treats for my shi-tzu

Question
We have a brand new shi-tzu he's almost five months and not trained yet.I want to start that right away.Am I allowed to give him treats and if so what kin?I want him to stay healthy.The other thing is he eats his dry dog food but doesn't eat alot will it hurt if I change his food.
Thanks Julie

Answer
Most of your better trainers use treats now. I started out not using them, and only use them sparingly now.  They don't need to be big.  You can buy small bone treats, and break them up into pieces the size of the end of your little finger.  Some of the dog's regular kibble is fine too.  

Chances are, he is eating all he needs.  You may be over feeding it. A vet check still won't hurt. Many dogs will snarf down more than is good for them and look for more. Others refuse to eat more than than they need. Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx  You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it.

The worst thing you can do is to bribe a dog with rich foods into eating more than it needs. Instead, Put down the dish with what the dog should eat, and give it 15 minutes to eat. Then take it up. Do not give it anything to eat until its next scheduled meal. In a few days, it should be eating what it needs. Continue to check its ribs and adjust the food as needed. This is not easy. I had a Shepherd go 3 days on a few nibbles. I was a wreck, but she was fine. It is almost unknown for a healthy dog not to eat what it needs. Unfortunately, in too many cases, it is less than the package says, and less than the owner thinks the dog should have. Many dogs are quite good at holding out for tastier chow. Like kids, sometimes it calls for tough love.

Unless the vet says he is OK except underweight, I wouldn't change his food just to get him to eat more.