Shih Tzu Pup

[BLACKTUESDAY1]

We are picking up our 8 week old shih tzu pup this week (he is a rescue pup and NOT a Christmas gift). We have been waiting for him since end of October. My question is on housetraining. The foster carer has never had the pups outside yet and they have a pen with puppy pads at one end and sleep at the other. I have recreated the set up for our pup but obviously would like him to eventually toilet outside. The problem is how cold it is at the moment. Should I wait a while until he gets a bit bigger (I know that would make it harder) or shall I start putting him out in the garden straight away? He is so small and it is so cold especially at night!

You need to be taking him outside all the time - don't put him out though, take him on the lead so you can praise him when he does his business. TBH the more you use puppy pads the longer it will take. So on waking, immediatly after they eat, then every 45 minutes or so in between these activities - and of course if you see the slightest sign that they might be thinking about toileting. Lots of praise when they succeed, don't say anything if theres an accident.

Keep a pair of crocs and a coat by the back door - it is rather trying! I've got two foster puppies right now, and its a shock to the system

Thanks for your advice. I will start straight away......it is just so cold and he is so small...think I need to toughen up a little bit!

Do you give a treat when they go outside or just lots of praise?

Outside every 10 mins on a lead and also after and before eating playing and sleeping. Constant monitoring to prevent accidents indoors. Treats and lavish praise when toilets outdoors, ignore accidents no shouting or rebuking at all. Praise the good ignore the bad, prevent accidents by constant taking out. No puppy pads. Feels relentless to start with but you get it done in one relentless block.

I suppose it is short term pain for long term gain! How do u get on at night?

Mine is 2 years old now but 8-11 weeks involved many many night wakings! Now she goes out twice a day or thrice maybe and we work during the day!

Shih tzus are one of the hardest breeds to house train so as PPs have said you really need to start as you mean to go on, and attack the house training all guns blazing from the start.

I would use both treats and praise, and I wouldn't use puppy pads as you are reinforcing the message that there are places they are allowed to pee inside. Good luck!

I never used treats just praise ,but also introduce a command word as well it really does help , we use 'go quick ' and even though he's 6 now he will still try to squeeze out a wee if I say it to him outside .

Thanks for all the very useful advice. We are so very excited to get him home!

Make it a mission and devote the first couple of weeks to house training and it will pay off I promise. Eric came home in mid February, it was freezing but he was fully house trained within a fortnight so it didn't last too long anyway.
No puppy pads and outside every twenty to thirty minutes. Give toileting a name you won't be embarrassed by out of the garden (singsong "pee pee poo poo" was replaced by "quickly" once we left the garden) If he doesn't go pick him up, bring him in and carry him round for five minutes before trying again.
Watch to look for signs that he needs to go. Eric's nose would go down and he'd start circling that was the prompt to take him outside. The fewer accidents he has inside the easier it will be for him to learn to do it outside so it is worth watching like a hawk and knowing the pup's habits IME.