How to Housebreak a Male Shih Tzu Dog

Trying to housebreak a dog can often seem like a test of wills. Most training methods attempt to rely on simply taking the animal outdoors several times a day and hoping the dog will come to associate being outside with relieving itself. However, if you are not able to walk the dog frequently, you will still have a mess to clean up, and it may set back training. Properly housebreaking a male Shih Tzu only requires an ample supply of newspaper and a room that can be closed off from the rest of the house.

Things You'll Need

  • Newspapers
  • Pet gate
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Instructions

    • 1

      Select a "housebreaking room" that has a door that leads directly outside. The room should also have a door capable of closing the room off from the rest of the house. If you use a room like a kitchen, which commonly does not have interior doors, place a pet gate across the room's entryway.

    • 2

      Cover the entire floor of the housebreaking room with three layers of newspaper. Place bowls of water and food, the animal's bed and several toys in the room.

    • 3

      Sequester the animal in the housebreaking room and do not allow the dog anywhere else in the house until the housebreaking training period has been completed.

    • 4

      Check on the dog as often as possible. For the first three days of the training period, replace soiled newspapers immediately with fresh paper. This teaches the animal to associate the newspaper with the act of relieving itself indoors.

    • 5

      Take the dog outside as often as possible for walks and play time; housebreaking is training, not solitary confinement. Exit the housebreaking room through the room's exterior door whenever taking the dog outside.

    • 6

      Begin the fourth day of training by picking up, but not replacing, soiled sheets of newspaper, leaving the floor bare. The exception is the newspaper at the base of the doorway, which leads outside, should be replaced whenever soiled. As the papered area of the floor disappears, the animal will naturally gravitate to the areas of the floor that are still covered with newspaper.

    • 7

      Observe the dog's toilet patterns. If he continually uses the paper at the base of the exterior door, while other areas of the floor are still covered, you have an advanced student. Remove all other paper, down to the bare floor, except for the sheets at the base of the exterior doorway. However, if the dog continues to use other areas of the floor that are still covered with paper, continue removing the soiled sheets of paper until only the paper at the base of the door remains. This step teaches the dog to associate relieving itself with the door that leads outside.

    • 8

      Remove the final pieces of newspaper from the base of the exterior door after the dog has used the sheets three consecutive times.

    • 9

      Test the dog by keeping him sequestered in the room for two days after all newspaper has been taken up. If the dog does not relieve himself on the bare floor, he can be considered housebroken.