Training Your Shih Tzu. J. Walker

case. If you make sure that training sessions do not remotely resemble work, your Shih Tzu will likely respond to them quite enthusiastically.

      When working with a rescued Shih Tzu, be aware of potential “hot spots,” areas on his body where the dog seems to be hypersensitive to touch. Painful experiences, such as being struck or grabbed roughly by the collar, will remain in a dog’s memory for a very long time. If you find an area where your dog dislikes being touched, check with your veterinarian to make sure that your Shih Tzu is physically okay. If there is no underlying injury or disease that is causing pain, and you can pretty much narrow down the abnormal behavior as a response to touch or handling, then approach training keeping this in mind.

      The beauty of positive, reward-based training is that even the sensitive dog can be trained without being touched. As your adopted dog gains trust in you (and you in him) and his confidence levels rise, you will be able to handle him with fewer and fewer problems. He may never quite overcome his sensitivity to being touched in a certain area, but he will tolerate you touching him.

      For most rehomed Shih Tzu, however, over-training or poor training aren’t the issues; it’s usually that the dog was turned over to a rescue or shelter because of a lack of training. Though working with an untrained adult dog can be challenging at first, once you’ve got the ball rolling and the adult dog begins to understand what this training thing is, she tends to learn very quickly.

      Working on basic commands is extremely helpful in gently establishing who is the leader in your home. Training prevents a pushy Shih Tzu from becoming the self-appointed boss of the home. The more time you put in to your dog’s training, the deeper your bond will be with your dog.

      Older dogs benefit from the mental stimulation that training can provide.