Momo - Shih-Tzu Community

Lock up your shoes and laundry, your Shih-Tzu is a chewing addict. When you have a Shih-Tzu that likes to chew on things nothing is safe. They will chew on anything from toys to the corner of your cabinets. Chewing on things is natural for Shih-Tzus, it’s part of the way that they explore the world and often it can be the result of boredom. Teaching your Shih-Tzu not to chew on inappropriate objects can be an uphill battle. Dealing with a Shih-Tzu that has a chewing obsession involves using a combination of tactics, along with some safety measures to protect your curious pup.

Try these products from PetSmart and Amazon to stop your Shih-Tzu from chewing up your house!

Grannick's Bitter Apple Spray

Sofa Scram

PetSafe Pawz Away Spray Deterrent

NaturVet Bitter Yuck! No Chew Spray

Teaching

When your Shih-Tzu is munching down on something that they are not allowed to have you need to interrupt them while they are in the act. Clap or make a loud noise to get their attention and then replace the item they are chewing on with one of their own toys. When your Shih-Tzu accepts the toy and begins to play or chew on it praise them for doing to reinforce this proper behavior.

There are also sprays that you can buy that help deter a Shih-Tzu from chewing on something. The sprays are not harmful, but they taste bad. Spraying these on furniture and larger items in your home can help keep your Shih-Tzu stay away from them. Typically, they need to be reapplied ever so often, but usually by the time they wear off your Shih-Tzu will have probably have lost interest in chewing on that item.

Boredom

Give your Shih-Tzu plenty of appropriate chew toys. Don’t confuse them by giving them items that resemble items you don’t want them chewing on like old shoes and socks. In a Shih-Tzu’s mind if they can chew on the old ones, they can chew the new ones too. Keeping your Shih-Tzu’s toys new and exciting is important as well. Rotate the toys available to your Shih-Tzu so they don’t get bored and seek out new things on their own. Consider trying a chew toy that is filled with treats. Many companies like Kong make chew toys that you can stuff with food and your Shih-Tzu has to work to get the treats out. Chewing on things like this will keep your Shih-Tzu occupied and out of trouble.

Spending quality time with your Shih-Tzu playing and giving them attention can help prevent boredom. When left alone for long periods of time most Shih-Tzus get bored and become destructive. If you work and have to leave your Shih-Tzu confine them to an area of the home that is safe and that is free of items they can destroy.

Walking your Shih-Tzu may also lessen the likelihood that your Shih-Tzu will chew things. Shih-Tzus need to explore and allowing them time to go out in the world and investigate will help alleviate bad behavior caused by boredom.

Safety

It is essential to your Shih-Tzu’s safety that you keep their environment free of things that may cause harm when chewed on. Keep cabinets shut and electrical cords tucked out of sight. Additionally, place items that your Shih-Tzu likes to chew on out of their reach. Keep shoes, purses, jackets and other go to items put away. Sometimes it takes time to teach a Shih-Tzu that chewing is unacceptable and the less temptation they have the better.

Chew toys can either work for you or against you. Many Shih-Tzus will chew on their chew toys exclusively, while other Shih-Tzus will chew on both the toys and anything else in the house that resembles the toys.


There are many different reasons behind why people use chew toys in Shih-Tzu training. It is true that Shih-Tzus instinctively chew, so many believe that if he is going to chew on something then it might as well be something it is okay for him to chew on. Unfortunately, the Shih-Tzu does not understand this realm of thinking, so he is more likely going to chew on his toys as well as his other items around the house. People also use chew toys in Shih-Tzu training to help relieve a Shih-Tzu’s boredom. Instead of chewing on the sofa, it is better for the Shih-Tzu to chew on a nylon bone.

It is instinctive for Shih-Tzus to chew, and when a Shih-Tzu is investigating something new, he will smell it and then taste it to see if he can eat it. You cannot get rid of this natural behavior because it has been ingrained in them for thousands of years. However, when you use a chew toy, you may inadvertently cause that instinct to become stronger and the Shih-Tzu moves from one item in the house to the next chewing up items that are not necessarily a chew toy.

The fact of the matter is that when you feed your Shih-Tzu a well-balanced diet you should not have a destructive chewing problem. The key to training your Shih-Tzu not to chew and to not need chew toys is to not allow them to put his teeth on anything that he cannot eat. This means not allowing them to chew on sticks in the yard or anything else. Whenever they begin chewing on something, you tell them to “leave it” and then redirect their attention elsewhere. The Shih-Tzu still has the instinct to chew, but because you never allowed him to chew destructively on anything while bored or playing, the Shih-Tzu will not associate chewing with boredom. You can think of it as “preventative Shih-Tzu training.”

There are several types of toys that do have a role in Shih-Tzu training. Things like balls, Frisbees and similar items are invaluable training tools. These can be regularly used to motivate your Shih-Tzu while training. However, you do not want the Shih-Tzu to see the ball has “his” but “yours.” When you do this, you still get the full effect that a ball can have on a Shih-Tzu’s training and motivation, but he is not going to associate chewing and boredom with it. In fact, it is a better idea to keep these toys out of sight and out of mind for your Shih-Tzu only a daily basis. This will help them to be more effective as training tools in your obedience training and the Shih-Tzu will have an even greater amount of motivation towards that ball instead of seeing it as just another chew toy.

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