Q&A for How to Potty Train a Shih Tzu

A one-year-old is likely to have established bad habits, and although it will be tough, it's perfectly possible to train it. Thoroughly deodorize any existing toilet spots in the house. Do this daily for 2 - 3 weeks so that there's no chance of lingering odors. Supervise the dog at all times indoors, and if necessary, keep it on a leash so you can spot signs of needing to toilet and rush the dog outside. Stay with the dog outdoors, and give lots of praise and fuss when it does its business in the right place.

There's no harm in using reward-based training to make 'Sit' into a game from an early age. While a pup is unlikely to learn 'Sit' at 8 weeks, don't be afraid to engage it in simple exercises. All dogs learn at different rates, but it's acknowledged that from around 12 weeks they are capable of learning simple commands. Starting the learning process at this young age helps to establish a mindset which has the dog listening to you and your commands.

This is age dependent. Up to 3 months of age, offer 4 meals a day. Between 3 and 6 months, give 3 meals a day, then after that, give 1 or 2 meals a day as per their preference.

Shih Tzu aren't the quickest dogs to potty train. When the rules are applied consistently, it can take around 4-6 weeks, when starting from 8 weeks of age. The later training is left, and the more bad habits the pup has developed, the longer it takes.

An adult Shih Tzu should be able to hold their bladder overnight. For pups, the rule of thumb is 1 hour for each month of age, plus an hour. So for a 3 month pup, this is 4 hours.

Shih Tzu have a reputation for being tricky to toilet train. Part of this is because they are low to the ground so it's difficult to spot when they squat. They can also be slow learners, but with consistency and patience, you will get there.

Yes, they are a stubborn breed, but if you train them properly and consistently they will be very obedient.

It depends. When my shih Tzu was a puppy it only needed it every few weeks. So, it's your choice if it's dirty enough or not.

Sure! Most puppies take interest in solid foods/treats around three to four weeks old, so that should be just fine.

Yes just make sure that there isn't much water in the tub/sink and afterwards make sure to keep him dry and warm since he is so young.

Yes, it's possible. To teach her to go outside, whenever she needs to go set her outside on where she usually goes. Even if she doesn't need to, set her on the spot over and over to see if she'll go. Even if she doesn't, she'll know it's a good idea. There are also a few videos on that subject.

Simply ignore the dog and keep putting it back in the crate and ignoring again and again. Yes, it will be annoying, but it will help the dog learn that it doesn't get rewarded when it whines and it instead just gets ignored. At the same time, make sure you reward the good behaviors. When it is quiet for a minute, give it a treat and praise it. As soon as it starts whining again, ignore and stop yourself from yelling at it and saying no. This way it learns that it will get nowhere from crying, and gets rewarded when it is quiet.

Take her outside morning, afternoon and night and wait until she pees. Reward her for peeing outside and scold her for peeing inside. Also, she may not be doing it on purpose. As female dogs age they lose some control on their bladders. You could take her to the vet and get estrogen pills for her to help her with her bladder control.

Dogs are essentially den animals. They don't like to potty where they sleep. Use this to your advantage by getting a crate or kennel that is just big enough for the dog (i.e. no room to potty in one corner and sleep in the other), and confine your dog to the crate when you are not watching it. When you let the dog out of the kennel, pick it up and carry it outside immediately. When it goes outside, give it praise and a treat. This is positive potty training. It teaches the dog that outside is the right place to go, instead of teaching it not to let you see it potty.

Try putting the pad outside in the spot where the dog normally does its "business." This way, the associates the pad with toilet time. When the dog goes outside, point to the pad and use the command that you give them to signify it being time to go. When it uses the pad, even if it only gets a little on there, reward the dog and praise it. Once this works, move the pad inside and continue.

No. A puppy will become stressed and depressed if left in a craft for more than a couple of hours at a time. This can lead to all kinds of health problems for your puppy, and it's cruel as well.

Daily brushing and combing will remove much of the daily dust, and spread out the frequency of bathing. You don't even need to bathe every week.

Yes! once they are 8 weeks old it is the best age, so they get rid of bad habits and learn good ones young.

Your Shih Tzu puppy can begin potty training as soon as he arrives in your home, however, he will get it easier the older he gets. Your puppy can hold his bladder for about one hour for every month he is old. So, if you are bringing home a 3-month-old pup, he can hold it for about 3 hours.