You love your new little Shih Tzu but you can probably expect some problems, if you haven’t already begun to experience them. Shih Tzu problems usually stem from the dog’s hereditary disposition and personality as much as anything else. Environment usually does not have much of an effect on a Shih Tzu unless that environment is very negative. So the better you understand your dog the better equipped you will be to deal with any potential problems that may spring up during training.
Shih Tzu breeds are very proper little dogs and they absolutely hate a lot of yelling, screaming, loud noises, and clatter of any kind. A person running all around also causes tension for your Shih Tzu and they respond to all of this by biting.
This is one of the main reasons why Shih Tzu dogs are said to not be great dogs for kids. Of course not every dog is the same but for the most part the Shih Tzu is not a great dog for kids unless you take the time to train it very well- and it does take time.
Of all of the Shih Tzu problems you will encounter none will be more aggravating and frustrating that the little dogs arrogant attitude. They are very regal animals that have a bit of Chinese royalty in their blood and they never forget that. It takes a long time to get the Shih Tzu to understand that they are not the boss and you are, and even when you think they understand it they are still going to do pretty much whatever they want to do.
Shih Tzu dogs can be playful when they want to be but they do not require a lot of exercise so any activity they do get is on their terms. They are not very likely to fetch a stick for you and they certainly won’t be playing catch with a Frisbee thrown by you any time soon. If you are looking for a rough and tumble play dog then the Shih Tzu is probably not for you.
This stubbornness and high-strung personality are detrimental to important tasks like housebreaking. A Shih Tzu normally can take months to housebreak and if anything happens to upset them during the process, or they just decide that they don’t want to learn anymore, then you are usually back to square one.
Patience is a virtue with a Shih Tzu, and remembering that they are always thinking as much as you are about their next move and their decisions do not always revolve around what you want can help.
Shih Tzu problemscan come from any direction and it usually has to do with their independent personalities. They carry themselves very well and are very self-assured animals, which means they usually do not care what you have to say. It takes a lot of time and patience to overcome these issues and it can cause a great deal of frustration as well, but no one ever said it was going to be easy.
