the adoption home only a few days before you adopted him and he may still be in mourning. The best you can do for the first few days is to make your dog feel as welcome as possible. A dog that feels wanted will adapt quicker to his new home than one that feels unwanted.

Also realize that your own feelings may affect your mind-set towards your new dog. If you have lost your favorite dog recently, you may be looking for a clone of your old dog, but keep in mind that the new dog has his own personality and that he will never be your old dog. It will take time for you to love your new Shih Tzu the same as your old dog.

Another thing to realize is that your dog’s behavior is very much influenced by who owned him before you. His previous owners may have neglected to house train him, so it is not his fault if he uses the wrong area as a toilet.

Also keep in mind that accidents do happen when dogs are very excited.  Or you may find that your new Shih Tzu is over protective of his food bowl. His previous owners may have fed him together with bigger dogs. Your job is to teach the dog that he does not have to fear you or any other dogs when he eats. If you have other dogs feed him in a closed room, where he can eat in peace and quiet.

Maybe the dog ended up in the rescue home because his previous owner saw the dog as the problem and never took the time to train him properly. You can do the same and give up on the dog at the first sign of trouble or you can take the time, give the dog some training and turn him into the dog you want him to be.

Chris Boshoff is a Shih Tzu lover, researcher and enthusiast. To learn more about Shih Tzu adoption issues and to sign up for a ten day mini course visit his wesbite http://www.shihtzuparadise.com

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