Shih Tzu – Why Should We Communicate With Our Shih Tzu?

First you want to ask yourself, why did you purchase a shih tzu?
I have seen people with dogs, even shih tzu, who chain the dog
to a backyard tree and visit the dog only to provide water and
food. I think to myself, that has to be a very lonely life for
that shih tzu. I also know those owners are missing out on a lot
of the enjoyment of owning a shih tzu. If you never to
communicate with your shih tzu or you never try to communicate
with your shih tzu, you truly do not need to purchase one. Shih
tzu especially are “people” dogs. They thrive best emotionally
and mentally upon the relationships and interactions they have
with their people. There is nothing that make my shih tzu
happier than to be involved with every activity of my life. To
learn how to effectively communicat with them is an ongoing
project for me and one I feel worthwhile to both of us, or in my
case, all of us.

Talking to your shih tzu is not necessarily communicating with
them. We need to learn how our shih tzu understands what we say
to them and we need to understand what the shih tzu says back to
us. When you communicate effectively with your shih tzu you will
find you possess more influence over your shih tzu’s behavior
without having to resort to punishment of any sort.

Our dogs are so much a part of our human community and separated
from their lives in the wild, they no longer are able to fend
for themselves. They provide us with beauty, loyalty and a
connection with nature. We have to provide them with food and
care. We are also responsible for providing mental stimulation
and social graces needed to live well in our human world.
Chaining a shih tzu to a dog house or tree in the backyard is
just not acceptable. If I know for certain this will happen to
my puppies, there is no amount of money I would accept to put
them in that type of environment.

If we will try to understand our shih tzu and develop true
communication with them, the understanding will open up new ways
of looking at this world. I have gained a virtue since owning
shih tzu. That virtue is “patience.” How my shih tzu have taught
me patience is actually a mystery to me that I cannot put into
workds at this time. I just know I have greater patience with
all aspects of my life since living with shih tzu.

I believe shih tzu have emotions much like humans. I witness
these emotions more at times of shih tzu mothers raising
puppies. I have seen them express great joy and times of grief.
I have seen them wipe their eyes with their paws as if to wipe
the tears away at the loss of one of their babies. For this
reason, there is no researcher that could ever convince me shih
tzu at least do not have emotions, and these emotions are much
like humans. Because of these times of their emotion
expressions, we have a stronger bond to each other and both our
lives have been enriched. We need to pay close attention to what
I shih tzu are saying to us. In the case with a grieving mother,
it is my responsibility then to try and comfort her during a
difficult time. We owe our pets much more than the material
things of life such as food, water, toys, soft beds to sleep in,
etc. We need to learn how to effectively communicate with them,
myself included.