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How To Raise Your Shih Tzu Pup
December 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Now that you have brought your Shih Tzu pup home it is time to start getting your pup to understand the rules of the house and how you want your new dog to behave. Whoa! Slow down there. The Shih Tzu is descended from dogs preferred by Chinese royalty and they maintain that regal air to this day. They carry themselves very well, they have a strong air of confidence, and they are very stubborn and arrogant dogs. This is not going to be easy.
The first thing you want to do when you get your pup home is let it explore its new surroundings a little. You will be confining it to its pen or crate very soon but just let it wander a little and if it starts sniffing in areas, or circling an area, get it outside immediately and then praise the dog when it does its business outside.
Remember that a Shih Tzu does not respond to punishment at all and any punishment can set back the training you’ve done, pretty much to square one. They respond to praise and positive reinforcement. So if you want them to do something praise and reward them when they do it.
Housebreaking a Shih Tzu pup is very important and takes months to accomplish even if you do it right. So be patient and remember to not to punish the dog. You will need to designate one part of one room in the house as the dog’s spot and put a large crate there or create a pen. Put the dog’s bedding and food there and play with it so it knows that this is a place for it to feel comfortable. Then, only when you are home, confine the dog.
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.
Your Shih Tzu wants to always be the center of attention so make sure you constantly show it plenty of love and attention and play with your dog a lot. Shih Tzu dogs will require a great deal of your time so be prepared to give up large chunks of your day to paying attention to your dog. But they are also one of the most loyal breeds there is and they return your love right back at you.
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