Your Shih-Tzu is a switched on little, canine. Although they haven’t been in your life-long, you were quick to start teaching them basic commands. In fact, it wasn’t long before they could ‘sit’, ‘roll over’ and ‘stay’. Naturally, this made them a firm favorite at BBQs and events where you had guests over. A crowd would soon gather round to watch Fizzy perform and her tail would wag from beginning to end. However, now you think it’s time to up the stakes. You want to start teaching Fizzy advanced commands.
Teaching a Shih-Tzu puppy advanced tricks brings with it only positives. Firstly, you’ll have a fantastic way to channel their energy into something productive. Secondly, you’ll have a great way to spend quality time with your favorite canine pal. Finally, you and your Shih-Tzu puppy will become social media famous as news spreads of your capabilities.
Training a Shih-Tzu puppy advanced tricks is, as the name suggests, going to be challenging. However, your Shih-Tzu has already proven himself by mastering the basics so there is no reason he can’t succeed with some more sophisticated tricks too. The challenge comes at the beginning, where you convey what it is you want them to do. Once they understand, you just need to reinforce training with the right incentive. Food and toys often do the job well.
If yours is a responsive puppy with a decent attention span, you could see results in just a matter of days. But if they are easily distracted then it may take a couple of weeks before they master each command. Succeed and you’ll have the perfect way to stimulate your energetic little Shih-Tzu. In addition, this type of obedience training will only increase your control in other areas of their life.
Before you get to work, you will need to check you have everything you need. So stock up on tasty treats or small chunks of your pup's favorite food. You will also need a favorite toy and a clicker for one of the methods below.
Set aside 10 minutes or so each day for training. Practice in a large room or yard, where there isn’t a risk of anything valuable getting broken, or either of you getting distracted.
Once you have the above, just bring patience and a positive attitude, then work can begin!