People love the Shih Tzu because it is so friendly; there is
nothing that a Shih Tzu likes better than making friends. These
animals have a sunny disposition and behave mostly like young
children. They love and thrive on affection and praise. On the
opposite, if left by themselves for a long time they can become
very destructive and grouchy. The Shih Tzu love company – though
they prefer their owner, it does not matter whether the company
is that of people or animals.
Little Lions
In spite of their miniature size, the Shih Tzu is tough – in
fact, they are the toughest among all the toy breeds existing
today. In China, they are referred to as little lions – not only
because of their looks but also because of their personality.
They carry themselves with utmost dignity and are exceptionally
stubborn if not treated well. You cannot get anywhere with force
and strict behavior. They have to be pampered, praised and loved
for them to listen and love you.
Many people compare the Shih Tzu with a child in their attitude.
They can be as lovable and as exasperating as children can be.
This is why these dogs make exceptional good choices for elder
people. They are very affectionate and loyal. They hate to be
separated from their masters and often fall sick if they are neglected.
They make excellent watch-dogs as they are very alert and on the-go
all the time.
The Shih Tzu well deserves its name as ‘royal dog’. It loves
everything of high quality, whether it is its sleeping place,
its food, its surroundings, everything. It expects to be treated
like royalty and often will not respond unless it gets what it
wants. This attitude and its size make it extremely lovable and
it also demands to be spoilt. It is very common to find the Shih
Tzu dogs suffering from obesity because people love to indulge
them.
They are not compatible with small children or babies simply
because they will not tolerate anyone else hogging the limelight.
The Shih Tzu want everyone fawning on them and they become very
snappy and excitable if they feel there is competition for attention.
This is why it is not a good idea to have them around small children
(who need constant attention). They also get exceedingly irritated
if manhandled – as small children would – and can snap if they
feel they are not respected.
If they get what they want – and that is a lot of indulgence
and love - they can be exceptionally well behaved and balanced.
They train well if they are motivated with praises and positive
reinforcement. Trainers know that punishment will totally alienate
this dog and hence they use only encouragement as methods of training.
