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HOUSE TRAINING:
Training one to go outside shouldn’t be too difficult if you are persistent and do not expect the puppy to hold it too long. You will want to take a young puppy out 3 or 4 times throughout the day. When they get older 2-3 should be enough. You should crate it at night and then always begin the day with taking it out first thing. (This is also a good time to feed the puppy). When it has been out and pottied then you can bring it in and give it some liberty in the house but it is good to constantly monitor them so they don’t slip off and potty. After the puppy plays a while you can crate it to rest. Continue to repeat this cycle until the routine of going out to potty is established and you see you are able to trust them to not potty in the house. If you are gone several hours during the day, it may take longer to achieve 100%. Punishment isn’t the way to train a Shih Tzu. Praise and treats for when they go in the right place should help achieve results pretty quick as your puppy really wants to please you. The crate should not be used as a punishment and toys should always be present in its crate. Also have a water bottle attached so it can have water. Your puppy will need a lot of rest the first several weeks; ideally in a crate or small area. Always provide them a clean blanket or doggy bed. If you buy a crate be sure to buy one that will be large enough accommodate your Shih Tzu when it gets grown so you won’t have to purchase another one. It will be useful for Vet. visits and other car trips. It’s best to keep your puppy in the crate or hold your puppy at a Vets. Office until its time for the examination as you never know what they could come in contact with. Make sure they are kept warm and don’t get chilled or don’t get to hot.
(I strongly advise waiting until 2 weeks after the second puppy shot is given (given @12 wks) before taking them on to grounds other than your own. This gives the system time to develop antigens to protect against the diseases the shot was given to protect against. And still avoid given them access to grounds that has been frequented by unknown animals. It takes a while for a young puppy to develop full immunity. Never take them where any unknown dogs have been until 18 weeks of age which is 2 weeks after that last puppy shot. The exposure can be deadly to a puppy whose immune system is not mature.)
Training one to go outside shouldn’t be too difficult if you are persistent and do not expect the puppy to hold it too long. You will want to take a young puppy out 3 or 4 times throughout the day. When they get older 2-3 should be enough. You should crate it at night and then always begin the day with taking it out first thing. (This is also a good time to feed the puppy). When it has been out and pottied then you can bring it in and give it some liberty in the house but it is good to constantly monitor them so they don’t slip off and potty. After the puppy plays a while you can crate it to rest. Continue to repeat this cycle until the routine of going out to potty is established and you see you are able to trust them to not potty in the house. If you are gone several hours during the day, it may take longer to achieve 100%. Punishment isn’t the way to train a Shih Tzu. Praise and treats for when they go in the right place should help achieve results pretty quick as your puppy really wants to please you. The crate should not be used as a punishment and toys should always be present in its crate. Also have a water bottle attached so it can have water. Your puppy will need a lot of rest the first several weeks; ideally in a crate or small area. Always provide them a clean blanket or doggy bed. If you buy a crate be sure to buy one that will be large enough accommodate your Shih Tzu when it gets grown so you won’t have to purchase another one. It will be useful for Vet. visits and other car trips. It’s best to keep your puppy in the crate or hold your puppy at a Vets. Office until its time for the examination as you never know what they could come in contact with. Make sure they are kept warm and don’t get chilled or don’t get to hot.
(I strongly advise waiting until 2 weeks after the second puppy shot is given (given @12 wks) before taking them on to grounds other than your own. This gives the system time to develop antigens to protect against the diseases the shot was given to protect against. And still avoid given them access to grounds that has been frequented by unknown animals. It takes a while for a young puppy to develop full immunity. Never take them where any unknown dogs have been until 18 weeks of age which is 2 weeks after that last puppy shot. The exposure can be deadly to a puppy whose immune system is not mature.)