10 Mistakes To Avoid As A New Shih Tzu Parent

How can someone not be overwhelmed to see the cuddle pup Shih Tzu running around and chewing things? It is funny and will be adorable until they ruin something important. Yes, if your Shih Tzu training is not proper, there is a high chance that they will grow up to be a disastrous dog!

So, do you want things to be like that? If not, then ensure that you are not making the following mistakes!

Mistakes To Avoid As A New Shih Tzu Parent

1. Not training from an early age

Your Shih Tzu needs proper professional training. This is the only way to ensure that they are behaving properly and trying to listen to others. Or else, they will grow up doing whatever they want, and you will see much more chewing, wasting things, barking, not listening to you and a lot of mood swings.

2. Feeding them now and then

Dogs love to eat! But this certainly doesn’t mean that you will give them food whenever they are making that cute puppy face. This is one of the mistakes new Shih Tzu parents make. Moreover, this can lead to other problems like your Shih Tzu becoming overweight, and that again can cause heart diseases, etc.

3. Not considering their bad behaviour

“They are cute and adorable, how can someone scold them?”

Yes, it is a very common problem. Shih Tzus look so cute that often scolding them is a bit tough. But you have to be strong; otherwise, they will never learn to behave properly. So, when your pet Tzu makes a mistake, do scold them or maybe even some small punishment like not talking for a while will be helpful. Shih Tzu is smart and will understand that whatever they did was wrong.

4. Not treating them properly

Now, the opposite is punishing them for every small thing. It is also, one of the mistakes new Shih Tzu parents make. It can have some adverse effect on your pet. They might end up not doing any activity, fearing that you will punish them. So, don’t be harsh all the time.

5. Not setting limitations

Like you need to teach your children what is right and wrong; what the things they are not supposed to do, etc. It is just the same with your Shih Tzu. You need to set some limitations like not to bark unnecessarily, not to pee or poop inside the house and certainly not to bite!

6. Not socializing properly

They love attention and greeting people. So, it is important to make them socialize with other humans and dogs. One more thing that comes to socializing – they will get closer to you.

7. Not taking care of their health

Another terrible mistake new Shih Tzu parents make is not taking them for regular checkups. Shih Tzu can suffer from many health hazards like an eye infection, breathing trouble and stroke (as they have a lot of hair on their body and that increase their normal body temperature).

8. Not grooming them

As an owner, one of the things you need to do is groom your Shih Tzu. Why? First of all, they have hair and not fur, so most of the time when they shed; it doesn’t fall on the ground rather it sticks to the body. As a result, there can be knots and matting on their body. So, regular brushing can be of great help.

9. Forcing them to do something

This will never work. Shih Tzu is an ancient regal breed, and since then, there is one thing that didn’t change about them is not listening to forceful orders. You can never expect your Shih Tzu to be a watchdog or force them to take care of the house. Rather, they are cuddle bun who loves to get and give affection.

10. Not understanding your pet’s needs

Shih Tzu can get depressed very easily. So make sure you give them all the love and affection they deserve!

So, now you know what mistakes new Shih Tzu parents make, and you can absolutely avoid them.

*Puppy Love*