Many shih tzu owners fail to recognize the importance of having a shih tzu that comes when called until there is a problem, such as the collar or leash breaking, or the shih tzu tearing free to chase a person or another animal. These situations can be dangerous for the shih tzu, the owner and other members of the community. In areas where there is a lot of vehicular traffic, the situation could even prove fatal to the dog.
Unfortunately, many well meaning owners sabotage this important part of their shih tzus training by allowing it to run off leash and unattended. Whether the shih tzu is allowed to run in the park, on the beach, or just play with other shih tzu, this teaches the shih tzu that there are many fun things that do not involve its owner. In fact, from the shih tzus perspective at least, these fun times are often ruined by the appearance of the owner.
Look at things from the shih tzus perspective for a moment. You the shih tzu are having a ton of fun running on the beach with all your doggy friends, and suddenly here comes this human to take you away from the fun. When you see the shih tzus point of view it is easy to see how the appearance of the owner, and the leash can be seen as a negative.
This negative perception causes many shih tzu to delay this outcome by refusing to come when they are called. From the shih tzus point of view, this makes perfect sense, since every minute of delay means another minute of romping on the beach or in the park. In other words, the shih tzu has learned that the most rewarding thing to do is to ignore the calls of its owner. While this may seem like a good idea to the shih tzu, it is definitely not a good thing from the owners perspective.
For shih tzu who have not yet learned this type of avoidance behavior, it is best to prevent it from happening by supervising the shih tzu at play, and making the time you spend with your shih tzu as much, or more, fun, as the time it spends alone or with other dogs.
For shih tzu that have already learned the value of ignoring their owner, some retraining is definitely in order. It is vital that every shih tzu respond to the come here command, for the safety of both humans and dogs alike.
One thing to avoid is following the come here command with unpleasant activities. Calling the shih tzu, and then immediately giving him a bath, clipping his nails, taking him to the vet, etc. will quickly teach the shih tzu that coming to the owner has negative consequences. It is best to ask the shih tzu to come and then play with him, feed him, walk him or engage in other fun activities. If you do need to take your shih tzu to the vet, bathe him, etc. be sure to allow some time to pass so the shih tzu does not associate the come here command with the bad experience.
It is important to remember that shih tzu are constantly learning, whether a formal training session is in process or not. Your shih tzu is always learning something from you, whether good or bad. It is therefore important to make every interaction with your shih tzu a positive one.
When teaching the shih tzu to come on command, it is vital that the shih tzu be consistently rewarded every single time he does as the owner wants. A reward can be as simple as a pat on the head, a good boy or a scratch behind the ears. Of course, treat based rewards are appreciated as well, and many shih tzu are highly food motivated and respond quickly to this type of training. The key is to be consistent. The shih tzu should get some kind of reward, whether it be praise, a toy, or a treat, every time he appears at the owners side when called. |
