Cats, Dogs and other Pets

Housebreaking a Shih Tzu can be one of the most difficult things you will ever try to do and many people find it the most frustrating thing about owning a Shih Tzu. Shih Tzu dogs are very independent thinkers and prefer to do things their own way.

So do not be surprised when tasks like housebreaking seem to take forever because remember that you are on the dog’s schedule and not yours. This is probably why some people resort to Shih Tzu litter box training as opposed to waiting for their dog to be housebroken. Right off the bat, let us say that the litter box for a Shih Tzu should be an absolute last resort and that you may want to exercise more patience while trying to house break your Shih Tzu before you turn to a litter box. Even a well trained and responsive Shih Tzu can take up to six months to learn how to go where you want it to, so even if you are three months into it and your Shih Tzu doesn’t seem to get it you need to hang in there because it just takes time. A litter box should be your absolute last resort. Due to their behavioral patterns it is very much worth repeating that you may want to develop patience with a Shih Tzu in regards to housebreaking before you resort to using a litter box. A Shih Tzu will look at your entire house as a territory and if you let it know that it is okay to relieve itself in the house anywhere then it may not always associate that activity with the Shih Tzu litter box training. It is still much more beneficial to get the dog to understand that, for bathroom needs, outside is good and inside is bad. 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 Shih Tzu litter box training is the way you want to go then get a large enough litter box and put it where your Shih Tzu has been soiling the most in your house. If you have been trying to housebreak your Shih Tzu correctly then this will probably be somewhere near the living area you set aside for them. 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.

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