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.
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.
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.
Keep the dog in the crate or pen while you are home and every 45 minutes you need to take it outside and see if it does its thing. If he does go to the bathroom in the designated bathroom area then praise it a lot. The Shih Tzu will not mess its own living area unless you leave it locked up too long and that is why you need to take it out frequently. Then start moving to different parts of the house and repeat the process until the dog gets it. Then you can let it wander.
Grooming and a clean coat are very important to a Shih Tzu pup so be sure to comb or brush the dog’s beautiful coat at least once a day. The dog will probably enjoy this and it will keep the coat from getting tangled. A tangled coat can mean an unhealthy Shih Tzu so make sure you are brushing that coat daily.
A monthly bath may not be a bad idea but test your dog’s reaction first. If it seems like the bath will cause problems then contact your breeder for advice.
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.
