"At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet."Plato
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Airedale Terrier History & Breeder Information
The Airedale Terrier originated from the Aire Dale in Yorkshire, England. Commonly referred to as 'Airedales' these large dogs were originally bred to hunt otters, but their versatility allows them to meet most challenges. The Airedale's size ranges from ...
Dogs- Identifying and Curing Heartworms
Does your pet dog suffer from heartworms? Dog heartworm is a common disease among canines in the United States. Discovered in 1856, the worms mainly live in your dog's heart and major blood vessels. The worms, especially on worst cases, seriously ...
Fun Dog Activities
Fun Dog Activities All dog breeds were developed for a purpose. Some breeds were developed to herd sheep, some to hunt game, and some to pull sleds. Dogs, like humans, enjoy having a purpose in life. Dogs like to lead a structured life and be able to ...
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Coming when called is a vital skill that every shih tzu must learn, both for its own safety and that of those around it. A disobedient shih tzu that refuses to come when called could easily be hit by a car, get into a fight with another shih tzu, or suffer a variety of other bad experiences. A well trained shih tzu that comes when called can safely be taken out to play in the local park, at the beach, on the hiking trail, or anywhere else the owner and shih tzu may wish to go.
Basic training to come when called is relatively easy and straightforward, and involves providing praise, treats and other perks when the shih tzu does as his owner wants. After these basic come when called training exercises are mastered, there are a number of fun exercises that can be introduced to challenge the shih tzu and pique its interest.
Making training into a fun game is one of the best ways to motivate shih tzu and handler alike. It is easy for training sessions to become routine and boring, and it is important to keep them from degenerating into this state.
Before beginning any food based training exercise, it is important to make sure that the shih tzu is properly motivated and ready to respond to treat based training. Testing the shih tzu is simply a matter of taking a piece of his regular food and waving it in front of the shih tzu's nose. If the shih tzu shows great enthusiasm for the food, it is ready to start the training. If not, it is best to wait until the shih tzu is in a more receptive mood.
The treats that work best for treat based training games like hide and seek are cut up quarter inch or smaller pieces of chicken, cheese or liver. In other words, something your dog will love. It is best to use very small pieces to avoid overfeeding the shih tzu during the training sessions.
One great game for you and another family member or friend to play with your shih tzu is simply back and forth recall. This is a great exercise for teaching your shih tzu to come whenever it is called by
a member of the family. Shih Tzu often learn to only respond to one person, and this can be a problem when other people are watching the shih tzu. That is one reason why professional shih tzu trainers always insist on working with the owner as well as the shih tzu. A well trained dog must learn to respond to whoever is in charge, not just the owner or usual handler.
In the back and forth recall game, two or more people stand approximately ten yards apart, in a safe place like a fenced in yard. One person calls the shih tzu and asks him to sit and say until another person asks the shih tzu to come. When the shih tzu responds to the command to come, it is rewarded with a treat. Most shih tzu respond wonderfully to this exercise and love playing this game. When playing the back and forth recall game, it is important that only the person who called the shih tzu be allowed to give the shih tzu a treat.
After the shih tzu has mastered the back and forth recall game, the humans in the game can start to spread further out, thus turning the back and forth recall game into a fun game of hide and seek. The hide and seek game starts with two or more people in the center room of the house. Every time they call the shih tzu to come, they spread out further away from where they started. As the game continues, one person will be at one end of the house, while another may be at the opposite end. What makes the hide and seek game so much fun for the shih tzu is that he must seek out the person to get the treat, instead of simply running up to a person in plain sight. This type of seeking behavior appeals to many of the shih tzu's natural instincts. After all, dogs are naturally hunting animals, and seeking out food is second nature to them.
About the author:
Connie Limon is a shih tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com
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