Ah your very own Ewok… a beautiful Shih Tzu puppy what a great choice. Your Shih Tzu puppy will bring you tremendous joy and brighten anyone’s day with their cute little quirks.
To help you on your journey, in this Shih Tzu puppy training guide, we’ll set out everything you need to tackle over the next 8 weeks with your pup.
We’ll cover socialisation exercises, teach you some basic life skills and go through the grooming and husbandry you’ll want to do with your Shih Tzu puppy.
For a full programme where you’ll know how to train your puppy every day, download the Zigzag puppy app. We’ll teach you how to have the best-behaved dog in town. We also give you access to a team of professional dog trainers. They’ll be able to answer all of your Shih Tzu related questions.
What age can I start to train my Shih Tzu puppy?
There’s no time like the present so as soon as you bring your Shih Tzu puppy home, you can begin to train them. Even when they’re tiny puppies like a Shih Tzus, yes! You see, puppies’ brains are far larger than we realise. Despite their babyness, they can process and learn so much that they will be eager to start training. The earlier you begin training with your Shih Tzu pup, the better.
What do I need to train my Shih Tzu?
You don’t need much, but we recommend investing in the following equipment to train your Shih Tzu puppy
- A treat pouch – Shih Tzus are quite a food motivated breed, so having a treat pouch will mean you have easy access to treats as you need them.
- A soft collar – Nothing too heavy that might cause knots to form in your Shih Tzu’s beautiful soft coat
- A harness – One that doesn’t pull or tighten when it’s on your puppy, and they’re walking.
- A 2 metre training lead – So that your Shih Tzu has room to sniff
- A piece of non-slip vet bed or a soft mat – this will come in handy when going out for lovely lunches where you want your pup to settle near you
- Treats – The more smelly, the better. We’ve written more about treats here.
- Two identical toys – Great for swaps. Shih Tzus love to play!
- A soft slicker grooming brush and a comb – your Shih Tzu will need quite a bit of grooming as their hair will get knotty once it grows. Yes, they’re worth it.
- A crate and playpen – Optional, but pretty handy if you ask us. It will give you a puppy-proofed place to put your little fur ball when you can’t supervise them.
Good to know about training Shih Tzu puppies
Now we know all too well a dog is a dog is a dog…but did you realise that breed differences do affect how we train them? Well, Now you know. Let’s look at where they initially came from to understand how Shih Tzus’ minds function and what drives them.
What are Shih Tzu puppies bred for?
Shih Tzus were originally from Tibet, but many were sent to China as presents. This explains why we frequently mistake them for being a Chinese breed.
Originally bred exclusively as companion dogs, these ‘Little Lion Dogs’ became so popular with American military stationed in Europe during the 1940s and 1950s that they brought them home and ShihTzus became a solid favourite across the country. It’s hardly surprising, who can resist them?
What does this have to do with how I train my Shih Tzu?
Being a companion dog we might think that looking fancy is all a Shih Tzu does. But while Shih Tzus are primarily companion dogs, they also love doing all kinds of ‘doggy things’!
Behind all of that glamorous shi-shi hair lies an athletic and muscular dog, who enjoys exercise, chasing toys, sniffing, enjoying the outdoors and experiencing the world. Becoming a couch potato is not an option they love to be on the go.
Overview of the training programme and topics we’ll cover
In this Shih Tzu puppy training guide, we’ll teach you about life skills training. This is what we tend to think of as manners or obedience exercises. They’re things which just make life with any dog, including Shih Tzus, easier as they learn how to behave in a human’s world using positive reinforcement training.
- Sitting
- Lying down
- Learning their name
- Coming when you call them
- Walking nicely on a lead
- Playing fetch
- Sleeping in their crate
- Coping with being left alone
- Going to the toilet in the right place
We’ll also be covering socialisation, plus grooming and husbandry. These things will teach your puppy to cope with the sounds and sights around them and teach you how to groom them, brush their teeth, and handle them.
How we build this programme:Push Drop Stick
‘Push Drop Stick’ can help avoid problems with training by systematically raising difficulty: It will keep your puppy winning enough times to keep them interested and not quit, but not so much that they aren’t thinking about how to be rewarded by trying harder.
How does it work?
By doing 5 repetitions of an exercise, we are going to keep track of how many the dog gets right. Based on how they perform, we’re going to choose whether to do which of the following:
Push – 5 out of 5 correct – Go to the next level of difficulty (raise criteria)
Drop – 1 or 2 out of 5 correct – Back to the previous level of difficulty (drop criteria)
Stick – 3 or 4 out of 5 correct – Stay at the current level of difficulty (stay with current criteria)
Week 1 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
Your first week of training your Shih Tzu puppy will be all about teaching them that there are things they can do that bring fabulous rewards. By training this way using positive reinforcement, they’ll turn into confident and well-behaved little dogs.
In the first week, we’ll dive straight intosocialisation exercises,training and husbandry tasks.
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Let your puppy explore the garden – Teach your puppy about surfaces | – Name – Sit – Recall – Retrieve – Crate Training – Toilet Training – Alone Training | – Brushing – Hand Touch |
Sleep training
Hate to say it, but you probably won’t be sleeping incredibly well for the next few weeks – Shih Tzu puppies take a while to have full control of their bladder, so you can prepare to sleep with one eye open for now. They like to know where we are at night. Sleeping with them in your bedroom at first will help avoid many nighttime problems.
For more information, read our guides on how to get a puppy to sleep through the night, and how to get your Shih Tzu puppy into a perfect night time routine.
Alone training
Shih Tzus are companion dogs, so they’re designed to want human company, it’s what makes them so loveable, but it also means you should start home alone training as soon as possible.
We don’t need them to feel fearful when you’re not around, so only work at an easy level they can start with.
Read our full guide on how long you can leave your puppy alone for.
Toilet training
Shih Tzu puppies have small bladders and will need to go to the toilet frequently. They love to please you, so toilet training is usually not too much of a problem. Be patient, though, toilet training takes at least a few weeks for most puppies.
Read our full guide to puppy toilet training to learn how to toilet train your Shih Tzu.
Socialisation exercises to do this week
Socialisation is a process that teaches your puppy about the world. It exposes them to novelty while in a sensitive period when they’re extra receptive to learning.
Let’s try these two exercises this week to introduce your puppy to the outside world. They probably can’t go out for walks yet, but you can still start exposing them to new things, do it slowly, don’t overwhelm them and they’ll grow up to be confident dogs.
- Letting your Shih Tzu puppy explore the garden
- Teach your puppy about surfaces
Read our full guide to Socialising your puppy to learn about your puppy’s socialisation window, and what it means.
Training to do this week
We’ll start this Shih Tzu puppy training guide with some basic and foundational exercises that your puppy will need to learn.
Click the links for the full explanations of the exercises, and don’t forget your treats!
- Teach your Shih Tzu their name – this is the first thing we’ll need to teach so that your puppy learns to listen to you. It also forms the first part of a recall and gets their attention from afar.
- Teach your Shih Tzu puppy to sit – many puppies come with a kind of sit already. Shih Tzus are so small that when they look up at you adoringly, they kinda have to sit anyway!
- Recall – how to teach your Shih Tzu puppy to come back when called – this is an essential exercise so that you can safely let your puppy off lead when you’re at the park.
- Retrieve/fetch – Shih Tzus are playful, so while retrieving may not come as natural to them as other breeds, they will adore playing with you. Choose small soft toys that they can pick up easily.
Preventing resource guarding
Resource guarding is not usually a problem with Shih Tzus, but they will probably pick up everything and put it in their mouths. If you mishandle this and don’t offer a positive experience with plenty of swaps, it can develop into a resource guarding problem.
Read our full resource guarding guide to learn all about it, and how to prevent it from happening.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
Handling is the first husbandry exercise you’ll want to do with your Shih Tzu puppy. They need to learn that they will be touched and checked over by the Vet, and that later on, you’ll be grooming them.
Week 2 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
We’re two weeks into this Shih Tzu training guide. They say it takes 3 weeks to build a habit so let’s keep going, and you’ll find your way.
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Fireworks – Watch the world go by outside your house – Play dress up – Sit in the car – Invite friends over | – Alone Training – Crate Training – Toilet Training – Name – in garden – Recall – cue word – Fetch – Drop -Sit – add a cue word – Leadwalking | – Grooming |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
Shih Tzus can bark at noises, so teaching them that noises are nothing to be alarmed about will be part of your socialisation training.
Check out our socialisation article to learn more about exposing your Shih Tzu to the following
- Fireworks
- Watch the world go by
- Play dress up
- Sit in the car – Let them climb all over the car and give them treats every now and again, no need to go anywhere just yet, we’re just building up positive associations for now. Your puppy will need something to transport them safely, so have a read of our puppy car carrier article to choose the right one for your Shih Tzu.
We also have these available as full exercises in the Zigzag app
Training to do this week
- Alone training – keep on working at a level your Shih Tzu is happy with.
- Crate training
- Teach them their name in the garden – the garden can bring about challenges, all of those birds to chase and smells to distract your Shih Tzu!
- Recall training – add a cue word. This will let your Shih Tzu puppy know you want them to ‘come’.
- Fetch and drop – as well as bringing back toys to you, teaching your Shih Tzu to drop toys, can also be used with other objects to help prevent resource guarding.
- Introduce lead walking training – to begin with, train this in your house and garden, no need for a lead or harness just yet.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
Shih Tzus have a beautiful coat, but that coat takes some brushing so you’ll want to get used to your puppy being brushed early on.
- Brushing your puppy – use a comb or soft brush at first, as well as lots of treats so that it’s a positive experience. You can also use interactive toys like Lickimats and Kongs so that they can focus on them, and then they won’t bite the brush!
Week 3 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
Are you getting into the groove of training your Shih Tzu puppy yet? We hope they surprise you at how playful, affectionate and clever they are.
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training Exercises to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Scent Trails – Go for a drive – Invite Friends Over – Write a puppy socialisation checklist | – Recall – outside in the garden – Four Paws on the floor – Not Jumping up – Down – Generalisation – Alone Training | – Harness fitting |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
A Shih Tzu’s puppy’s socialisation window begins to close at 12 weeks but that doesn’t mean you stop teaching them about the world, just that in the first 12 weeks they are most receptive.
- Scent trails – your Shih Tzu puppy has an incredible nose. Lay out treats on the floor in a trail, Hansel and Gretel style and let them find them with that tiny snozz.
- Invite friends over – they will want to say hello to your Shih Tzu! Ask them not to pick your puppy up. Instead, hand out some treats and let your puppy approach them when they’re ready.
- Go for a drive with your Shih Tzu puppy – make sure they’re secure in their car carrier. Having a friend along for the ride means they can check on your puppy and give them a treat every now and again.
- Write a puppy socialisation checklist for your Shih Tzu puppy – exposing them to different surfaces, modes of transport, other animals and sounds will ensure they grow up not to be phased by novelty.
Training to do this week
Let’s get in some more life skills training with your Shih Tzu puppy – did you find the perfect treats for them? Perhaps our guide to best dog treats might help you, or you can make homemade DIY dog treats too, for a bit of moneysaving!
- Recall – this is about teaching your puppy to come when called outside. Out in the garden, this will be distracting. Use good treats and make yourself sound super exciting so that your Shih Tzu races toward you.
- Stop your puppy jumping up – Shih Tzus are small, and they want to get up to your face! Maybe just to give you a kiss or a cheeky lick. This can mean they jump up at people, which while cute to some people, isn’t wanted by everyone. Teach them to sit to greet instead, and all will be well.
- Generalisation – teach your Shih Tzu puppy to do things in different locations so they understand what exercises mean in the garden, kitchen or lounge. Later on, you’ll also generalise to places outside of the home too.
- Teach your Shih Tzu puppy to lie down – this will come in handy when you’re out and about, and you want to enjoy a nice latte.
- Alone training – hopefully, you’re able to nip out of the front door now. Keep on working on this each week. A good time to do it is when your puppy is already quite sleepy.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
Are you getting on well with the brushing and grooming that your Shih Tzu requires? Have you tried giving them a bath yet?
- Harness fitting for a puppy – choose a well-fitting soft harness. Our favourites are a Y shape.
Week 4 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
Week 4 of Shih Tzu puppy training, hurray! We bet your puppy’s personality is coming out now, and they’re starting to get cheeky. Positive training methods will help to teach them what you want them to do. Remember they need to be shown what to do.
Make sure your house is puppy proofed and that you put some management protocols in place if they’re getting into things you don’t want them to such as stealing shoes!
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Meet another dog – Find a puppy class | – Settle on a mat – Lead walking – Recall games – Push/drop/stick on known exercises | – Grooming sensitive areas |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
We hope your socialisation checklist is being ticked off. Let’s do some more ‘firsts’ with your Shih Tzu puppy this week.
- Meeting another dog – ideally, this will be a friend’s calm older dog who likes puppies. Your Shih Tzu might not have seen dogs other than their littermates, so make sure the experience is positive for them.
- Find a good puppy class for your puppy – puppy socialisation classes will be useful for teaching your puppy to learn around other puppies.
Training to do this week
- Settle on a mat – this will be useful for taking your puppy out and about with you. Use a piece of vet bed or a portable pet mat so your puppy has a quiet place to settle with a nice kong or a chew.
- Lead walking – One of the most important things you’ll want to do is teach your puppy to walk nicely on the lead from a young age. To be honest, it’s necessary for everyone; walks are always more pleasant when you’re not dragging a lunging puppy.
- Recall games – Play tennis with your puppy! To play tennis with your puppy, think of them as being the tennis ball for this one, and them having to ping-pong between people to get their yummy rewards! You’ll find this and many other puppy training games in our training games library.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
How’s the grooming going with your Shih Tzu puppy? Hopefully, they’re enjoying the brushing, combing and pamper time. This week let’s move it on a little.
- Grooming a puppy– focusing on sensitive areas this week. Typically this is around the face, in the ears and on the legs. Load up a Kong, or spread some delicious treats like puppy liver paste or peanut butter so that they can focus on that and it makes things easy breezy.
Week 5 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
Your Shih Tzu puppy training is reaching new highs! This week will get you off to a cafe or a pub,
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Go to the pub – you deserve it! – Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist | – Alone Training – Recall – outside using a lead – Lead walking – outside – Push/drop/stick on known exercises | – Pretend nail clips – Grooming |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
We hope your Shih Tzu puppy is enjoying the socialisation exercises, and that loud noises aren’t causing them to bark. Even if they seem to do nothing when a loud noise is heard you should still reward them so that they learn that’s what they’re supposed to do.
- Go to the pub/dog friendly café – you deserve it! Bring your settle mat along and make sure your Shih Tzu has had enough exercise and has something to entertain them like a Kong or stuffed chew toy. Keep in mind, people will want to say hello to your puppy, but it can take a while to calm your puppy down afterwards. There is no harm in saying ‘not right now’ when people want to interact with your puppy if you’re trying to keep your Shih Tzu nice and chilled.
- Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – perhaps you take them to a beach to feel the sand on their feet, or how about training in the park near the kids playground. Positive exposure means your Shih Tzu will react in a positive way to these things later. Use plenty of treats training around kids.
Training to do this week
- Alone training: increase the time your Shih Tzu is alone this week, if they’re ready. Don’t forget you can set up a camera to see what’s happening when you’re gone.
- Recall – Outside, using a lead, dealing with distractions. When dealing with distractions like other people or dogs, wildlife, or the dreaded picnickers, a long lead can be used as a fantastic way to manage and keep your Shih Tzu puppy safe. You’ll want plenty of high-value treats so that you can reward your Shih Tzu for being focussed on you too.
- Lead walking – outside, loose lead walking is tricky! So many sniffs. Don’t worry you’ll get there by teaching your puppy to walk next to you for treats, outside will mean you’ll need to reward sooner. Read our full guide to stop your puppy pulling on the lead.
- Push/drop/stick on known exercises – if your Shih Tzu puppy can do a down on a hand signal, can you use push, drop, stick and try 5 where you add in the verbal cue?
Husbandry tasks to do this week
- Start pretending to clip your dog’s nails – no need to clip them yet, but your Shih Tzu will need their nails clipping. All dogs do. The key thing is to introduce it slowly, use plenty of treats and keep practising.
Week 6 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
We’re 6 weeks into this Shih Tzu training guide already woop woop. Hopefully, you’re seeing the wonderful effect of positive reinforcement training on your dog!
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Tick 3 things off your personal checklist | – Following on walks – Push/drop/stick on known exercises | – Check puppy’s mouth |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
- Tick 3 more items off your socialisation checklist – perhaps you can go to a country park, city farm, or farmers market. ALWAYS BRING TREATS! Make sure it’s a fun experience for your puppy.
Training to do this week
- Following on walks – reward your Shih Tzu puppy frequently for following you and you’ll have them glued to your side in no time. Woohoo!!
- Push/drop/stick – did you manage to get down on a verbal cue yet? How about you add in some distance as a way of raising criteria. Do 5 on a verbal cue next to your puppy, if they do them all right, try 5 where you’re just one step away before saying the cue.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
Start checking your puppy’s mouth and their teeth – puppies need their teeth checked, but someone fussing in your mouth can be a bit much. Read our full guide to bruising your puppy’s teeth and you’ll learn how to get them to be ok with toothpaste and toothbrush.
Week 7 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
The seven week itch, just kidding, but if your puppy is itching and scratching do check that out, it might be fleas or allergies.
Let’s try a few new skills for your Shih Tzu puppy to learn this week. Yep Shih Tzu puppy training isn’t done yet.
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Puppy Agility – Tick 3 things off your personal checklist | – Wait – Walk with a friend’s dog – Recall – off the lead – Push/drop/stick on known exercises | – Pretend ear drops |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
Your Shih Tzu puppy will be experiencing new things all of the time, but let’s have some fun this week and introduce them to Puppy Agility!
- Have a go at puppy agility – Agility can be done by all dogs, even tiny fluff balls like your Shih Tzu! You don’t want them jumping too much while they’re still small, as their joints and bones are growing and developing. You can start to teach them foundational exercises, though, just for fun!
- Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – perhaps you could visit an Agility club? That’d be a new thing for your Shih Tzu puppy to see and experience.
Training to do this week
- Teach your Shih Tzu puppy to stay – you can use wait or stay in all kinds of situations like crossing the road, or staying where they are while you grab a towel to wipe those dirty paws after a walk.
- Go for a walk with a friend’s dog – isn’t this the dream? Reward both dogs often so that it isn’t just chaos and they can learn to walk together harmoniously.
- Recall – off the lead – choose a quiet corner of the park that’s well enclosed. Practise and reward your recalls frequently so that your Shih Tzu returns to you with joy and gusto!
- Push/drop/stick on known exercises – how did you get on with adding some distance to the down exercise? Perhaps you can add a bit more? Your Shih Tzu will enjoy the challenge.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
Shih Tzu ears are hairy and may require trimming in order to stay clean and healthy. They might also need drops, so it’s good to get them used to them from an early age.
- Pretend ear drops – start with an empty bottle of ear or eye drops (or just keep the lid on). Show your puppy the bottle and then give them a treat. Repeat this over several days so that your Shih Tzu gets excited when they see the bottle
Week 8 – Training your Shih Tzu puppy
It’s the last week in this Shih Tzu puppy training guide. We’re sad too, but you needn’t and shouldn’t stop training. Your puppy still has a lot to learn. Download the Zigzag puppy training app and we’ll carry on the schooling! Your Shih Tzu deserves it, right?
| Socialisation exercises to do this week | Training to do this week | Husbandry Tasks to do this week |
| – Joggers and Cyclists – Tick 3 things off your personal checklist | – Practice exercises in different locations – Teach a hand target – Introduce nose work – Push/drop/stick on known exercises | – Nail trims |
Socialisation exercises to do this week
Just as a reminder, you still need to do different socialisation outings with your Shih Tzu, even if you’ve reached the end of this guide.
- Joggers and Cyclists – these guys will surely excite or potentially scare your Shih Tzu. No one needs to be chased. It can be dangerous for the person and dangerous for your puppy. Teach your puppy to stay calm around them by doing some basic cues in the park.
- Tick 3 things off your personal socialisation checklist – how about visiting a DIY store? Or the local pet store? Just be careful around the bunnies. Your puppy might get a little bit too excited.
Training to do this week
Let’s bring all of the last 8 weeks of training together, and teach your Shih Tzu puppy something new, too.
- Practice exercises in different locations – generalisation is often overlooked. Take your puppy out on socialisation outings, and teach them basic cues they already know at home, while you’re there. They should be able to sit in multiple locations, can they lie down too?
- Teach a hand target– this is great for giving dogs direction and teaching them tricks. It also works great as a visual recall – ‘come over here and touch my hand for a treat’ is simple right?
- Introducing nose work to your puppy – even though your little Yoda has a tiny wee nose, they can still use it well. Teach them some scent work from our training games library.
Husbandry tasks to do this week
- Trim your Shih Tzu puppy’s claws – this week we’ll get to clip your Shih Tzu’s nails properly. Go slow and just try one paw or even one claw at a time.
What’s next for your Shih Tzu puppy?
We hope you’ve enjoyed this 8 week Shih Tzu puppy training guide. It should give you a good foundation of things to train and something to work through. You’ll also have a great time at puppy socialisation or life skills classes.
Looking for more puppy training tips? Discover everything you need for your new puppy with our complete list, next.
Why not take a look at some of the other training you can do with your Shih Tzu puppy in the Zigzag puppy training app?You’ll find more in-depth training, games and socialisation advice – access to a team of puppy coaches to help you every step of the way too. They’re awfully friendly too.
