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Housebreaking a Shih Tzu

Housebreaking a Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu dog is an affectionate dog with lovable personalities. They are sweet-natured and arrogant dogs with proud bearings. They love to play outdoors and need lots of comfort, attention and cuddling. They are polite towards strangers and are also amiable towards other pets. Shih Tzu as pets are a bit stubborn and have their own likes and dislikes. They have an independent attitude and grooming a Shih Tzu requires frequent brushing and combing. Apart from some dog health problems that may arise due to their small face, dog owners often face a bit of trouble when housebreaking a Shih Tzu. This is mostly due to their stubborn nature and if you do not follow strict dog obedience rules, you are in for a lot of problems when trying Shih Tzu housebreaking. You can overcome this moderately challenging process by following the housebreaking steps regularly and consistently. Let us go into the details of how to housebreak a Shih Tzu puppy.

How to Housebreak a Shih Tzu Dog

Housebreaking a Shih Tzu needs to be consistent and should begin once the puppy is about 10 weeks or older. You will need to muster up enough perseverance, patience, commitment and time. You need to loving and affectionate when housebreaking a puppy. Shih Tzus have a lot of energy and short attention spans and thus making dog training difficult. Shih Tzus are known to do what they please and if they are allowed to do so, you will have a problem housebreaking. Though, Shih Tzu housebreaking is difficult than training other dogs, it is not completely impossible. All you need to do is follow some simple and easy steps and make housebreaking the puppy a lot more easy.

Step 1
The first step of Shih Tzu training involves taking your puppy outside every 2 hours to eliminate at the same place. You should praise the dog a lot as they learn a lot better through praise than punishment. It is very important that you follow the 2 hour routine consistently.

Step 2
Whenever your dog starts to urinate or defecate, say the word potty loud and clear. You need to associate the word potty with the action. This will help you speed up the process as the dog gets older. You will find soon enough that the dog will run outdoors to eliminate when you say potty.

Step 3
You need to praise the dog not only with words but also with touch. You need to use a kind and loving tone and hug the dog a lot. Shih Tzus love the extra affection that they get from their owners.

Step 4
You should always watch out for signs that show the dog needs to potty. Whenever the Shih Tzu starts circling and sniffing an area you need to immediately take the dog outdoors to the regular bathroom spot. An observant owner will help reduce the number of accidents indoors. Also, if you catch the dog in the act, shout the word NO and take the dog outside. If the dog has already has had an accident, there is no need to shout and lecture the dog. He wont understand why you are upset. It may even make the dog more stubborn and continue to eliminate inside.

Step 6
You need to continue housebreaking a Shih Tzu for about 6 weeks without any gaps. If you dog goes without having an accident for about 4 weeks, it means you have been successful in housebreaking. You should slowly cut down on your visits outdoors. You will find that when the dog needs to go, he will be standing at the door whimpering.

If you are not able to take the Shih Tzu outdoors every two hours, then you need to confine the dog in one area with baby fences or in a room or bathroom. Cover the floor with newspapers or absorbent material. As the puppy begins to develop a preferred spot to eliminate, concentrate the paper in that area. Make sure you encourage the puppy to eliminate on concrete, blacktop, dirt or grass. Do not allow him to go about with his business on any hardwood flooring, tile or carpet that he may see around the house. Crate training the puppy is also a good idea as Shih Tzu will avoid eliminating in its sleeping area. Punishments and reprimanding the dog is of no use and will only confuse the animal.

This was something about how to housebreak a Shih Tzu dog. You should develop a routine for feeding time, play time and potty time. This will train the dog to have better self-control and even bowel control. It is not difficult to housebreak a Shih Tzu if you follow the training process without becoming lazy on your part. With a little patience, affection and a lot of dog care, you will be able to successfully housebreaking a Shih Tzu.

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