Free Dog Ttraining

Bringing home a new shih tzu puppy is always an exciting time. Introducing the new shih tzu puppy to the family should be fun for both yourself and your shih tzu puppy. One of the first challenges, however, to the excitement of the new shih tzu puppy, is curbing inappropriate shih tzu puppy behaviors.

Preventing biting and mouthing

Biting and mouthing is a common activity for many young puppies and dogs. Puppies naturally bite and mouth each other when playing with siblings, and they extend this behavior to their human companions. While other puppies have thick skin, however, humans do not, so it is important to teach your shih tzu puppy what is appropriate, and what is not, when it comes to using those sharp teeth.

The first part of training the shih tzu puppy is to inhibit the biting reflex. Biting might be cute and harmless with a 5 pound shih tzu puppy, but it is neither cute nor harmless when that dog has grown to adulthood. Therefore, shih tzu puppies should be taught to control their bite before they reach the age of four months. Shih tzu puppies normally learn to inhibit their bite from their mothers and their littermates, but since they are taken away from their mothers so young, many never learn this important lesson. It is therefore up to the humans in the shih tzu puppy’s life to teach this lesson.

One great way to inhibit the biting reflex is to allow the shih tzu puppy to play and socialize with other shih tzu puppies and socialized older shih tzu dogs. Shih tzu puppies love to tumble, roll and play with each other, and when shih tzu puppies play they bite each other constantly. This is the best way for shih tzu puppies to learn to control themselves when they bite. If one shih tzu puppy becomes too rough when playing, the rest of the group will punish him for that inappropriate behavior. Through this type of socialization, the shih tzu puppy will learn to control his biting reflex.

Proper socialization has other benefits as well, including teaching the shih tzu dog to not be fearful of other dogs, and to work off their excess energy. Shih tzu puppies that are allowed to play with other shih tzu puppies learn important socialization skills generally learn to become better members of their human family. Shih tzu puppies that get less socialization can be more destructive, more hyperactive and exhibit other problem behaviors.

In addition, lack of socialization in shih tzu puppies often causes fearful and aggressive behaviors to develop. Dogs often react aggressively to new situations, especially if they are not properly socialized. In order for a shih tzu dog to become a member of the community as well as the household, it should be socialized to other people, especially children. Dogs make a distinction between their owners and other people, and between children and adults. It is important, therefore, to introduce the shih tzu puppy to both children and adults.

The best time to socialize a shih tzu puppy to young children is when it is still very young, generally when it is four months old or younger. One reason for this is that mothers of young children may be understandably reluctant to allow their children to approach large dogs or older puppies. This is especially true with large breed dogs, or with breeds of dogs that have a reputation for aggressive behavior.

Using trust to prevent biting

Teaching your shih tzu puppy to trust and respect you is a very effective way to prevent biting. Gaining the trust and respect of your shih tzu dog is the basis for all dog training, and for correcting problem behaviors.

It is important to never hit or slap the puppy, either during training or any other time. Physical punishment is the surest way to erode the trust and respect that must form the basis of an effective training program. Reprimanding a dog will not stop him from biting - it will simply scare and confuse him.

Training a shih tzu puppy not to bite is a vital part of any puppy training program. Biting behaviors that are not corrected will only get worse, and what seemed like harmless behavior in a shih tzu puppy can quickly escalate to dangerous, destructive behavior in an adult dog.

Connie Limon is a professional shih tzu breeder in Indiana. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts on shih tzu puppies are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com

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Barking… It’s part of owning a dog. But it doesn’t take long before a dog’s bark becomes annoying and disruptive to others. So, for some people, a bark collar is an option for them to purchase to end the incessant barking. Dogs bark for all kinds of reasons, whether it’s for fear, to get some attention, being protective of their home or owner… In any of these scenarios a bark collar can be used to keep your canine from barking. You may want to seriously consider a bark collar if you have neighbors close by or if your dog’s barking is scaring your or the neighborhood kids. Not to mention the fact that many feel safer when they see a bark collar on the dog as they are walking by and such, since many people get “scared” or nervous around animals, particularly barking dogs.

There are a couple of options when choosing a bark collar. One is the citronella collar and the other is the traditional shock collar. The citronella collar is a more humane and safe way to prevent a dog from barking (in my opinion). In case you are wondering, this type of a collar sprays a light spray of citronella when a dog barks, that goes right in front of a dog’s nose. This prevents the dogs from barking since they generally dislike the citronella scent as well as the hissing noise that the bark collar makes when they bark. It doesn’t take long for dogs to figure out that it’s letting out this scent when they start barking… which, in turn reduces the barking. These collars have been shown to be twice as effective in reducing barking, as opposed to the other alternative, the shock collar. In any event, there are several types of these citronella collars on the market these days so be sure you choose carefully. Now the shock collar is in my opinion a way more aggressive approach in quieting your canine from barking. The concept behind the shock collar is essentially the same as the citronella collar, except that instead of spraying citronella, it gives your dog an electric shock! Obviously it takes no time before the dog learns to stop their barking since it gives them a painful jolt and many feel this is an inhumane handling of your canine. Still, some opt to use a shock collar over the alternative even though they have shown to be less effective than a citronella collar. Also, some shock collars are made so that the intensity of the shock increases the more the dog barks.

So choose wisely, since your decision will greatly impact the way your dog feels. The worst case scenario for any dog would be a surgery for debarking. This is generally frowned upon by veterinarians and they discourage this type of action. So, if your dog has a barking problem, the better choice would be to go with a citronella collar to help quiet your best friend in the most humane way possible.

Steven Resell is a successful Webmaster and Publisher of UrbanDogz.com. He provides more information and details on dog training, dog collars and ways to choose an appropriate bark collar for your dog on his website.

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Every dog is trained to his owner’s level of comfort. If it doesn’t bother you that Fido likes to watch television sitting next to you on the couch, you’re not going to make an issue of keeping him off the furniture. If it makes you crazy when Spot barks at the vacuum cleaner, you’ll be more willing to put in the effort to teach her not to.

One absolute for us is that dogs must be housebroken. It’s not the most pleasant topic of conversation, but it’s essential to us. We even teach them to urinate and defecate on command. It takes work, patience and absolute consistency, but any healthy dog can be taught to keep her house clean and be a welcome guest wherever she travels.

Puppies under six months old should not be expected to be “good” all day while you’re at work, the kids are at school and no one’s there. If someone can’t get home at mid-day to take the puppy out, exercise it and give it some lunch, it may not be the right time for a dog.

Years ago, before crate training became the norm in housebreaking, most dogs were “paper-trained” as puppies. I don’t really advise it unless you intend to make it the last stop in dog training. It’s hard to transition a dog from the paper to outside.

Small dog owners may like the option of a permanent, indoor toilet area for their dogs, a “litter box” for dogs. It solves the issues of walking the dog in inclement weather, keeping the dog warm in winter and works well for many apartment dwellers without immediate access to the outdoors. Since small dogs seem to need to eliminate more often, continuous access to a litter box may be ideal for some small dog owners.

Wherever you decide you want your dog to “do its business,” take it there at regular intervals, give it whatever command you choose to use for the behavior and be patient. I even recommend carrying the dog to the toilet area first thing in the morning, or any time you know it really has to go.

When your dog produces the behavior you want - don’t forget the praise. Let your dog know you’re happy with her. And when your dog does “mess up,” remember it’s your fault. It’s always your fault. You weren’t paying attention, you didn’t see the signs, you didn’t get the dog outside in time.

If you catch FiFi in the act, make a loud noise to distract it (I tend to scream “No,” or drop a heavy book on the floor) and hustle the dog outside. If the dog finishes its business outside, praise him to the skies; “What a wonderful, clever puppy you are!” Ideally, someone else will have cleaned up while you’re outside. If not, don’t let the pup watch you do it.

There is no punishment for messing in the house. If you don’t catch the dog in the act, it’s your fault. Just clean up and forget about it. If you take a page from prehistory and “rub his nose in it,” your dog will learn that it’s bad for him if you find messes. So he’ll hide them. Dogs don’t have a “cause and effect” memory.

A friend of mine has heard my housebreaking lecture many times and after four years his Dachshund Charlie still urinates in his dining room. Why? My friend won’t commit to paying attention to his dog, and won’t put in the effort needed. He thinks Charlie “knows” he’s bad, because Charlie runs the other way when Sam goes into the dining room. Charlie knows he gets in trouble when Sam goes into the dining room. Charlie has no idea that dried puddle is the source of Sam’s anger, and certainly has no memory of producing it. Don’t be like Sam. It’s easier to teach the behavior you want than fix mistakes later.

Hope Saidel is the co-owner of GollyGear, a bricks-and-mortar and online small dog shop featuring fun, affordable and practical products for small dogs. She has trained and competed in Obedience with small dogs for over a decade and is on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Dog Training Club. Check out her blog: GollyLog.

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