Shih Tzu – Introducing A New Shih Tzu Puppy To Your Household

Bringing home a new shih tzu puppy is always an exciting time
for the entire family. Getting that new shih tzu puppy off the
right start with proper training is very important to making
that shih tzu puppy a valued member of his human family. There
are a number of talents that every new shih tzu puppy must
master, including going up and down the stairs, and how to
accept a new collar as if she’s worn it her entire life.

It is best to introduce a new shih tzu puppy to the household
when everyone in the family is present, and when the household
is as calm as possible. That is why animal care experts
discourage parents from giving shih tzu puppies and kittens as
holiday presents. The holiday season is typically much too busy,
with far too many distractions, for a young shih tzu puppy or
kitten to get the attention it needs. It is best to wait until
the holidays have passed before introducing the new family
member.

Once the shih tzu puppy is part of the household, there are some
things he or she will need to learn. One of the first challenges
of a multi-story home will be learning to climb up and down the
stair. Many shih tzu puppies are afraid of stairs, and that
usually means that they do not know how to climb them properly.
It is important for the shih tzu puppy’s owner to slowly build
the confidence of the dog, starting off at the bottom of the
stairs. In general, a wide stairway will probably be less
frightening to the shih tzu puppy.

To build confidence, the owner should go up the first step, then
encourage the shih tzu puppy to join them, using their voice,
treats or a toy. After the shih tzu puppy has joined you on the
first stair, go back down and repeat the process until the shih
tzu puppy will go up that step on his own. It is important to
build confidence slowly and not rush the process. Taking a one
step at a time approach is the best way to teach the shih tzu
puppy to not be afraid of stairs.

Another thing every new shih tzu puppy must learn is how to
accept the collar. Learning to wear a collar is important to
every shih tzu dog, but many shih tzu puppies are baffled,
frightened and bewildered by this new piece of equipment. Many
shih tzu puppies constantly try to remove their new collar by
pawing and pulling at it.

Fit is important when choosing a collar for your new shih tzu
puppy. A properly fitted collar, chosen for your shih tzu
puppy’s size, is more likely to be comfortable and accepted.
While choke collars, slip collars and training collars can be
good training aids, they should never be used as a substitute
for a sturdy buckle type collar. And of course that collar
should have an identification tag and license attached. This
identification will be vital in having your shih tzu puppy
returned if she becomes separated from you.

The best way to introduce the shih tzu puppy to the collar is to
simply put the collar on and allow her to squirm, jump, roll and
paw at the color to her heart’s content. It is important to not
encourage this behavior by trying to soothe the shih tzu puppy,
but it is just as important not to punish or reprimand the shih
tzu puppy. The best strategy is to simply ignore the shih tzu
puppy and let her work through her issues with the collar on her
own. Introducing distractions, such as food, toys or playing, is
a good way to get the shih tzu puppy used to the collar. Getting
the shih tzu puppy to play, eat and drink while wearing the
collar is a great way to get her used to it. After a few days,
most shih tzu puppies will not even know they are wearing a
collar.