Are there any Shih-tzu whisperers in the house?

[Blue_In_AK]

We have a new Shih-tzu puppy, Yuuko, who is now about four months old. She has a very sweet disposition, but she just loves to jump on people. We can get her temporarily calmed down by flipping her on her back and rubbing her chest, but as soon as we let up she's bouncing around again. I really want to try and break her of this, but I don't like yelling at her because sometimes she'll pee right on the spot if you do, gentle soul that she is.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[badgerpup]

1. Saw on one of the Pet Channel dog shows...

...that Shih Tzus are the hardest to train...IIRC, 'they can take ten repetitions to get the point where most other dogs take two or three'. Doesn't mean they're stupid, just headstrong.
That's a good pic of a very sweet-looking little girl there, BTW...:hi:

Seen on "It's Me or the Dog". YMMV...
When Victoria is at a house with jumpy dogs, she doesn't reward them (chest rubbing) nor does she yell...
and you're right about the peeing, that's a submissive sign.

She makes a sharp "AH-AH!" sound and immediately turns her back, ignoring the dog, cutting it off.
If it jumps on sitting people, same sound, only they immediately stand up, 'dumping' the dog, and again turning away.

The point is 'Dog gets no attention (reward) for bad behavior.'
When the dog gets down, or stops jumping, it is immediately rewarded, both vocally and with a treat (again, this is what I've seen on the program It's Me or the Dog). The "AH-AH!" sound is used as a signal for any behavior you wish to discourage rather than saying/shouting "NO!".
The dog is always immediately rewarded when s/he stops the behavior you don't want.

Eventually they get the point that jumping on people (or whatever the behavior is) gets them ignored, while waiting to asked gets them attention (which is what they really want, even more than treats). You have to be consistent with this...and that's the hard part.

:rant: ALERT...
It's a TV program, so of COURSE it's successful...and the rate of success has a lot to do with the dog's owners.
I'm NOT including you in this, 'K :hi: ?...but some of the people who appear on her program have NO BUSINESS owning a dog...didn't think past "Oh, what a cute puppy!"... and then suddenly they've got a DOG, who hasn't been taught what the limits are, what's expected, what's ACCEPTABLE...and they're out of their depth.

I'm a cat person...but even I can see these dogs aren't really happy even though they are 'in control'...no pack hierarchy, no structure...and that's what they need, that's what they're wired for.
The training doesn't make them sad...may confuse them a bit at first, but they are much more settled and comfortable once they know their place in the pack...so to speak.

[Blue_In_AK]

2. Delete - double post

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I'm a cat person myself. :-)

The puppy is my husband's. We have an old Shih-tzu who will be heading off to doggie heaven here real soon -- so my husband bought the new little girl to kind of overlap so he wouldn't feel too sad when Jax goes. Like I said, she's a very sweet puppy, just really rambunctious. We are both retired and are at home all day, so we've got plenty of time for training. This may fall to me, however, because my husband is such a softie, he kind of lets her get away with stuff, while I don't want to put up with it. I want her to be behaved like my cat, Sugar. :) I'll try this AH-AH thing, remembering that she's stubborn, and we'll see how it works.

Thanks so much for the tips. I'm not in this group much -- I'm a photo groupie -- but I may be back in the future with more "issues."

[Why Syzygy]

7. That will do it.

(Just now read the first two posts :blush: ) That's how I broke Sissy from biting. Turn your back.
They HATE to be ignored/alone. I didn't know about AH AH. I'll implement that too. "No" means nothing to them!

[Why Syzygy]

4. We have a Shih Tzu ..

About six months old. She is the most intelligent dog I've ever encountered. She naturally knows 'fetch'. She is a handful, though. I found some good tips to break her from biting on http://www.ehow.com. They probably offer something for the jumping. I've been blaming the other dogs in the house and her co-owner for her jumping when we come in. That's the only time she jumps on us. We play with her A LOT (fetch and tug a toy (a long toy...short ones will encourage biting)

I see yours has that dirty little chin too :rofl: I wash Sissy's face with a wash cloth daily.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Yes, Yuuko is very good with the "fetch," too.

I didn't even need to teach her. The first time we threw a ball for her, she brought it right back and dropped it in front of us. She's obviously very intelligent, just a little ball of energy though.

Her favorite toy is a Propel bottle with some bolts and pennies inside that my husband put together. She'll chase it around the floor for hours. and it's small enough that she can carry it in her mouth. It's noisy, but it sure keeps her entertained. A couple nights ago she rolled it under the recliner and when she couldn't get it out, she squeezed her little body under the front of the chair and pushed the bottle out with her paw. I thought she was pretty smart to figure that out. Of course, then it took her a while to figure out how to free herself from the tight spot, but she finally crawled out the back.

[Why Syzygy]

6. Sissy loves the bottles!

I keep some of my vitamins on the floor by my computer (because I'm so forgetful). She used to run off with them. I broke her of that, but now when I have an empty, I fill it with cat food and she LOVES it. I have never seen a dog carrying a bottle by the cap like that! I've pulled all sorts of things from her mouth, though. She will eat anything.

The dogs get a little bone cookie after they go out in the mornings. I found one in the litter box when I was using pine, and had found one in my bed? She brings hers into my room. She's learned to jump on the bed. They are excellent jumpers, as you know! She buries under the pillows. Later in the afternoon, she comes back, digs it out, and goes off in the front room to show off that she still has her bone! She came in a little while ago with a meaty bone. Too messy. I wouldn't let her on the bed!

OMG. They are just one amusement after another.

One of my big pony tail holders is missing at the moment. Wonder where she hid it? She licks the moist cat food bowl clean and then carries it off. She spends most of her time in the t.v. room with her primary owner. He wasn't getting up with the dogs early enough to suit her. So, I started taking her and my cat out early when it isn't so hot. She comes to me and I tell her go get Boogie, so she goes and looks for him to go out! They are the best entertainment.

Is this your first Shih Tzu? I never knew how absolutely adorable and amazing they are.

edit: Okay. So now I read above, she is not the first. I have a feeling that they would really enjoy a household with two of them. Same activities. I assume they slow down a lot as they get older? btw, I AM a lab whisperer. Have a natural touch with them. Shih Tzu has been a whole new story.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. No, she's not the first.

Jim got Jax when he was a little bit older, maybe nine months or so. He had been abused, but Jim has always treated him like a king, so he's been real good for us. He's in kind of sad shape, though. In Texas, where my husband lived before we got married, Jax got fire ants in one of his eyes and lost it; also his jaw was broken by the former owners, so he's lost most of his teeth, too. Now, he's got tumors on his butt, and he's getting old so ... like I said, doggie heaven is looming in his future. Yuuko just wants him to play and she climbs all over him, which he doesn't much care for, but now that she's a little older she's not quite so pushy.

Here's a picture of Jax with my husband's mother, who passed away on the 14th. It's been a hard month for my dear husband.

[Why Syzygy]

9. OMG.

It breaks my heart into a billion pieces to think of someone hurting one of these dogs. They are the sweetest creatures imaginable. They LOVE so much. :cry: