Shih Tzu - A Little Dog With A Big Story

Few dog breeds have such a well-documented and exciting history as the Shih Tzu. The Shih Tzu's entire history is steeped in legends, myths and mystery. However, we have fossil records that tell us the brachycephalic (short-skulled, short-nosed, flat-faced) dog breeds, which include the Shih Tzu, Pug, and Pekingese originated in Central Asia. In addition, we also have written history and legends to help us sort of piece together the last 3,000 plus years of the Shih Tzu's history. There are meticulously maintained Shih Tzu breeding records and pedigrees for more than 50 years as well.

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The Secret Of The Imperial Palace Does Live On

An explanation of why the first English Shih Tzu imports were "very large" is during the days of imperial rule eunuchs were in charge. Eunuchs tried to profit from all breedings. The oversized specimens produced were passed into the hands of the general public. Eunuchs fed glass to the small Imperial Shih Tzu just shortly before committing suicide themselves. This practice kept others from breeding their bloodlines of the smaller type Imperial Shih Tzu. I suppose feeding the Shih Tzu glass was the only way they could think of to "protect their bloodlines. This practice is comparable to the Shih Tzu breeders of today, some of whom, routinely spay and neuter their Shih Tzu at the very young age of 8 weeks. There are, however, many health advantages to spaying and neutering a Shih Tzu puppy early. Most vets agree spaying and neutering should be done not sooner than 6 months of age.

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Is A Shih Tzu Puppy Right For You?

The Shih Tzu is classified by the American Kennel Club in the Toy Group. It is one of the elegant dogs from China. The Shih Tzu was a cherished, pampered pet of royal families in China for over a thousand years. As the Shih Tzu developed there evolved several sizes. The question of size has always been a very controversial topic. Some Shih Tzu fanciers feel the original Shih Tzu of the Imperial Palace was the very small type ranging in weight of anywhere from 3 to 7 pounds. At the time of this writing, year of 2005, the size of 3 to 7 pounds is nicknamed Imperial Shih Tzu and Teacup Shih Tzu. The American Kennel Club does not recognize the nicknames of Imperial and Teacup for the Shih Tzu at all. The only size the American Kennel Club and the American Shih Tzu Club recognize as official Shih Tzu are with a set standard weight of 9 to 16 pounds. The under 9 pounds in weight and over 16 pounds in weight Shih Tzu are in existence and have ancestors registered as AKC, therefore, these Shih Tzu can be registered AKC. They are just disqualified from the show ring because of underweight or overweight. In general, most Shih Tzu fanciers or consumers prefer their Shih Tzu to be at least under 16 pounds.

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Dogs Social Behavior

Dogs in general, under free-ranging conditions, will live in mixed-sex, mixed-age social groups. Social ranking is determined by age, although sex may play a role. Females seem to be responsible for leading more often than males. Social ranking is maintained primarily by deference, not by agonistic interaction. Sexual maturity in domestic dogs (including the shih tzu) occurs between 6 to 9 months of age (later for giant breeds), while social maturity begins to develop at 18 to 36 months of age.

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Teach Your Shih Tzu To Respect You As The Leader Of The Pack

The basis of training any shih tzu is winning its trust, confidence and respect. True training cannot begin until the shih tzu has accepted you as its leader, respects you and entrusted you with his or her confidence.

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Teaching Your Shih Tzu To Use A Collar And A Lead

Walking on a collar and lead is an important skill that every shih tzu must learn. Even the best trained shih tzu should never be taken outside the home or yard without a sturdy collar and leash. Even if your shih tzu is trained perfectly to go off lead, accidents and distractions do happen, and a collar, with proper identification attached, is the best way to be sure you will get your beloved companion back.

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Shih Tzu - We Create Emotional Bonds With Our Training Lessons

I have read and continue to read books on training. At this point, I feel like whichever method (without cruelty, of course) you use that works for your shih tzu is the type of training to stick with. Not every method works for every shih tzu. We just all have to continue to read and research and find what works best for our unique situations. As we learn what works for our shih tzu and we practice the lessons with the shih tzu consistently, we are creating a much needed emotional bond with them as well that is just as valuable as the actual behavior we want our shih tzu to learn. Shih tzu want nothing more than to please and hang out with their human friends......

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Shih Tzu - Submissive Urination/Sanitation

If your puppy gets excited and wets herself, especially when you have company or when you first arrive from being away from her, this is called "submissive urination." This kind of urination is different from breaks in house training. Puppies often outgrow the problem as they do not have good bladder control. The older dog that does this may be lacking self-esteem. Read on at: Stain Glass Shih Tzu

Housebreaking Techniques II

Doggie Doors are very convenient for older dogs. Young puppies still need to be housebroken before turning them loose to a doggie door. Your doggie door should connect to a fenced-in backyard or a small fenced-in area especially for this purpose.

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Paper training a puppy is an excellent method of housebreaking especially for owners who cannot be home enough to get a puppy outside as frequently as needed. Puppies need to urinate more often than older dogs.
How to paper train: Leave her in her space with baby gates and cover the entire floor with newspaper. After she is use to going on the paper, gradually reduce the area covered by the paper. She will probably find a specific area on the newspaper she will use consistently. Encourage her to go in one place. Leave a piece of newspaper with a urine stain on it, and if you can stand it, with a little smear of poop to mark the spot you want her to keep going at. Cover the dirty pieces of newspaper with clean pieces of newspaper. The odor will encourage her to go back to that particular spot of newspaper. Eventually you should only need a small section covered with newspaper. If she goes some place without newspaper, then increase the area again that you cover with newspaper, and gradually reduce it back down....

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Shih Tzu Whelping

The average gestation period for a shih tzu is 58 to 65 days following conception. With a first pregnancy your shih tzu may not show signs until late in term. Just before her due date the abdominal muscles may suddenly appear to distend suddenly. Some shih tzu may produce colostrum and milk. She may suffer a loss of appetite or if just eaten, they may suddenly throw it back up. She may show extreme fatique, and have very deep periods of sleep. These are all signs that whelping is nigh.....

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Breeding Equipment

The main thing is to be prepared! Have all your supplies ready before the big day arrives, preferably no less than one week prior to the due date. Formerly dogs whelped just wherever, in the barn, under the porch. Today's breeder, however, has a real vested interest in their pregnant shih tzu, one of time, money, energy and emotional investment. Breeding shih tzu is a big, big job and full of labor. If you are passionate about breeding shih tzu, however, it all boils down to labors of love!

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Exercise For Your Pregnant Shih Tzu

You, the breeder, is also an obstetrician at the time your shih tzu is pregnant. To help her pregnancy and delivery you need to keep her in peak condition physically and emotionally. If she is not use to much exercise at all, you definitely need to tone her up during her pregnancy. Even a mild exercise routine will improve the health of your pregnant shih tzu. Beginning and maintaining a regular exercise routine is not hard or expensive. The ideal time, however, is before your shih tzu becomes pregnant. A mild program of exercise may be safely continued to the seventh week of pregnancy. The best exercise is simply daily walks. And remember moderation is the best approach.

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Shih Tzu - Housebreaking

Here is another article on Housebreaking. Housebreaking does not have to be dreaded or difficult. Establish a routine that accommodates both you and your puppy's needs and your daily schedule. It takes practice, knowledge and repetition on your part.
Remember when you are trying to housebreak a new puppy, even those that usually use the backyard sometimes go in the house. The trick is to never give the puppy the opportunity to go in the house. Set aside several days to housebreaking and reinforce what she learns. Warning: It may take weeks, even months or up to a year sometimes to completely housebreak a new puppy. Just be consistent, patient and use the same set of instructions for the puppy for each training session, which should be many during the day. Count on taking your new puppy to the spot many, many times in a day. This is extremely important: Taking the puppy to the same spot, down the same pathway, out the same door many, many times during the day. At night, teach him to sleep in his sleeping spot until morning and then start the routine all over again. At first, this will be about every two hours. You will learn exactly how many times your puppy needs to urinate and defecate during the process until you can just take them out those amount of times during the day

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Shih Tzu - Toys And Special Treats

Inspect your dog's toys often. If there are pieces bit off the toy, discard it. Usually small pieces of a toy or chew will pass through a dog's system, but they could end up causing an intestinal blockage instead.
Flimsy vinyl or plastic toys or balls with squeakers and bells in them usually don't hold up. Some shih tzu will just tear at the toy until they get the squeaker out. The squeakers and bells also pose a problem of your shih tzu choking on them if he tries to swallow the objects.

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Shih Tzu - Behavior Modification

Do you have a shih tzu that paws at your arms or jumps up on your lap constantly? The cause might be that he needs lots more exercise, not necessarily direct attention, but just more exercise. Try taking your shih tzu for a vigorous walk. For some, 10 to 15 minutes a couple times a day or one long romp around the yard is adequate, for others, it might be less than this. Read on at: Stain Glass Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu - Introducing A New Puppy To An Older Dog

Introducing a new puppy to an older dog can be trickey! New puppies often want to play. Old dogs usually don't and may not like puppies at all. A new puppy in the house is a big change to an older dog's life. You can help your older dog adjust to the new puppy. When you begin your training, be consistent and keep repeating the same steps over and over. Shih Tzu puppies and Shih Tzu dogs learn better from consistency and repetition. Unless your shih tzu has some kind of severe behavior problem, he will learn what you expect of him and will be glad to provide you with that behavior. Shih Tzu want to please their people, but you have to show your shih tzu what types of behavior pleases you.

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The Odd Things A Shih Tzu Will Do

The Odd Things A Shih Tzu Will Do
Why do dogs dig? Well, there are a number of reasons that dogs dig, some want to bury bones or try to dig bones up, others dig out a shallow hole to have a cool place to sit on a warm day. For other dogs, it may be a way to get rid of pent-up energy.
You might first try a vigorous play session as soon as you let him outside. Play a game of fetch. If he then starts to dig after the game of fetch, try redirecting his behavior. If he is trying to bury a bone take the bone to an acceptable digging place and encourage him to bury the bone there. If he does, then reward him with a favorite treat and lots of praise to try an reenforce a behavior that is acceptable to you. If he returns to the very same spot where you don't want him to dig, despite the attempts to redirect his behavior then try a firm "No" to discourage him, and show him where you will allow him to bury the bone or continue his digging behavior. Read on at: Stain Glass Shih Tzu

How Can I Deal With My Shih Tzu's Separation Anxiety?

Crating your dog when you leave him alone might seem easier, but it may not be the best approach to keep him out of trouble. And it may even cause your dog to experience more separation anxiety. Crating was developed as a method of housebreaking. If you will spend a modest amount of time training a puppy, they will have many years of satisfying companionship. Caging is fine if used for only a few hours at a time when you can't be there to supervise. Caging should never become a permanent way of life. Excessive caging can lead to problems. Some of the worst behavior problems seen in dogs were dogs that were crated for long periods of time. Some dogs cannot tolerate any time in a cage at all; they panic and fight to get to get out. It is also true that some dogs really do like their cages and find them a cozy refuge, a den to retire in away from the hustle and bustle of everything else. Caging or crating is an acceptable method of housebreaking if used in moderation.

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Coat Handling Basics - Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu Grooming Tips - Coat Handling Basics/The Little Guys
Use gentle action. When bathing, thoroughly wet the coat with warm water, apply shampoo and gently squeeze the suds through the coat to cleanse rather than scrubbing the hair back and forth. Use a gentle, all natural shampoo such as HealthyPetNet Herbal Blend shampoo, which is a unique blend of herbs and other ingredients to soothe dry, itchy and irritated skin as well as to condition dull, brittle or normal coats. It gently cleans away dirt without drying and leaves the skin and coat fresh, clean and healthy. The shampoo has a fresh, peppermint smell. Always follow a shampoo with a creme rinse.
In your daily brushing if you run into static electricity in the coat try using a mixture of two tablespoons or less of creme rinse mixed with two cups of water in a spritzer bottle. Lightly spray on the hair before brushing each layer. After thoroughly brushing, run a wide tooth comb through the coat to double-check for any areas you may have missed and to restraighten the hair.

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