Shih Tzu Temperament

The Gentle Shih Tzu Temperament

The Shih Tzu temperament is generally mild and easy going.  If you think Shih Tzu are snippy like other small dogs think again.  And if you met a Shih Tzu with a poor temperament, then it wasn't properly trained.

If you know about the Shih Tzu history then you would know that these dogs were bred to be gentle loving house dogs.

Shih Tzu come to us from China.  Starting around AD 624 they were bred only in the Forbidden city by China Royals.  The Shih Tzu was considered a sacred temple dog, and thus only nobles had them.

In fact the Chinese so coveted these dogs, that they refused to trade them to outside countries.  It wasn't until the fall of the Ming Dynasty that the Shih Tzu arrived in England. 

Since these dogs were only bred to be inside and around people all the time, they do not have an aggressive nature, and get along well with children. 

Some people a have a tendency to really baby their Shih Tzu and so these dogs sometimes feel that they are the pack leaders and can become more dominant and act snippy.

If you set an example from the beginning that you are the pack leader and that they must follow, then they will work to keep you happy, and not the other way around.

You should start training your puppy as soon as you get it.  Some people say you should wait until Shih Tzu are 4 months old before training them, but you need to start potty training them right away.

By teaching you Shih Tzu basic commands you are teaching it that you are the pack leader and not them.  This will lead to a more pleasant Shih Tzu temperament.

Start with the basic sit command, because this can be used to help your dog learn other more advanced commands.

After mastering the sit command, try to master the stay command, and then the fetch and retrieve command.  You should never give a command that you don't inted to inforce.  If you give a command and your dog does not follow, they have to realize that there will be consequences.

By giving a command and not following up with either a reward or punishment you are esecially telling your dog that what you say is not important.

If you want a great Shih Tzu temperatment you can train your dog to have one.  While some Shih Tzu can be prone to behavior problems, those are generally due to poor dog training.