Dog Obedience Training Tips

All dogs will have issues with barking. They tend to bark to communicate how they are feeling and what they want. Some dogs bark more then others, however. The Shih Tzu can be over bearing with their barking. When a Shih Tzu is brought into a new home, they will bark and yelp constantly. They do this because they are frightened of their new surroundings and are wanting the attention of their parent or another animal. This barking can be remedied, but it takes work and needs to be done right away. Fixing this issue can also be difficult, not only for the puppy, but for the owner as well. The owner will want to scoop up the pet and calm it down, but this sets a bad president for future learning.

One of the biggest issues that puppies have is a barking habit due to fear of being alone. Most puppies cannot stand to even be in a different room then their people. They are used to having their litter mates, as well as their mother, there with them at all times. Soothing the puppy when they begin this behavior can give the dog the impression that it is okay to bark constantly and loudly to get the attention that they want. The best way to handle to constant barking is to ignore it, if you can, without yelling at the puppy. They are only doing what is in their nature to do and reprimanding them can be detrimental to them.

Yelling at a puppy of any kind can cause your pet to become frightened of you and will not come to you. It is better to use an even tone and not reprimand the pet at all for barking. While you are trying to train your puppy independence around the house, you can use a teaching lead. This will allow the dog to maintain a close distance to you and still be free to move around on its own. If you have to leave the house, try not to leave them alone for too long a period of time to start out. Do it gradually, leaving for longer periods of time each trip. This will slowly get them used to the idea of you being away. When you do leave, do not pet and talk sweetly to your dog as a form of comforting them. This will only add to the confusion for the pet. They will begin to associate the action of petting and talking sweetly to them as meaning that you are going to leave them. Also, do not do it when you come back. It can be equally as confusing.

The best technique for curbing the barking Shih Tzu is the squirt bottle method. When the dog begins to bark when you leave its side, squirt it with a quick shot of water and it will startle it and divert its attention from barking. It also works for barking at inopportune moments. If you want your Shih Tzu to still warn of an approaching person at the door, you can use a method similar with the “quiet” command and treats. However, a barking Shih Tzu is a difficult thing to contend with. They are very stubborn and it takes a lot of work. However, in the end, your neighbors will thank you.

Potty training a dog of any breed can be difficult. There are many different ideas on what it takes, or how to do it. However, most these ideas do not work. Keeping in mind that the Shih Tzu is a small breed dog, and that it is a Shih Tzu, can determine the best way to train your puppy the correct way. Teaching a Shih Tzu when and where to go to the bathroom can be harder then with any other breed. Their bladders are smaller and more finicky and they may need to go out more frequently, which means that accidents will be more common. However, the crate method works the best.

As with any dog, you will need patience to help you deal with potty training. Every dog learns at their own speed and every dog can have different levels of set backs. Cage training is considered to be cruel to some people, however, it is far more cruel to force a puppy to sit in a bathroom or a designated room by themselves. Dogs are social animals and need the company of other animals or of their people. They will also begin to view the bathroom area as punishment.

The kennel or cage should only be used when you are not going to be able to watch the your pet for long periods of time. Remember that when a puppy has to go to the bathroom, it has to go right then. There is no waiting and no holding on. However, a dog will not go to the bathroom in the same area that they sleep in. Keeping their kennel adjusted so that they have enough room to stand up in, lay down in, and turn around in will keep them from being able to go to the bathroom in the kennel. This should be a temporary state for teaching your dog how to “hold it.”

Another benefit of kennel training is that the dog can still see you through the kennel and will not feel alone. With a Shih Tzu puppy, the kennel should be just a little bit larger then the dog itself. You will want to make sure that there is some sort of carpet under the kennel to insulate, as well as a blanket in the kennel for comfort and insulation. While you are away, you will want to put the puppy in the kennel with some food and water as well as some chew toys to keep the dog entertained. Getting an adult potty trained is a lot more difficult. Kennel training is still the best way to train them, but it can take longer. Making sure that animal is walked regularly and knows the good place to go to the bathroom and the bad place to go is very important. Any accident can cause a set back. Stress can also play an important factor in the learning process for potty training, especially in adult Shih Tzu’s. If they feel overwhelmed by a situation, they can easily have an accident in the house, and the training will have to begin from the start.

Chewing is a common issue among all dogs, especially when they are puppies. As puppies, dogs chew to discover new things. They also chew when they are teething. While it is normal, it is not a good behavior. It is best to stop it at an early age, preferably while the dog is a puppy. With Shih Tzu dogs, the chewing habit as a puppy can become progressively destructive the older the dog gets. Having chew toys around for any dog is an excellent way to save your precious items. It serves as a distraction and can also serve as a soothing teething toy for puppies.

Any time you catch the puppy chewing on something they are not supposed to, replace it with a toy that is appropriate. For a puppy, make sure that their toys are intriguing and they will not get bored with them. Having several different types of toys can be useful. It is also good to have a few toys that can be filled with treats that the pet can chew out. It is also beneficial to put a soft chew toy in the freezer for several hours. A frozen chew toy is good for puppies that are teething. It will help sooth the pain of the nerves in the mouth. It also good to praise the puppy every time it plays with one of its special chew toys. It could also serve to your advantage to train your puppy to get a chew toy when ever it greets someone. This encourages the dog to not chew on unwanted things out of excitement and to find something constructive to chew on, instead. It is also a good idea to keep things out of the reach of the Shih Tzu puppy that you do not want to be.

Shih Tzu are notorious for chewing out of boredom. Keeping a Shih Tzu from displaying this form of chewing behavior can be somewhat difficult. Spraying items that you do not want to be chewed on with a bitter no-chew spray can help keep them from being destroyed. You can also use chili sauce, pepper, or anything else that is non-toxic to your dog, but will leave an unpleasant smell or taste. Ultimately, changing the behavior of a Shih Tzu sometimes means changing the behavior of the owner. It is best to make sure that your Shih Tzu does not get bored. They are social animals and need someone to play with them regularly. Keeping them occupied during the day can be beneficial. Tire them out early so that they sleep through most of their boredom. Keeping a Shih Tzu well entertained is best. Doggy day cares, as well as dog sitters can help. If you cannot find a doggy day care or a pet sitter in your area, you can use a small kennel with a blanket and their favorite chew toys to keep your house from being devastated by a bored Shih Tzu with a chewing fetish.

Biting is a common behavioral issue with all dogs. As puppies, they begin biting to establish a position in a pack. The biting behavior continues until they have discovered who is the dominant in the litter. However, if there are no other puppies or dogs to chew on, they will view their humans as their pack and will start chewing on them. This is not necessarily a bad behavior, but if it is not controlled, it can become problematic. There are ways to take control of the bad habit of biting, but you must first take into consideration the reason for the behavior. There are many factors that can contribute to a Shih Tzu biting habit.

In order to keep a Shih Tzu from biting as an adult, you must take control of the biting habit as a puppy. Puppies, like human babies, associate with their mouths. Biting and chewing on things identify what that thing is to them. They will also chew and bite when they are teething. Puppies also like to play and can get rough in establishing boundaries. Most puppies will bite in play, so it is important to get control of this behavior before it gets out of hand. If your Shih Tzu puppy is biting you while playing, the best thing to do is to stop playing and refuse to play further. If you continue to play while the puppy is biting, it teaches the puppy that biting is acceptable and it will be more difficult to teach the puppy otherwise. Remove what the puppy is biting on and tell it “No Bite”, or a similar command, in a firm tone. Reward the puppy as soon as they stop biting with a treat or a chew toy.

A chew toy is an excellent way to divert unwanted biting and chewing. Giving a puppy something that is okay for it to bite helps establish parameters of what is acceptable and what is not. Repeat the method of removal and reward until the biting behavior ends. However, if the biting behavior is because your puppy is teething, they will eventually outgrow it when their adult teeth come in. It is also a good idea to keep a few chew toys around just in case their biting habits become direct at peoples limbs or their own limbs. They are essentially chewing to relieve the pain in the nerve endings of their gums. By freezing a chew toy and giving it to them when they start to bite, you can curb the problem before it because too severe.

Biting as an adult can become a problem with Shih Tzu dogs, however, it is important to find the reason for the biting before you start trying to retrain. When a Shih Tzu begins biting as an adult, it is typically out of pain or from displeasure with something. It is best to make sure that they are not in pain, first. When your Shih Tzu starts to bite, take it to a vet to determine if there is anything physically wrong with it. In the wild, dogs and wolves cannot show pain or illness as it could result in its death from an opportunistic predator or pack member. This carries over into domestic breeds as well and will cause the pet to bite or act aggressive when they are sick or in pain.

If your Shih Tzu is not in pain, then it is most likely a dominance issue and can be corrected, but not without difficulty. Shih Tzu, like most small breed dogs, will become territorial and can start to act aggressively. They are trying to establish a new base of dominance. Typically, this can be caused by a lack of dominance in the owner. “Time outs” can be used in this instance to help correct the biting issue. When your pet bites or nips for this reason, take them out of the spot that they are having dominance issue with, reprimand them with a “no biting” command, and put them in a bathroom or another such quiet place alone. Once time out is over, let the Shih Tzu out and go back to the area that was problematic. If the biting continues, repeat the method until the biting stops. Reward the pet when they are calm and are not being aggressive.