How to Potty Train a Shihtzu

Keep your puppy close by, either on a leash tied close by to a chair or table in the area of the house you are in or in a room with a baby gate or small puppy pin area. Place bedding and chew toys in this area. During a potty training period, your puppy should not have access to the entire house. Every hour, take your puppy to outside to a chosen "bathroom area" and repeat the words to go to the bathroom that you have chosen. Once she eliminates, give her a treat, praise her and take her inside. Keep repeating this until your puppy has gotten the hang of things, and remember that patience is key.

Choose a specific area outside where your puppy will go to the bathroom. You can even tell her, "Go potty" or another word or phrase of your choice. Eventually, most dogs will pick up on these words and come to know what they mean. After she goes to the bathroom outside, it is very import to praise her and tell her, "Good dog!" Dogs will understand the tone of your voice and when you are happy. Give her a small treat every time she uses the bathroom outside. She will eventually learn to correlate this reward with going to the restroom outside. Be realistic in your expectations of your puppy. Remember, she is learning.

Establish a routine potty training schedule and maintain this. This step is extremely important. Many people who do not stick to a schedule when training their shih tzu report house training to be challenging. A shih tzu, like many animals, will adjust best when they are on a schedule. It is important to keep a watchful eye on your shih tzu during potty training. She is still learning her way and it is important to be patient. According to the website DogObedienceTrainingReview, there is no time frame that potty training should take place within -- it is an individual matter. Accidents will happen and you must be aware of this. You can purchase puppy pads and keep them in the house for times that you may not be able to get your puppy outside in time. Keep a pet-safe carpet cleaner handy for the occasional accident during potty training.

Purchase a crate for your puppy and place warm, soft bedding in it. Purchase a large crate that will be big enough for them when they have finished growing. Crate training is a method that works well for many dogs. Dogs are by nature "den" animals. Their crate will come to be their safe place and their own space. The crate must never be used for discipline if your dog has an accident in the house or chews up your shoes, for example. The crate should be associated with positivity. When you need to leave the house, you can give your dog a small treat and lead her to her crate. She can stay here for a few hours, but try not to leave her alone for more than four hours in her crate without a potty break. This is especially important for puppies, as they are unable to hold their bladder for long periods of time.