Just About Jacks

Every shih tzu owner will naturally want their pet to be an amiable companion that can handle a variety of social situations. But in any case, the least reason any shih tzu owner can have for getting their shih tzu well-socialized as a puppy ought to be to prevent the fostering of a fear biting response. Some animals simply mature into mistrustful adults due to many experiences of being afraid. Being dogs, they come to deal with all situations with hackles raised and teeth bared since they are too tense to understand.

Towards the end of a socially-adjusted shih tzu, there are plenty of practical Shih Tzu training tips you can do to initiate contact with other people. An example is to bring your dog to a place that people frequent everyday for the first 3 months since you got it. Even if the place is just a new corner of the same park, what is important is the new smells and new people that the dog gets to familiarize itself with every day. In the long run, your dog gets to realize that new things will always be encountered often, so there is no need for it to get excited.

Obviously, your shih tzu will meet dogs that present a reason for anxiety, more than curiosity and positive learning. But the last thing you need to do is to go to your dog’s rescue each time a more imposing dog walks by. Otherwise, your dog learns that it’s alright to be scared at the presence of any larger dog, and that it’s you in charge of protecting it.

In order to have a better control of what may happen, greet the owner of the large dog to have a hint of how friendly they are. If not, you can walk on the other side of the street. Otherwise, allow the dogs to meet and greet as they should.

Moreover, if your dog is coming into contact with other dogs, the best thing is to allow the excitement to pass on its own; there is no need to get overly worried about the noise they create. To dogs, size is not the only determinant of superiority. Shih tzus don’t tend toward dominance, but males will want to throw their weight around. So noise is to be expected, but it is really part and parcel of how they establish order. But for a dog with shitzu training, it’s basically a question of good manners.

But you should take even more care in case your dog meets the rough-housing type of kids. The case with children is that few of them actually know when the pulling and hitting is getting too much. Thus, children must never be allowed to meet shih tzus without an adult companion. They certainly can become fast friends, but it takes time.