Advice On Shih Tzu Litter Box Training
The Shih Tzu is a proud and regal breed of dog that would prefer to do things their own way rather than listen to any one else, including you. You can imagine that a dog with that kind of an attitude will probably be difficult to train and that includes housebreaking. It takes patience and many Shih Tzu owners turn to Shih Tzu litter box training when regular housebreaking does not work. You may want to give it a little time before you break out the litter box.
Even in the best case scenario a Shih Tzu can take up to six months to learn how to go where you want it to, so if you are only a couple of months into the process and it does not be working you need to be patient. You are going to want to try everything you can to housebreak your Shih Tzu, and allow it all of the time it needs, before you even think about a litter box.
Your Shih Tzu is a very stubborn dog and it does not always associate everything the way you would want it to. To your dog, Shih Tzu litter box training may be an invitation to go to the bathroom anywhere in the house as opposed to just the litter box. This is why you should not give up on the standard housebreaking methods for your Shih Tzu, as litter box training might make the situation much worse.
A Shih Tzu can grow to pretty big sizes even for a toy breed and that can be a big problem if you are considering Shih Tzu litter box training. A larger dog is not going to adapt well to a litter box and could wind up making a huge mess rather than the controlled chaos you are hoping for. Ask your breeder or your vet if they think your Shih Tzu may be too big for litter box training.
If you really want to start Shih Tzu litter box training then place a large litter box in the part of your house that your Shih Tzu has been soiling the most. Praise it profusely when it uses that litter box. but do not punish it when it does not use it. Punishment confuses a Shih Tzu and causes any training already completed to have to be done over. Watch your Shih Tzu and take it to the litter box when it displays the signs of getting ready to go to the bathroom, like sniffing in a spot or circling.
A litter box is not the answer to housebreaking and it can more than likely undo old housebreaking training and prevent any further housebreaking. Use the litter box as a very last resort but have the same dedication to litter box training as you had with housebreaking because this process may take a lot longer than standard housebreaking.
You can use this article as a helpful supplement to your Shih Tzu training. This article also makes a great supplement to dog training books.
