Dog training is the process of teaching a dog to respond to certain commands or cues, and to modify behaviour in order to achieve desired results. Training can involve anything from basic obedience commands (such as “sit”, “stay”, and “come”) to more complex behaviours like agility competition or search and rescue work. Regardless of the purpose, training your Maltese Shih Tzu requires patience, consistency and an understanding of how dogs behave and respond to training.
The first step in successfully training a Malshi is to establish a good relationship between the trainer and the dog. This means providing lots of positive reinforcement through praise, treats and playtime when your dog does what you ask them to do. It also means setting boundaries and guidelines so that your Malshi knows what behaviours are acceptable and which ones aren’t. This helps create an environment where your dog feels safe and secure while learning new commands or behaviours.
Once you have established a good relationship with your Malshi, it’s time to start teaching them some basic obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, heel, down and off. The best way to do this is through positive reinforcement – reward your pup with treats or praise when they obey the command correctly – rather than punishing them for mistakes or misbehaving. As your Malshi learns each command, be sure to practise them regularly so they become used to responding correctly every time they hear the command.
For more advanced training goals like agility competition or therapy work, it is best to find an experienced trainer who specialises in these areas as they will have specialised knowledge on how best to train for these activities. It is important that whatever trainer you choose has experience working with dogs of a similar size and breed as yours in order for them to provide the most effective instruction possible.
When working on any type of dog training exercise, it is important not only for the trainer but for all members of the household to be consistent with their expectations and enforcement of behavioural rules so that everyone is reinforcing the same message and expectations for their Malshi’s behaviour all throughout their daily routine. Additionally, having regular check-ins can help ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to how rules should be enforced or what level of progress has been made.
Finally, having realistic expectations when it comes to implementing any kind of new training protocol with your Malshi can help ensure that both you and your pet will not feel overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations. Remember, Maltese Shih Tzu training takes patience! With consistency, almost any goal can be reached by both you and your pup.
