Shih Tzu keeping rules

Many people have pets in their homes and apartments. Some people prefer small dogs of the Shih Tzu breed. In this article, we will talk about the description of the breed, its characteristics and the basic rules for keeping such animals.

Providing all the necessary conditions for keeping a Shih Tzu in a home is not so easy. Despite the fact that they are small in size and do not need a lot of space in the apartment, these dogs are quite demanding in terms of keeping conditions.

A pet bed should not be placed near a window or doorway, in drafts, close to a heater or battery... A small house bought in a store or a kennel made by yourself can act as a sleeping place. But you can get by with a simple lounger.

Take care of small bowls in advance, which should be placed near the sleeping area of ​​the animal. It is better to choose them from stainless materials. And also start toilet training in advance. This can be done as early as 2 months. First, you can teach your dog to relieve himself on a special diaper, and then train it to a litter box.

Shih Tzu dogs can be fed with both ready-made food from the store and natural products. Currently, there are a huge number of premium ready-to-eat food brands. Let's consider the main ones.

In the assortment you can find food specially made for Shih Tzu dogs, which is called Shih Tzu Adult. The diet is based on rice and poultry meat. The composition also contains fish oil, grape and green tea extracts, soybean oil. Such food can be given to puppies from 10 months.

The range of products of this manufacturer includes a diet, designed for small breeds - Adult Small Breed. The basis of the menu can be turkey meat, chicken, flounder fillet. It also includes chicken eggs.

The main ingredients of the diet are: turkey fillet, chicken, chicken eggs, herring or flounder. Almost all feeds of this brand do not contain cereals that can cause allergies in the animal.

Sometimes, in the manufacture of feed, freeze-dried chicken or turkey liver is also added to it. These components can enhance the taste and aroma of the prepared food.

The assortment includes a menu created especially for miniature dog breeds. The basis is chicken meat. Such a diet supports the dog's weight and contributes to the good condition of the skin. And also it does not allow the formation of a stone on the teeth of the animal.

This menu is created on the basis of chicken fillet and rice grains. It includes special vitamin and mineral supplements that provide excellent condition of the skin, hair, joints. This manufacturer produces both ready-made dry rations and canned food in cans.

This manufacturer also produces food specifically for small dog breeds. It includes rabbit meat and salmon fillets. During production, dry granules are made small, optimal for small puppies.

Today this brand produces food for small breeds of dogs. The main ingredient is poultry meat, which is carefully pre-processed. And also the composition contains cereal components.

This feed contains various vitamin and mineral supplements. They ensure the normal metabolism in the animal's body. And they also contribute to maintaining good physical shape and rapid energy recovery.

Natural food for such a breed must necessarily contain raw meat. It is permissible to boil the fillet a little. The most commonly used pieces are pieces of beef, rabbit or chicken.

The diet should also include offal, including liver and lung. Milk porridge is also a great option for a dog. So, for them oatmeal, buckwheat or rice is often prepared.

Fermented milk products can also be excellent for this breed.... Most often they are given kefir or cottage cheese (it is better to use homemade). Pets can be given chicken eggs, but this should be done no more than 1-2 times a week.

The Shih Tzu may be suitable for fish. Better to choose marine varieties. They need to be given no more than 2-3 times a week. Vegetables are a good option, but they are best served as mashed potatoes with a small amount of fish oil or vegetable oil.

There are foods that should not be given to Shih Tzu dogs.

• Milk... With age, the pet practically ceases to digest lactose, which is found in large quantities in milk. In adults, it can cause an allergic reaction. Such a component can be replaced with fermented milk products.
• Raw fish. Such fish should not be given to Shih Tzu, as it is often infected with worms.In addition, river varieties contain a large number of small bones that can injure an animal, therefore, such a product must first be boiled.
• Pork. It belongs to the fatty type of meat, so it will be difficult for the dog to digest it.
• Smoked products (sausage, sausages). These ingredients can cause significant damage to your dog's liver. They are also capable of disrupting processes in the digestive system.
• Salt. It can disrupt your pet's fluid and electrolyte balance, which can lead to seizures or even heart failure.
• Sweets. Chocolate, sugar, and other confectionery can disrupt your dog's digestive processes and ruin his teeth.
• Coffee. This product can cause a sudden increase in blood pressure, heart palpitations, vomiting and even seizures in the animal.
• Grape. In pets, when consumed in large quantities, it can cause kidney failure. And also do not overuse raisins.
• Garlic and onion... They can cause severe stomach upset. If consumed in too large quantities, it can lead to disruption of the structure of the body's blood cells.
• Semolina... This type of cereal is poorly digested by dogs, so it should also be completely excluded from the Shih Tzu diet.
• Avocado... This product may cause your pet to vomit or diarrhea.

remember, that a small puppy should be fed 4 times a day... The daily intake of food should be 5-7% of the pet's weight. Adults can be fed only 2 times a day, while the daily rate should be equal to 2-4% of the animal's weight.

If you took a puppy from the kennel, then you need to feed him the same food as in the kennel for a short time. Otherwise, a sudden change in diet can cause a stressful Shih Tzu response. When the puppy is completely comfortable in the new home, the menu can already be adjusted.

Dogs of this breed should be bathed frequently. This procedure is best done once a week. After all, pure wool practically does not get confused in an animal, and tangles are not formed.

To bathe your pet, you need to carefully transfer it to a basin or bath. A rubber mat must be placed on the bottom.... It is placed so that the pet's paws do not slip while bathing.

Bathing water should be 36-38 degrees. You need to bathe your Shih Tzu with a special shampoo for animals. During the procedure, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the places between the fingers, stomach and back.

The resulting foam is washed out several times. A conditioner can be used to make brushing easier. Before and after bathing, the animal must be combed.

To make the pet dry faster, it is better to gently wrap it in two thick bath towels. The dog can also be dried with a hair dryer.

It is worth combing pets of this breed every day. Moreover, for each procedure you have to allocate at least 30 minutes. If this is not done, mats will quickly begin to form on the dog.

Shih Tzu should be taught this procedure at the age of 6 weeks. To do this, use a comb with rare hard teeth and a special massage brush.

If you do not want to constantly brush the animal, you can trim it short. This is often done in autumn and spring, since during these periods, during walks, pets collect a lot of dirt on their fur.

The pet should not be combed on dry coat. Previously, the hairline is well moistened with a special moist conditioner. If a large number of mats have formed on the body, they are removed using a special mats cutter.

As the hairline grows, haircuts need to be done. As a rule, they are done once a month. This procedure does not have to be done in special salons, you can do it right at home with your own hands.

Most often, the limbs, the base of the tail are cut off. If your pet will participate in exhibitions, then you should not cut it, since in this case the Shih Tzu should have a long and thick coat.

You should also take care of your nails. They must be trimmed periodically. It is recommended to do this after bathing, when the nail plates become soft. You only need to cut the upper part.

You need to take care of your eyes. It is necessary to remove the hair on the head in a ponytail so that it does not climb into them.

A dog should be brought up from a young age. Dogs of this breed have excellent intelligence, so training is easy. During training, they will be able to carry out simple commands (bring slippers, give a paw).

First, the pet is trained by frequent walking outside. So he will quickly get used to society, and it will be possible to establish contact with the puppy.

Then the animal is toilet trained. First, for the Shih Tzu, you can put a small piece of a special diaper. After the animal gets used to it, it will be possible to show it to the tray, on the bottom of which an old diaper is laid.

Puppies can be walked at 3.5 or 4 months of age. Initially, the walk should last no more than 15 minutes. Small individuals are best taken outside up to five times a day.

As the puppy grows up, the number of walks per day begins to decrease, while their duration increases in time. For adults, just one hour's walk a day will be enough.

After each arrival from the street, it is necessary to carefully examine the limbs, eyes, ears and hair. It is necessary to immediately remove the dirt adhering to during the walk. And you should also make sure that there are no ticks on the dog.

The Shih Tzu is considered a robust dog breed. In addition, its representatives are centenarians and can live up to 20 years. But at the same time, there are still some diseases to which these animals are most susceptible. So, you need to constantly monitor your pet's eyes. Individuals often suffer from cataracts, volvulus, and distichiasis.

To bring your pet's eyes back to normal, they need to be periodically rinsed with clean water or special products. An excellent preventive measure will be the inclusion in the menu of foods with a high content of vitamin A and additional multivitamin supplements.

Often Shih Tzu also suffer from disorders in the intervertebral discs. In this case, the dog should not be allowed to climb on raised surfaces. And also you need to make sure that the animal does not jump off beds, tables or chairs.

And also some individuals of this breed, with improper care and nutrition, can suffer from diseases of the spine, liver, heart or teeth. To avoid health problems, Shih Tzu dogs are given mandatory vaccinations.

Initially, puppies are given two courses of vaccination. The first should occur when the pet is 8 or 9 weeks old. The second is done when the puppy is 10 or 12 weeks old.

As your pet gets older, vaccinations should be done every year. Shih Tzu are vaccinated against various diseases:

• plague;
• parainfluenza;
• Lyme disease
• leptospirosis;
• parvovirus enteritis;
• rabies.

Some Shih Tzu individuals suffer from urolithiasis, which is most commonly seen in males. It develops due to a sedentary lifestyle or excess protein in the puppy's body. It can also be caused by a lack of water in the diet.

When buying a puppy of this breed, make sure that he does not have any genetic diseases.Indeed, some of them can subsequently lead to heart disease or collapse of the trachea.

You will learn more about how to trim your Shih Tzu in the following video.