How Positive Reinforcement is Critical in Shih Tzu Training

The Shih Tzu dog is very spirited as a breed and will never cooperate in doing anything if it feels it is bullied or is exposed to harsh behavior. Its training should start as soon as you get the puppy home and if you love the dog enough, you can do it yourself. In other words, you do not need a trainer with this breed if you have patience, capacity and wish to do so, you can be as good as any other as far as Shih Tzu training is concerned.

If you care for a professional trainer, you should ask your vet for recommendations, as he/she will be likely to know a lot more than anyone else on this matter. While a professional trainer is a good idea, it is even better if you learn how to train the dog yourself since the bonding will be great, if you do so.

Behavioral and Obedience Training

Basically, there are two main streams of training, (i) behavioral and (ii) obedience training. The behavioral training is used to correct any unreasonable habits that the Shih Tzu might have – biting furniture, begging for food, stealing food, chewing on shoes, etc. You should be very careful that you are passing the right message when you are training. Consistency is the key – if you do not intend to have your dog begging at the table for tidbits, do not offer it any snacks. If you do so at one time, and chase him away at other time – it will totally confuse the animal.

Shih Tzu obedience training can be a bit more difficult to do – and it might require a professional hand in most cases. This type of training is often very time-consuming and frustrating for both to you and the animal. If you choose to do this yourself, try to keep the session before food, so the Shih Tzu will see the meals as a reward by itself. The training sessions should not be more than 10 to 15 minutes lest the dog develop an aversion for it.

Shih Tzu obedience training can be tough since these dogs do not accept any type of ordering about. There is only one way to make them obey, i.e. by constantly praising and petting them. You can never get anywhere with being harsh with a Shih Tzu. If it finds you unpleasant or rude, it will shut you out and everything will be totally lost. The only way you can get through with the Shih Tzu obedience training is by reinforcing each gesture with a lot of positive reinforcement.

The same goes for Shih Tzu potty training. Actually, Shih Tzu potty training is one of the toughest things to teach a Shih Tzu. In their minds, they kind of think this is not an aspect they need to bother about too much. However, if you are good with Shih Tzu obedience training, you will definitely score in other areas as well.

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