3 Best Ways to Stop Shih Tzu Dogs from Biting

What can you do with an aggressive Shih Tzu?

Stop Shih Tzu Dogs from Biting. A lot of dog trainers seem to concur that the Shih Tzu breed is among the hardest dogs to train. Although some dogs could learn tricks straightaway, Shih Tzus tend to take weeks up to months just to learn a single trick. This isn’t to say that Shih Tzus are dumb; they’re just stubborn and typically stuck in their ways. These dogs enjoy the company of people but like to pick the way they would interact with them. Shih Tzus are independent and strong spirited dogs and want to exercise their right to be so. So, how can you prevent it if your Shih Tzu pet should start to bite people?

Biting vs. Nipping

Biting and nipping are usually used interchangeably. Nevertheless, there’s a huge distinction between the two, and knowing how your dog is behaving would help tell you how to react.

Nipping

Nipping is quick snaps of the dog’s jaw. If you move out of its way fast enough, this might be in the air, and you would see the teeth clacking together. Blood is seldom drawn, or if so, it would only be due to a tiny scratch or small puncture.

Biting

An acute aggression problem where the Shih Tzu locks his jaw down onto someone. Their teeth sink into the person’s skin. Blood is drawn due to a deeper puncture.

Even though a Shih Tzu is little, this is an aggressive action that rightfully scares their owners.

Stop Shih Tzu Dogs from Biting

Why Do Shih Tzus Bite

Adult dogs that bite people present more of an issue than pups, as it is tougher to point a finger on the reason why an older dog starts to bite. There could be a lot of physical issues for dog biting and ensuring that your Shih is not in pain before re-training is crucial. When your veterinarian has confirmed that your Shih Tzu is free from pain, you could start to rectify the biting problem.

What If the Dog is Aggressive?

Although it’s rather unusual for a Shih Tzu to be extremely aggressive, each dog is different and thus has different traits and personalities. You might wind up with a fierce and snappy Shih Tzu, and it would be in your hands to you to train your dog not to be aggressive towards people. Fortunately, you probably would not have as much issue managing your Shih Tzu’s aggression behavior problems as much as you would if you’re handling a bigger and more powerful dog breed.

Nevertheless, always keep in mind that all dogs could bite and break the skin. Don’t be tricked by the tiny size of your dog. Always manage your dog’s aggressive behavior responsibly. Determine what it is that triggers your Shih Tzu; if your dog doesn’t like to see strangers, then you can try your best to desensitize him or her by having different people hand him or her tasty treats.

Withdraw Love and Affection

Among the many things you might need to understand early on in pet ownership is never to reward negative behavior, ever. If your Shih Tzu bites and behaves badly, then the last thing you’d want to do is show him or her any kind of affection whatsoever. You can completely withdraw your affection and love and turn your attention away from your Shih Tzu.

You must show your pet that you would not condone his or her aggressive behavior. If your dog doesn’t have psychological issues, this should do the trick after making your dog understand the kind of negative behavior that stops the party.

However, if your Shih Tzu carries on with this behavior regardless of what efforts you make to rectify his or her behavior, then you might want to accept the possibility that you have an unstable pet who suffers from an aggressive disorder.

Contact a Dog Behaviorist

Like other people, dogs could also have emotional and mental troubles. These disorders could sometimes be brought about by trauma that happened when he/she was just a pup. Dog psychologists and behaviorists are knowledgeable and trained to assess the body language of your Shih Tzu to identify what’s wrong with them.

In fact, some dogs could wind up on prescription medications for depression, anxiety, and a string of other mental issues. For instance, a Shih Tzu who suffers from thunder anxiety could be given a small dose of Xanax just before the bad weather happens. Of course, a vet should be the one to tell whether or not your dog would benefit from prescriptions or not. You should not give your dog pills that were not prescribed by his or her veterinarian.

Your Shih Tzu Reacts to Your Emotions

One huge mistake that dog owners with aggressive dogs commit is that they would get too stressed out themselves when dealing with their dogs. If you own a Shih Tzu that you know becomes agitated and aggressive when strangers walk up to them, then you’re bound to get anxious at first sight of a stranger.

Consequently, this would set your dog off. As a pet owner, you must learn to stay calm and train yourself not to react negatively around your Shih Tzu. Of course, this isn’t an easy thing to do, particularly if you’re already an anxious person, but you’ve got to try. Your Shih Tzu would stay a lot calmer if you would, so you need to work on your own emotions when dealing with a Shih Tzu that tends to bite.

A lot of people neglect the fact that small dogs, like Shih Tzus, could bite just as well as big dogs. Smaller dogs actually tend more to become hostile and aggressive than other larger breed dogs. The only issue is that it’s typically seen as cute or funny. You might even find it funny unless you’re on the receiving end of a small dog’s bite. However, the fact of the matter is that no one should take dog bites lightly.

As a Shih Tzu owner, the burden is yours to keep your canine friend and the people your dog encounters safe. It’s very important for your safety, your family’s, your dog’s and everyone that aggressive behavior is curbed the soonest possible time.