How do you train a shih tzu?

Answer 1

Honestly, it's not the most simple dog to take care of it, but all dogs take work. I feed my Shih-Tzus once a day, always have water, and just simply let them out to use the batheroom. Make sure you brush their coat about once a day, depending how long the fur is. But, you have to get them a haircut about 2-3 months, depending on how long you want it and how much you take care of it. They are a very good natured breed, and good for families with young children, eldery, and everyone inbetween. I would recommend this breed to anyone. I love my Shih-Tzus! <3

Answer 2

Shih tzus a very hard to train. I suggest you take outnsome treats while training your shih tzu. They do take a while to learn a new command. Just repeat the command a few times and use hand signals.

Answer 3

ignore the other answer. that person is stupid and doesnt know wtf theyre talking about . ive had Chihuahuas all my life my mom breeds dogs and i have 9 dogs. 5 of them chihuahuas. as a baby, you REALLY need to make sure that the pup eats and drinks water 2-3x daily. if they dont eat their blood sugar will drop dangerously low. if for some reason you notice your chihuahua isnt as energetic as usual and is acting lethargic (head droopy no control of holding head up, doesnt want to walk or maybe even eat) then their sugar is low. it happens bc they are so small. in that circumstance, what you would do so that your baby chihuahua doesnt die and so you dont get a large bill from a vet, is relatively EASY. force the puppy to drink sugar water. one bowl and two-3 spoons of sugar in the water. make them drink it and within twenty min your puppy will start acting like normal again. once theyre ok you need to feed them and when you do that... you need to soak their kibble in water til its mushy and soft. once it is pour out the water then theyll be able to eat it.

THERES A GOOD REAL ANSWER FOR YOU UNLIKE THAT STUPID PERSON WHO GAVE YOU SUCH A VAGUE ANSWER. smfh... there you go bud.

Answer 4

Like a dog.

Food and water is a must. I recommend "sensitive stomach" formula dog food, because shih tzu are prone to throwing up. They will still throw up, but less. You may need to start with some wet food to get the dog eating, but I recommend to do that for as short a time as possible. Wet food gives them loose stool and gas.


You can free feed or control the meals. I would start with controlling the meals and then move to free feeding. If it seems to be getting over weight on free feeding, go back to controlled meals. All the shih tzu in my family are now free feeders, except one because he lives with 2 other dogs that would eat themselves to death given the chance.


Potty training is a breeze. I have heard you can teach them to use a litter box with ease, though I know no one that has tried. In less then a month I not only taught my dog to do his "business" outside, but he knows to go sit by the door and bark one time. When we moved he figured out where to sit and bark to get taken out.


Speaking of barking, most shih tzu are quiet. They will not bark at every single noise in the world, like many terriers do. I had to use another dog that knew the "speak" command to train my dog to "speak." Otherwise Shih Tzu are very smart and can be trained to do most tricks in a day or 2.


Shih tzu are self exercisers; if they feel hyper they will run around your house for a minutes. They are low energy dogs, so after 20 minutes of play they are tired. I take mine for 2-3 short walks a day and play with him for about 20 minutes a day. If he still has energy before bed, he gets up and sprints around the house for a few minutes. Otherwise they pretty much sleep. They love tight dark places, like under the bed; they sleep there often.


You can crate train them if you want. I have never crate trained any shih tzu. When it is young and un-potty trained, I would fence him off in the kitchen (all tile). After about 3-6 months I let him free in the house when we were gone; he will only mess on the carpet if we are gone for 8+ hours.


The worst is the grooming. Most groomers recommend an hour a day of brushing. I keep mine trimmed short and brush week or so.


They are perfect for apartments and condos. They love to run around outside, but are mainly indoor dogs.

Answer 5

These dogs are very hard to train, and I speak from expierence! It could take up to six weeks just to teach your puppy 5 basic tricks. Treats are VERY preferable because they do tend to want a reward. Your shih tzu may look confused when you first try to teach he or she a new trick. So, be patient! These dogs do take some time to learn a trick. The command "sit" is the easiest trick you can train your shih tzu because that was the only trick my puppy knew for a while.

Answer 6

Great question, but hardest to do. It took me a while to actually house-train my Shih Tzu. Potty pads never worked, and I didn't have a fence so I had to invent a new way to this problem. Lacy, (my Shih Tzu) would scratch the door when she had to go out, so I would put her on a leash and simply walk her outside and wait until she would go to the batheroom. But, the most important part of this solution is to reward them when they get inside. You have to reward quickly because they have to remember what they did to get a treat. I give bones and say, "Good girl" to make sure she knows she did a good thing. I recommend this breed to anyone. Good luck. Be patient and give your Shih Tzu time.

Answer 7

Its simple. Just take a brush and comb their fur. You might have to take your Shih-Tzu to your professional groomer 2 times a month. Hope this helps :)

Answer 8

You have to feed them regularly, walk them everyday,bathe them at least 1 a week

Answer 9

same as any other dog. but it likes a bed made of 3 really comfitable quilts