Is it Easier to Potty Train a Shih Tzu Puppy Or a Baby?
It’s a known fact: dogs learn by routine, coupled with their high intelligence and willingness to please humans. The key to properly potty training a Shih Tzu is repetition! I can’t stress enough the need to condition your pets about the best way to relieve themselves, so that it becomes second-nature to them.
The potty area
Dogs become accustomed to patterns in their lives, such as their feeding dish and water bowl being in the same spot every day. When things get moved around, dogs (and especially puppies) are often thrown off and don’t know quite where to go or what to do. Wherever your Shih Tzu’s toilet area is located, you should make sure it remains there at all times. This is a necessity whether you are using a section of your yard or a litter box inside your home.
Correcting behaviors
I am often asked what should be done if your Shih Tzu relieves himself in the wrong spot. First off, you need to clean up the mess with a very strong cleaning agent or odor neutralizer. This isn’t just to make your house smell better; it’s also to keep the dog from recognizing the area and thinking it is the correct place to go again! If it’s a Shih Tzu puppy you’re training, you’ll need to exercise a lot of patience as they learn. I caution all dog owners not to rub their dog’s nose in any mess they’ve made. It is simply not true that dogs remember their faces stuck in the mess. What they remember is that you were angry, so a sharp voice at the right time will serve the same function. Remember that puppies need to go about every 30 minutes, and the excitement of the first day in your home will mean that they go even more often than usual.
Reinforcement, by praising your Shih Tzu when he shows you the right behavior and scolding him when he does the wrong thing, is a critical part of potty training. Your Shih Tzu will usually give a little sign before he goes; this could be looking around to see if anyone is in the room, or walking in a quick circle, perhaps even twitching his rear end in an unusual fashion… learn your dog’s behavior so you can figure out when nature is calling him. When you see him doing his business in the wrong spot, tell him “No, Marley” with a sharp voice, and then pick him up (even if he’s in the middle of urinating) and put him in the correct spot so he can finish. As he is relieving himself in the right spot, you can say “Wee wee, Marley” (or any other expression you’d like to use) in a happy voice. Do the same thing after 30 minutes, and repeat this step over and over again when your Shih Tzu has to go. Shih Tzu are fast learners and they will pick up the routine pretty quickly. This same method is used whether the dog is peeing or pooping (using doo doo instead of wee wee).
Repeating the lesson
Since dogs are creatures of routine, you will find that they tend to relieve themselves at the same time after they’ve eaten and had a chance to digest. Put your Shih Tzu in his toilet area at that time and speak the command to do his business. I am not saying that this command will cause your dog to go whenever you speak it; rather, it is meant to go along with the actual act of relieving himself and that he associate the words with the action and the place. This reinforces for him that he is doing the right thing, and his intelligence takes care of the rest.
Now to answer the question whether it is easier to potty train a Shih Tzu Puppy or a baby. You will have to decide for yourself, but I am of the opinion that the puppy is the easier option.
Chris Boshoff is a Shih Tzu lover, researcher and enthusiast. To learn more about Shih Tzu house training and to sign up for a ten day mini course visit his website http://www.shihtzuparadise.com
