Housebreaking a Shih Tzu can be one of the most difficult things you will ever try to do and many people find it the most frustrating thing about owning a Shih Tzu. Shih Tzu dogs are very independent thinkers and prefer to do things their own way.
As you can imagine teaching dog like this to do anything can be difficult especially when it comes to something as natural as going to the bathroom. That is why many Shih Tzu owners turn to Shih Tzu litter box training.
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.
Due to their behavioral patterns it is very much worth repeating that you may want to develop patience with a Shih Tzu in regards to housebreaking before you resort to using a litter box. A Shih Tzu will look at your entire house as a territory and if you let it know that it is okay to relieve itself in the house anywhere then it may not always associate that activity with the Shih Tzu litter box training. It is still much more beneficial to get the dog to understand that, for bathroom needs, outside is good and inside is bad.
A Shih Tzu can grow to pretty big sizes even for a toy breed and that can be a big problem if you are considering Shih Tzu litter box training. A larger dog is not going to adapt well to a litter box and could wind up making a huge mess rather than the controlled chaos you are hoping for. Ask your breeder or your vet if they think your Shih Tzu may be too big for litter box training.
If you really want to start Shih Tzu litter box trainingthen place a large litter box in the part of your house that your Shih Tzu has been soiling the most. Praise it profusely when it uses that litter box. but do not punish it when it does not use it.
When they use the litter box praise them and give them treats. Do not punish them if they do not use it. Keep the litter box very clean, as the Shih Tzu is a clean animal.
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.
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