Connie Limon asked:


Biting is one of those things that every Shih Tzu puppy seems to do, and every Shih Tzu puppy must be taught not to do. Like many behaviors, such as jumping up on people, biting and nipping can seem cute when the Shih Tzu puppy is small, but much less so as he gets older, larger and stronger. Left to their own devices, most Shih Tzu puppies learn to control their biting reflex from their mothers and from their littermates. When the Shih Tzu puppy becomes overenthusiastic, whether when nursing or playing, the mother Shih Tzu, or the other Shih Tzu puppies, will quickly issue a correction.
Unfortunately, this type of natural correction often does not occur, since many Shih Tzu puppies are removed from their mothers when they are still quite young. It is therefore up to Shih Tzu puppy’s owner to take over this important process.
Socializing the Shih Tzu puppy with other dogs and puppies is one of the best and most effective ways to teach the Shih Tzu puppy the appropriate, and non appropriate way to bite, and to curb the biting response.
Many communities and pet stores sponsor puppy playtime and puppy kindergarten classes, and these classes can be great places for puppies to socialize with each other, and with other humans and animals as well. As the puppies play with each other, they will natural bite and nip each other. When one puppy becomes too rough or bites too hard, the other puppies will quickly respond by correcting it.
The best time for this socialization of the Shih Tzu puppy to occur is when it is still young. It is vital that every dog be properly socialized, since a poorly socialized Shih Tzu, or worse, one that is not socialized at all, can become dangerous and even neurotic. Most experts recommend that Shih Tzu puppies be socialized before they have reached the age of 12 weeks, or three months.
Another reason for socializing the Shih Tzu puppy early is that mothers of young children may be understandably reluctant to allow their young children to play with older or larger dogs. Since socializing the Shih Tzu with other people is just as important as socializing it with other dogs, it is best to do it when the Shih Tzu puppy is still young enough to be non threatening to everyone.
It is important for the Shih Tzu puppy to be exposed to a wide variety of different stimuli during the socialization process. The socialization process should include exposing the Shih Tzu puppy to a wide variety of other animals, including other puppies, adult dogs, cats and other domestic animals. In addition, the Shih Tzu puppy should be introduced to as wide a cross section of people as possible, including young children, older people, men, women and people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
While socialization is very important to providing the Shih Tzu puppy with life lessons and preventing him from biting, it is not the only method of preventing unwanted biting and mouthing. Giving the Shih Tzu puppy appropriate things to play with and bite is another good way to control inappropriate biting. Providing a variety of chew toys, ropes and other things the Shih Tzu puppy can chew is important to preventing boredom, keeping his teeth polished and keeping him from chewing things he should not.
As with any training, it is important to be consistent when teaching the Shih Tzu puppy not to bite. Every member of the family, as well as close friends who may visit, should all be told that the Shih Tzu puppy is to be discouraged from biting. If one person allows the Shih Tzu puppy to chew on them while everyone else does not, the Shih Tzu puppy will quickly become confused, and that can make the training process much more difficult than it has to be.

Sit Stay Fetch, good Dog!

Dixie’s Mom asked:


I have two week old shih tzu puppies. All checked out fine at the vet, all have been gaining weight steady.

They have doubled their weights and are big now!

My biggest one is 1.2lbs at 14days. Does this seem heavy? My smallest is 15oz.

Anyone know where I might be able to find a healthy shih tzu puppy weight chart?

Sit Stay Fetch, Good Dog!

Connie Limon asked:


Teaching a shih tzu puppy or a shih tzu dog proper socialization skills is vital to the safety of both your dog and other dogs and people with whom he comes into contact. A properly socialized shih tzu dog is a happy dog, and a joy to be around for both humans and animals. A poorly socialized shih tzu dog, or one with no socialization at all, is a danger to other animals, other people and even his own family.
Socialization is best done when the shih tzu puppy is as young as possible The socialization lessons a young shih tzu puppy learns are difficult to undo, and it is important to remember that the socialization skills the shih tzu puppy learns will affect his behavior for the rest of his life.
A shih tzu dog that is properly socialized will be neither frightened of nor aggressive towards either animals or humans. A properly socialized shih tzu dog will take each new experience and stimulus in stride, and not become fearful or aggressive. Shih tzu dogs that are not properly socialized often bite because of fear, and such a shih tzu dog can become a hazard and a liability to the family who owns it. Improperly socialized shih tzu dogs are also unable to adapt to new situations. A routine matter like a trip to the vets or to a friends house can quickly stress the shih tzu dog out and lead to all sorts of problems.
Socialization is best done when the shih tzu puppy is very young, perhaps around 12 weeks of age. Even after 12 weeks, however, it is important that the shih tzu puppy continues its socialization in order to refine the all important social skills. It is possible to socialize an older shih tzu puppy, but it is very difficult to achieve after the all important 12 week period has passed.
There are some definite do’s and don’t when it comes to properly socializing any shih tzu puppy. Let’s start with what to do. Later in this article we will explore what to avoid.
Socialization do’s
Make each of the socialization events as pleasant and non-threatening for the shih tzu puppy as possible. If a shih tzu puppy’s first experience with any new experience is an unpleasant one, it will be very difficult to undo that in the shih tzu puppy’s mind. In some cases, an early trauma can morph into a phobia that can last for a lifetime. It is better to take things slow and avoid having the shih tzu puppy become frightened or injured.
Try inviting your friends over to meet the new shih tzu puppy. It is important to include as many different people as possible in the shih tzu puppy’s circle of acquaintances, including men, women, children, adults, as well as people of many diverse ethnic backgrounds and ages.
Also invite friendly and healthy dogs and puppies over to meet your puppy. It is important for the shih tzu puppy to meet a wide variety of other animals, including cats, hamsters, rabbits and other animals he is likely to meet. It is of course important to make sure that all animals the shih tzu puppy comes into contact with have received all necessary vaccinations.
Take the shih tzu puppy to many different places, including shopping centers, pet stores, parks, school playgrounds and on walks around the neighborhood. Try to expose the shih tzu puppy to places where they will be crowds of people and lots of diverse activity going on.
Take the shih tzu puppy for frequent short rides in the car. During these rides, be sure to stop the car once in a while and let the puppy look out the window at the world outside.
Introduce your shih tzu puppy to a variety of items that may be unfamiliar. The shih tzu puppy should be exposed to common items like bags, boxes, vacuum cleaners, umbrellas, hats, etc. that may be frightening to him. Allow and encourage the shih tzu puppy to explore these items and see that he has nothing to fear from them.
Get the shih tzu puppy used to a variety of objects by rearranging familiar ones. Simply placing a chair upside down, or placing a table on its side, creates an object that your shih tzu puppy will perceive as totally new.
Get the shih tzu puppy used to common procedures like being brushed, bathed, having the nails clipped, teeth cleaned, ears cleaned, etc. Your groomer and your veterinarian with thank you for this.
Introduce the shih tzu puppy to common things around the house, such as stairs. Also introduce the shih tzu puppy to the collar and leash, so he will be comfortable with these items.
There are of course some things to avoid when socializing a shih tzu puppy. These socialization don’ts include:
Do not place the shih tzu puppy on the ground when strange animals are present. An attack, or even a surprise inspection, by an unknown animal could traumatize the shih tzu puppy and hurt his socialization.
Do not inadvertently reward fear based behavior. When the shih tzu puppy shows fear, it is normal to try to sooth it, but this could reinforce the fear based behavior and make it worse. Since biting is often a fear based behavior, reinforcing fear can create problems with biting.
Do not force or rush the socialization process. It is important to allow the shih tzu puppy to socialize at his own pace.
Do not try to do too much too soon. Young shih tzu puppies have short attention spans, and continuing lessons after that attention span has passed will be a waste of your time and your puppy’s.
Do not wait too long to begin. There is a short window in which to begin the socialization process. A young shih tzu puppy is a blank slate, and it is important to fill that slate with positive socialization skills as early as possible.

Sit Stay Fetch, good Dog!

Zahira N asked:


I just got a shih tzu puppy and I don’t know how many times I should bathe it. I searched in the internet but there isn’t any specific answer to my question.

Start a Doggie Daycare

Connie Limon asked:


The first sense of a Shih Tzu puppy is “scent.” The newborn Shih Tzu puppy will be able to smell the scent of the breeder immediately after the sac is broken. The Shih Tzu breeder is familiar with litters of Shih Tzu puppies before their eyes open. Up until the Shih Tzu puppy opens its eyes they became familiar with their breeder’s scent through their dam’s coat. Shih Tzu puppies learn where there is and is not a place of milk and nourishment on their mother through scent.

It is advisable that only the Shih Tzu breeder handle puppies during their first two weeks. This does limit the Shih Tzu puppy’s reality of the world around them; however, it is practicing sound early responsible care practices. As Shih Tzu puppies begin to open their eyes they become aware of differences in people. Because of this awareness, a very young Shih Tzu puppy may act violently the first time handled by anyone other than their breeder. The Shih Tzu puppy may begin to struggle or scream to be free. It really is not necessary for other people besides the breeder to handle Shih Tzu puppies during this very early period of their lives. If a Shih Tzu puppy is frightening by early interactions with other people it could set the stage for later mistrust toward all humans. It is therefore extremely important that all early contacts with a Shih Tzu puppy be positive. Once a barrier of distrust is instilled in a newborn Shih Tzu puppy, the puppy can become hard to work with and sometimes even unmanageable as adults. Limiting contact with humans also aids in the spreading of germs to newborn Shih Tzu puppies.

There is a proper way to hold a very young Shih Tzu puppy. You should not “swoop” a Shih Tzu puppy quickly into your arms, or hold it at arm’s length. Do not ever pick up a Shih Tzu puppy by its legs, ears, tail or scruff. Severe and even irreparable damage can result.

Use the following steps to pick up and hold a newborn and very young Shih Tzu puppy:

1. Place your hands firmly around the Shih Tzu puppy’s body making it feel secure before it is lifted from the whelping box.

2. Immediately begin to snuggle the Shih Tzu puppy closely to your neck, chest or face area, letting the Shih Tzu puppy smell your familiar scent. Here is where the Shih Tzu puppy will feel the reassuring rhythm of your breathing and your heartbeat. The Shih Tzu puppy will remain relaxed. The Shih Tzu puppy will have less tendency to struggle against others first holding them if you will practice these steps from the beginning.

In general, you should not place very young Shih Tzu puppies in your lap, at least until after they begin to walk. They do not feel secure in a lap position at a very young age.

When handling newborn Shih Tzu puppies it is helpful to make “kissing” sounds near their ears. The sound is similar to puppies nursing. Therefore, repetitious kissing offers the same sense of security and comfort for the Shih Tzu puppy.

One of the earliest conditionings a Shih Tzu puppy encounters is being nestled in secure comfort by its dam while being fed warm milk. When you emit the same type of sounds with repetitious kissing the Shih Tzu puppy responds immediately to your stimulation and will feel secure. The Shih Tzu puppy will snuggle rather than struggle and learn to trust humans from a very early period of their lives. This type of conditioning is important for proper development as an adult Shih Tzu and instills a “trusting” of humans rather than a “fear” of humans.

Shih Tzu puppy conditioning beyond diet is a highly important part of a professional Shih Tzu breeder’s job, and will often separate the professional breeder from the “backyard” or puppy mill breeders.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Create a video blog…instantly.

angykay asked:


I recently had my 4 month old shih tzu puppy groomed, and the grooomer did not follow my instructions! My fluffy puppy now looks like a chihuahua! Im so upset! He is still adorable, but doesnt look even look like the same puppy. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process? Im big on baby books and this is not what I had in mind for the pictures! Help! Thanks!!

Dove Cresswells Dog Training

?? asked:


My 10 weeks old Shih Tzu puppy don’t like to go out for walks, although I tried to walk him twice a day. He would walk a few step and just start sleeping on the grass. During the day, my son wanted to play with him, but all he does is belly flops. I thought puppy is usually very playful and energetic. This puppy I have doesn’t like to move around at all, is this common for this breed of dog?

Sit Stay Fetch, Good Dog!

ascarps asked:


I have a 15week old shih tzu (i got her at 8wks). She is doing pretty good- we are working on her going to that bathroom outside-but she only pees outside- she has bm accidents in the house but we are working on that. Anyways–she ussually only bites me and I tell her NO and pick her up my the scruff of her neck and she just thinks im playing and will either bite again or bark and bite. I have tried ignoring her when she is barking but she just won’t stop. I am running out of ideas… help!!!

Dove Cresswells Dog Training

Johnp_Lesley asked:


Have a four month old shih tzu puppy who will not walk on a lead. There is nothing phsically wrong with him. So what do I do?

Dog Lovers Mega Pack