Need some help learning how to train a Shih Tzu puppy? Let’s see if you find what you need in this article. It has some tips that might come handy.
A Shih Tzu is one of those lap dogs that seem to emanate a kind of majestic glow. They sit with vanity oozing from them and expect to be treated like nothing less than royalty. Welcoming a Shih Tzu puppy into your home can be a delightful experience, but you’ve got to know how to train a Shih Tzu puppy if you want to enjoy this little dog’s company. They can be quite a handful to train, but it’s not impossible. This DogAppy article will give you some tips on how you can train a puppy at a young age itself.
Be Patient
One thing that Shih Tzu dogs are famous for, and not in a good way, is the terror they are to train. Of course they are exceptionally cute and adorable to look at, but there’s got to be a catch, right? Training the dog is hard enough, so you need to make sure that if you get a puppy, you need to begin his training process as early as a few hours into his entering your home. You will see that these little puppies have a very (very) short attention span. So, you need to be patient and keep repeating yourself when you want to train a Shih Tzu puppy. They’re a little slow on the understanding meter, but will definitely get the hang of what you’re trying to make them do, if you’re patient and hold regular and repetitive training sessions of the same thing.
Be Persistent
When you see that your Shih Tzu is not able to match up to your great expectations of getting trained within a few hours (seriously, why would you think that in the first place??), you may lose hope, get frustrated and give up on the little one. That’s probably not the wisest thing to do, especially when it comes to training a Shih Tzu puppy. With this breed, because of its limited attention span, you need to be extra patient and extra persistent about getting him to do what you want. This goes for simple sit, stand, roll over tricks and also for housebreaking a Shih Tzu. As an owner of a Shih Tzu puppy, you need to be very adamant on getting him house trained as early as possible.
You can do this by familiarizing him with the process doing the following things.
- When he does his business at home, you can first give him a firm verbal warning.
- Next step, you can repeatedly take him out to the place where he’s supposed to go whenever he defecates indoors and tell him clearly that this place is meant for pooping. Use whatever word you wish repeatedly to make him aware of the purpose of the place.
- Continue this for about 3 weeks and then reprimand him if he still goes within the home.
- Once he understands that he’s supposed to go out and thus can avoid the shouting, he’ll automatically do it.
- Once again, remember to be patient as this process could take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
- Do not yell or beat the puppy even if he makes a mistake once in a while. and don’t forget to applaud him when he does it where he’s supposed to.
You need to be firm and keep telling him to do the same thing over and over again. When he seems to lose concentration, stop for the moment, and resume the training within a short time. Constant and regular training is the only way to handle the manners and behavior of a Shih Tzu.
Encourage
Shih Tzu dogs are by nature, a very proud and regal breed of dogs. They love all the attention that they can get and thrive on constant love and affection. Showing them this love when you train them is one of the most important parts of their training routine. You need to show your puppy that you are happy with all the progress that he is making. When he does not behave, don’t reprimand him, simply ignore his behavior. When he does what he is told, be appreciative and pet him and speak words of encouragement. Be positive and help him as much as you can by being physically and emotionally supportive towards his efforts to being trained, even if they may seem very meager.
Use Treats
Yes, this is the age-old way to get your dog to perform tricks, and unsurprisingly, it works well even for Shih Tzu puppies. So, if you want to teach your Shih Tzu puppy to roll over, you can make him lie on his side and gently rub his paws and legs to let him gain your trust (they’re not very fond of their paws being touched). Then, take a treat in your hand and hold it over his head. When he sees it, begin slowly moving your hand towards the other side, while gently pushing him with your other hand. This way, he’ll follow the treat with his head, and the rest of his body will follow. When he rolls over, congratulate him and give him the treat. Now repeat this procedure until he understands that he needs to roll over to get the treat, and slowly he’ll do it all by himself! You can use this even for other commands. First gently guide him with your free hand, and be loud and clear with your command.
Together with training him, you need to give your dog proper and healthy care to ensure that he is healthy and is comfortable in his surroundings. Once he has nothing to worry about, he will be willing and open to learning when you train him!
