Dog Training

Information About Shih Tzu Litter Box Training

The Shih Tzu is a proud and regal breed of dog that would prefer to do things their own way rather than listen to any one else, including you. You can imagine that a dog with that kind of an attitude will probably be difficult to train and that includes housebreaking.

It takes patience and many Shih Tzu owners turn to Shih Tzu litter box training when regular housebreaking does not work. You may want to give it a little time before you break out the litter box.

Even in the best case scenario a Shih Tzu can take up to six months to learn how to go where you want it to, so if you are only a couple of months into the process and it does not be working you need to be patient. You are going to want to try everything you can to housebreak your Shih Tzu, and allow it all of the time it needs, before you even think about a litter box.

A Shih Tzu thinks of things in very broad terms and it needs to be taught that certain things are for outside and other things are for inside. If you let your Shih Tzu know that going to the bathroom inside is okay with Shih Tzu litter box training then it may not always associate the litter box with that activity, it may only associate being indoors with that activity. This is why it is not a good idea to give up on housebreaking in lieu of a litter box.

The size of the dog can also determine whether or not you want to consider the litter box. The Shih Tzu is a toy breed but it can grow to sizes that are much too big to be using a litter box with. Consult your breeder, or your vet, on their advice about whether or not a Shih Tzu the size of yours should be considered for litter box training or not. A bigger dog is going to have problems with a litter box so be sure before you start training.

If Shih Tzu litter box training is the way you want to go then get a large enough litter box and put it where your Shih Tzu has been soiling the most in your house. If you have been trying to housebreak your Shih Tzu correctly then this will probably be somewhere near the living area you set aside for them.

Litter box training is not housebreaking and it may actually cause more problems than it could ever solve. Be sure to have the same dedication to litter box training that you had to housebreaking because litter box training could take as long, or longer, than housebreaking and may not give the results you wanted.

Litter box training may not solve your housebreaking problem and it will more than likely set any housebreaking training you are trying to do back many months, probably to the starting point. If the Shih Tzu thinks it is okay to go anywhere in the house you may have opened up options you will regret later. Use litter box training as a very last resort.