The Shih Tzu is not like many other breeds of dog in that it has a very independent attitude and likes to think for itself. Many dogs can learn an activity like housebreaking through constant repetition and with the mindful training of their owner.
However a Shih Tzu needs to not only accept the activity as something it does not mind doing but it also must make it a habit and that is the most difficult thing about housebreaking a Shih Tzu. Only a Shih Tzu can teach itself habits, you just have to show it what you want and hope it understands.
Punishment never works with a Shih Tzu so don’t try, it will only undo any training you have done. You need to always be engaging in rewards and praise for good activity and ignoring bad activity.
Housebreaking a Shih Tzu is a long process that can take months and the one thing you do not want to do is keep introducing new things into the process. This will confuse your dog and set back your training by months.
Even under the most ideal conditions, with the best-behaved Shih Tzu ever, housebreaking can still take upwards of six months so patience is a virtue. Shih Tzu paper training could make housebreaking even more difficult so be certain that you have given all standard housebreaking methods a chance before resorting to the paper.
Since setting up a confined living area for your Shih Tzu is a standard first step in the housebreaking process it is assumed that the Shih Tzu is probably soiling in areas just outside the living area. If this is the case you can try expanding their living area to include the soiled area and move their bedding close to, but not on, the soiled spot. Shih Tzu dogs do not soil where they sleep so perhaps after moving it’s bedding near a soiled spot it may start to think that outside is a better option.
Shih Tzu paper training should almost not be necessary if you are engaged in the other correct ways to housebreak your Shih Tzu but if paper training is a route you want to take then move their living area to encircle the area they are soiling the most. Cover the soiled area with layers of papers and praise the dog when it uses the papers. Keep the papers clean but keep a small amount of soiled paper with the fresh paper so the dog knows it is okay to use them. Then slowly start moving the whole thing towards the door until the dog associates outside with bathroom activities.
It is not easy to housebreak a Shih Tzu and paper training could be one of the worst things you can do when you are involved in housebreaking training.
Breaking that routine by moving the living space and adding newspapers will probably set your housebreaking back to square one so be patient and stick with the standard methods before you try the papers.
