Hi Everybody,

I want to buy a shi tzu to the family and I'll probably train him to be as a guard (just to bark when someone is near the ground level house...).

I wanted to know whether is this kind of training will affect the way he is with kids?
I have little children that will might play with him agressively when we are not around, and I'm afraid of spontanic agressive behavior back from the shi tzu (although it's not a german shepherd, they are young kids still).

Thanks!

[lil mutt]

i have a shi tzu but she isnt trained. Well she usually barks whenever she fells there's someone outside the house (sometimes can be too annoying). I think any dog can be aggressive if you let them be aggressive to you... Show them that you are the boss... If the dog starts bitting (which was my problem before) you should correct that kind of behavior as soon as possible. I dont know about when there are kids around since little kids might think that the dog is their pet and might play with them and hurt the dog which can result in bitting or barking...

Hi, thanks for the reply,
well yeah that exactly what I mean about the kids... can you train a dog not to react on kids even though they are agressive with him?
Should I do that on the spot - punish him if he does? how can I explain it clear that he shouldn't do that?

Be careful what you wish for because this type of behavior can become quite annoying. I have dogs that bark every time someone comes close to the house. When they are in the back yard, they bark every two minutes. The neighbors get annoyed and so do I. You really don't want your dog barking at everyone that approaches your house.

However, a well-trained dog WILL bark when he is supposed to. For example, if someone is lurking around in your back yard in the middle of the night, rest assured that your dog will go nuts. He will bark until the cows come home.

Besides, the bark of a Shih Tzu is hardly threatening. However, if he could wake up a household when a stranger is on your property, then he's done his job.

Use effective dog training techniques.

Hope this helps!!!
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Hi,
Thanks a lot, it does help. I know a bit more what to ask from my trainer. But first I need to find the dog

[reeskujo]

Originally Posted by Shi_Tzu_Buyer

Hi, thanks for the reply,
well yeah that exactly what I mean about the kids... can you train a dog not to react on kids even though they are agressive with him?
Should I do that on the spot - punish him if he does? how can I explain it clear that he shouldn't do that?

first of all you cannot expect a puppy to not react in an aggressive manner if the kids are being aggressive with him....He has an instinct to protect himself just as we humans do....The kids need to be taught that they cannot play with the puppy that way....

It's extremely unfair to allow the kids to be aggressive with him but not to allow him to play in that manner...

kids need to be taught to respect animals the same as they would their family members and friends....

In a sense your asking the dog to tolerate any aggressive playing or teasing and just to sit back and be nice...Not only is that not fair to the puppy but it's a very unreasonable expectation to have of any dog but especially a puppy...

Puppies are not born with aggression they learn it and allowing kids to be aggressive towards him when they're playing with him and expecting him to remain calm and sweet is more then likely going to teach him not to like children....

When my kids were small and I was breeding they were not allowed to tease the puppies or to play with them in an aggressive manner....They were taught to respect them and play with them in ways such as throwing a ball around for them or play a game of chase out in the yard....Those types of things....

In my opinion like a breeder and trainer,

a Guard Dog snit a barking dog
please understand this

you don't have to train your dog to bark
most dogs "mark" their personal lines from unknown People and animals
and will usually defend their territory whether its a pekingese or Great Dane
its all about your pups behavior
when you choose a puppy out of a litter always try to avoid choosing the most active or aggressive or the most timid and shy ones you need a balanced behavioral dog who knows what he is capable of

as for a further barking training
have the dog know the property line and know what is his workspace
if you are worried about family members always have them understand
that they shouldn't fear nor mistreat him/her
You shouldn't worry
your dog needs to just understand your the alpha and everyone else is beta
understood ?

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the great help.
Didn't know much about it so far.

May I consult you about my purchase?
I found in my area someone who is selling 2 months old puppy, and I guess
I'll have to do all the training myself. (which I have never done before).

I also considered to buy an older dog, so I don't need to go through the training stuff. The advantage is that I like its nature, yet maybe it doesn't fit the "barking policy" I'll want from him...
that's the dude: Buymeadog.com - World Wide Purebred Dog Finder - Profile Page

Can you teach old an dog new tricks in this case? I rather not take a puppy...
On the other hand, will he got used to a "second hand" owner? (will he see me as the alpha? )

Honestly, your dog will most likely bark to alert you to someone outside. What you will need to do is teach him to be quiet when you ask him to be quiet. It's not hard, especially if you start right from the beginning. When he barks at a noise outside, praise him, tell him "Enough", and give him a treat. He has to stop barking to eat it. Eventually you want to tell him "Enough" and pause long enough to see if he stops barking and looks to you for his reward. Then praise him for being quiet and give him the treat.

As for kids and your dog? Young children should NEVER play with a dog unless they are supervised. That's a disaster waiting to happen. Only children who are old enough to understand how to handle a dog, and responsible enough to be trusted, should be allowed to interact with dogs without supervision.

You are supposed to be the alpha of the pack to your dog and in that regard the dog will rightfully expect you to keep him/her safe. If you let the children torment the dog (thats exactly what it will be) then the dog will not have respect for you or see you in the role as leader. That will cause alot of problems.

What is the age of the dog....? How old he is??? If he is a puppy within 6-8 months then you can easily screw him up and train him... But it is bit difficult if he is more then a year... How ever try to keep your kids away from him.... Because it might be dangerous if he so aggressive...

It's dog's nature to bark especially if they feel threatened or someone is in his territory.

well we have I LOVE DOGS!I LOVE DOGS!I LOVE DOGS!I LOVE DOGS! szu and i have a brother who is 9 yrs old and he respects my brother though but with me which is im 26 yrs old he always barks with me because i always make fun out of him so i suggest give him respect so that he can't bark you and teach him to bark to those persons who he dont know..

The risk you take is that rather than the dog just learning to bark, which does not have to be associated with negative feelings, is that whatever you do causes the dog to be afraid of people. Fearful dogs behave aggressively often. Little dogs are at higher risk for this because most people when a pit bull or german shepherd growls at them or gives them the eye, do not keep on coming and grab the dog to give it a hug and kiss. But this happens all the time to little dogs so they up their reaction to actually snapping or biting.

The best way to ensure that your dog is good with kids is to make sure it has lots of positive experiences with kids. Experiences that include not only being exposed to and handled by kids, but add in treats, toys, games, general fun. You want kids to mean a party is at hand. I have cockers and they are kid magnets. I used to carry lots of treats and hand them out to kids who could ask for tricks and give treats.

Originally Posted by Shi_Tzu_Buyer

Hi, thanks for the reply,
well yeah that exactly what I mean about the kids... can you train a dog not to react on kids even though they are agressive with him?
Should I do that on the spot - punish him if he does? how can I explain it clear that he shouldn't do that?

i am sorry but i think you seriously need to consider training your kids before you even think of getting a pup, your children should not ever be allowed to be agressive towards him.
how can you think of punishing a dog for protecting itself from unruly kids!!!

I think it is absolutely necessary to train dogs . As a child I was terrified of big dogs who barked constantly and jumped all over me. For a long time I only saw pampered and spoilt, lazy pet dogs who never responded to the owner's command to stop or sit or anything. They terrified me. I love dogs now but still think a dog must be trained to be offensive or defensive when necessary, and yet be obedient,loving and calm. I love trained labradors especially as they're full of patience.

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Confine your puppy to a small, 'puppy-proofed' room and paper the entire floor. Put his bed, toys and food/water bowls there. At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. He will go every where and any where. He will also probably play with the papers, chew on them, and drag them around his little den. Most puppies do this and you just have to live with it. Don't get upset; just accept it as life with a young puppy. The important thing is that when you get home, clean up the mess and lay down fresh papers.
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