You may like the idea of owning a Shih Tzu, but if you are not the only one in your home, you may have to consider the environment as a whole. Therefore, making your home Shih Tzu friendly is essential.
The composed Shih Tzu is an excellent family and child-friendly dog. Also, as they grow older, the breed only becomes more balanced in character and temperament. Deciding on an active but not overly spirited Shih Tzu is an excellent choice whenever you have children in the home.
However, like any other dog, Shih Tzus are not tolerant of the eventual rough play and games that small children love to engage in. Therefore, proper socialization and training are essential.
Also, because of their small size, extra steps should be taken to prevent accidental droppings or missteps. Therefore, when choosing an excellent family-friendly Shih Tzu, consider an older, more mature dog.
Adopted dogs and puppies that come from previous families that have small children is also a good idea. Children will need to be taught how to interact with a Shih Tzu the right way. Additionally, smaller children will need to be supervised at all times when playing with the pet.
There are plenty of different dog breeds out there that are more suited to different types of families, lifestyles, and living situations. Again, keep in mind that every Shih Tzu within a breed will have their own personality, and this needs taking into consideration when choosing a particular Shih Tzu.
This breed has a fantastic reputation with children. However, they still need to be extensively and adequately socialized with small children. Again and again, Shih Tzus have shown a special admiration and love for the younger members of the family. As puppies, they possess an abundance of energy that can somewhat overwhelm smaller children. However, children are usually the only ones that can appropriately match the high-energy Shih Tzu puppy.
There are going to be times when your puppy will have to respect the boundaries that you set. Though smaller children will have issues recognizing this on their own, adults will have to provide strict guidelines regarding this issue. Parents should never leave small children alone with any dog. Remember, both the family and the puppy must have the best pairing. Make sure that you can provide a Shih Tzu friendly home for your new canine family member.
Is Your Home Shih Tzu Friendly?
This article deals with the prospect of having young children around Shih Tzus. The number one question breeders usually asked the first time Shih Tzu buyer is, do you have young children?
Your two year old would not intentionally hurt a flea. However, a young child cannot understand that a Shih Tzu is not a stuffed animal.
If you have very young children, think twice about getting a Shih Tzu. Unless, of course, you can successfully keep them apart from each other, especially when you are not there to supervise.
Young children can be too rough on a puppy, and a Shih Tzu may even feel forced to nip or bite to defend herself from a child’s harassment. Also, if a puppy is dropped or fallen on, the puppy can be seriously injured.
Even an older Shih Tzu can be injured by a child or maybe less patient with a child’s poking and prodding. An older Shih Tzu that is used to children is a much better bet companion to children.
Older kids, on the other hand, tend to be great and helpful companions to Shih Tzus, primarily if they are taught how to handle the dog safely and gently.
Please make sure that your home is Shih Tzu friendly before bringing them home.
