Training Tips for a Shih Tzu Puppy
A Shih Tzu can be an amazing pet. As a breed, they are loving and loyal, small but sturdy. As with any other puppy, however, time and patience are needed from the pet owner to make sure the dog is properly trained. A pet, especially a puppy, needs guidance to learn boundaries and what they are allowed to do. While training a Shih Tzu puppy might take a while, the end result will be a well-behaved and loyal friend who will give you nothing but love and affection.
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Housebreaking
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Start training your puppy with housebreaking. Shih Tzu puppies are similar to other small pets for the most part; though, there are a few differences. Breeders suggest not letting the puppy have free reign in your house until after the first year, since it is not until then that the Shih Tzu gains full control over his bladder and bowels. The puppy needs his own bathroom area of a good size made with newspapers, puppy training pads or similar floor coverings. Slowly reduce the area as the puppy becomes more confident in where it is okay to go to the bathroom.
Vets and breeders alike don't recommend cross-training (training for both newspaper and outdoor elimination) until a puppy is at least six months old, as it can cause confusion. Because of the Shih Tzu's relatively small bladder, it's a good idea to start out on the puppy pad every 45 minutes and after every meal until they are six months old and then start to teach him to use the bathroom outside by gradually moving the puppy pad closer to the door until you can finally place it outside.
Obedience Training
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Train your Shih Tzu puppy to be obedient starting from a relatively young age, though wait until the puppy is housebroken to ensure that your new training doesn't interfere with the important housebreaking training. Obedience for puppies shouldn't necessarily be to correct unsavory behaviors, such as getting up on the couch; it should always be meant first and foremost to teach your pet how to follow orders meant for safety. The puppy needs to learn to come to your call or to stay in one place if you tell him to.
Training in this area should start with a trusting relationship between puppy and owner. If a close bond hasn't been formed, the Shih Tzu puppy won't see any reason to obey you. Dogs are ancestrally pack animals, and it's critical for a dog owner to quickly establish themselves as pack leader so the puppy will recognize you as master and learn your commands. Begin with simple commands such as "sit" and "stay" or "heel," giving treats when the puppy successfully follows the command. As the Shih Tzu puppy gradually becomes better at following commands, give treats less frequently (so they won't expect a treat every time), but continue to give occasional treats to help reinforce the original reason for them following the command to begin with.
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Crate Training
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Train your Shih Tzu puppy to stay in a crate or other carrier so that you will be able to keep them in an enclosed container safely when you have to be away from home. If the Shih Tzu was purchased from a breeder, the breeder will have already laid the foundation to train your puppy to stay in a crate; you will simply need to reinforce that training with praise and love to complete that task. If your puppy didn't come from a breeder, the crate training process still isn't difficult.
Use the crate as a safe place for your puppy to be while you are away, not as a punishment. Don't use too much bedding in the crate, as the puppy will quickly learn to cover up his accidents, and this may cause health concerns. Place the puppy in the crate and close the door, but don't lock it; if your puppy throws a fit while in the crate, do your best to ignore him. Start with a relatively small period of time, leaving the puppy in just long enough for him to calm down. When the puppy is calm, open the door and let him out then give him praise and a treat for being such a good dog. Increase the amount of time the puppy remains in the crate with each training session, making sure you don't let him out while he's acting up. The puppy will realize relatively quickly that you will let him out eventually and will learn to relax in the crate and wait until that time (when he knows that he'll get praise and possibly a treat).
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