Shih Tzu Puppy Training

Hi everyone,

The very fact that you are a Shih Tzu puppy owner shows that you are a ‘special breed’ just like your adorable Shih Tzu. Your puppy is more than just another dog. He or she is one of the family – your baby. Being separated from your baby can be a traumatic experience leading to separation anxiety for both you and your puppy. At best this can simply be an annoyance causing your puppy to make a fuss and bark when you leave the house. However, if allowed to escalate, your puppy may begin to make a mess, begin barking incessantly for hours, or even cause destruction within your home when you leave. Clearly this can be a problem, but one that can be overcome with some simple Shih Tzu puppy training methods.

If you need further help with Dog Separation Anxiety then I recommend you check out:

Dealing with dog Separation Anxiety

Shih Tzu Puppy Training – What Causes Dog Separation Anxiety?

Your lovely little puppy is essentially a pack animal that feels a direct attachment to you, their master. So when you leave the house, it is instinctive for them to become anxious and grow agitated. However, most of the anxiety that they feel is caused by the attachment of specific actions that you take to your absence. While your puppy does not like it when you leave, there is no direct reason that they should become so anxious.

Anxiety occurs because you give them attention before and after you leave or you go through the same routine every morning. The resulting behaviour of your puppy is reinforced on a daily basis so they cannot control their anxious feelings when you leave the house.

Shih Tzu Puppy Training – How to Help Reduce Dog Separation Anxiety

There are many ways that Shih Tzu Puppy Training can help to reduce the anxiety your puppy feels when you leave the house. Here are a few of the easiest Shih Tzu Puppy training methods.

Change Your Routine – A good Shih Tzu Puppy Training tip is to start by changing your morning routine. If your puppy starts acting strange the second your alarm clock goes off, they have tagged that sound to the process of you leaving the house. Get up at different times, get dressed earlier, take your keys down before you leave and wait for a while. Little variations will reduce pre-leaving anxiety.

Don’t Reinforce It – When you pet your puppy before you leave or lavish them with attention when you get home, you’re only reinforcing the behaviour. The easiest way to reduce dog separation anxiety is to remove the association between your comings and goings and their attention. I know this may be difficult but try to ignore your puppy for 10-15 minutes when you get home, don’t pet them when you leave and stop giving in when they make sad noises or faces. This kind of Shih Tzu Puppy Training can be practiced with crate training or putting your puppy in a separate room in your house then leaving and coming back in intervals.

Building Up to Longer Times – If your puppy grows anxious the second you walk out the door, start working on leaving the house for shorter periods of time. Leave for a few seconds and then come back. Dog separation anxiety can be treated with some subtle Shih Tzu Puppy Training startegies by changing your puppy’s expectations for how long you’ll be gone and when you’ll return. If they see you are coming back each time, you can stretch out how long you are able to leave each time.

Being ‘Cruel to be Kind’

Many people feel that the solutions to anxiety are cruel to the dog. In reality, you are helping your puppy to relax and know that you are not only coming home but that you are in charge of the domain and there is no reason for them to feel that anxiety. Using these Shih Tzu Puppy Training methods will helpto reduce dog separation anxiety, which is good for their health – both physical and mental.

Shih Tzu Puppy Training – Further Help

If your puppy has prolonged, severe anxiety problems, it is important to address these right away. Even if they merely get upset and don’t destroy anything when you leave, you can greatly reduce their feelings of abandonment if you teach them not to associate your comings and goings with the pack order and their survival.

For more help with Dog Separation Anxiety I recommend you check out:

Dealing with dog Separation Anxiety

Until next time.

Lady Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu Puppy Training

Tags: Separation Anxiety, shih tzu puppy, shih tzu puppy training