February 12th, 2010 | 
Author: When it comes to feeding your Shih Tzu always purchase the highest quality of food you can afford. Although the dog is a carnivorous animal, this does not mean that he needs an all-meat diet and nothing else. It has been proven that dogs fed solely on meat are more prone to skin problems than others.
To another extreme are people who insist on feeding their dogs and/or Shih Tzu nothing but vegetables. For one thing, if you do not grow your own vegetables, your dog will be lacking the same vitamin and minerals you lack eating commercially prepared vegetables. Humans are facing a vitamin and mineral shortage in commercially compared vegetables due to chemicals being added to poor soil. So then it is only logical to conclude your Shih Tzu will be facing the same sort of vitamin and mineral shortage unless you grow all your own vegetables.
Furthermore, dogs and/or Shih Tzu are not people. They do not require exactly the same nutrients as humans. I feel it absolute best to purchase the highest quality of commercially prepared dog food for your Shih Tzu from those who are highly trained and professional in these types of matters. There are many excellent brands on the market these days. Do your research. I personally feel HealthyPetNet has one of the best lines of dog products I have ever used. However, you need to find what in particular best nourishes your unique Shih Tzu.
Consult with your vet, although not all vets are highly trained in these matters either. Your vet may be selling a certain type of dog food that may not even be right for your Shih Tzu.
Feeding still remains the most responsibility of the owner. To guard against long term disease and help to prolong your Shih Tzu’s life, you should take some time to study the information and research available to you about dog foods and determine what is best for your own unique Shih Tzu.
Obesity
The Shih Tzu is a charmer. He will charm every bit of food out of you that he most possibly can. If it is your food your Shih Tzu will have a twinkle in his eye and beg so pitiful that you will feel as though you absolutely must give him not one bite, but half your meal if he stands begging for it. Do not be fooled by this charmer. He does not need your food too. Bites here and there are enough and make it clear to him that is absolutely all he is getting of your lasagna tonight!
One of the main reasons for obesity in the Shih Tzu is feeding him “your food.” Avoid this as much as possible. Likewise, the Shih Tzu can be just as charming begging for his own food. Feed him the recommended allowance per day and do not give in to his charming ways of asking for more.
Shih Tzu of all ages enjoys edible Nylabones. Give him one occasionally, but do not leave one out continuously. They will feast on Nylabones as well and I have seen them eat the Nylabones so heartily and as quickly as possible until they throw up. Most of my Shih Tzu just loves the edible Nylabones. They are good for them, but not continuously. I see those eating Nylabones as humans will start with a few Doritos and suddenly the whole bag is gone. I usually feel much worse on the last bite than the first. This is the same with Nylabones and the Shih Tzu.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
Connie Limon
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/feeding-your-adult-shih-tzu-138374.html
Posted in Vitamin information
9 Responses to “Feeding Your Adult Shih Tzu”
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Please Answer These Puppy Questions ASAP!!!!PLEASE!?
Its hard to keep my dog listening to me. Please answer some or any of these questions, or if you just have advice, that would be great too. Thanks.
-How do you make your dog stay?
-What is the best brand of puppy food for shih tzu’s?
-Is it easy to train your dog with the clicker trainer?
-Is it okay to feed shih tzu’s food scraps?
This last question is seriously needed to know! My puppy has to stay home for over 8 hours……Is it bad if you leave your puppy alone at home for over 8 hours? I just need 2know…
Oh, and how much do adult shih tzu’s weigh?
Thank you for answering!!
yes clicker training is good. and no dont feed ur dog human food even though its alittle. yes 8 hours is way to log. u should leave ur dog at least 2-3 hours
References :
My advice is to not leave your puppy alone for 8 hours.
References :
Everything you want to know about shih tzu:
http://dogtime.com/shih-tzu.html
Clicker training:
http://dogtime.com/clicker-training-basics-wilde-faq.html
Stay and settle down:
http://dogtime.com/dog-training-settle-down-dunbar.html
Hope these helps.
References :
A puppy has a short attention span.
You have to give them lots of love & time.
He will eventually get the idea that if he does as he is told then he will be rewarded.
Have never had a shih tzu. Prefer larger breeds personally.
Ideally a puppy should not be left for more thanm a couple of hours, but if you have to then give him some snuggly toys & something that belongs to you & leave the radio or tv on for company when you go out until he’s older.
All will be well.
Good Luck & Enjoy the experience.
References :
Personal Experience. I had a Basset Hound Pup when I was five & now 38 years laterI have an 11 month old Whippet Pup.
1. Just make them sit (give treat) say "stay" and hold my hand in front of them if they move I put them back in the spot we started at and do it until they get it and when they get it give them a treat.
2. I dont know but I feed my dog and puppy Canidae ALS. Its great dog food you should look it up.
3. I’ve never used a clicker, but it does work for a lot of people.
4. NO…never feed any dog human food, its not good for them and teaches them to beg and be rude.
5. Its not good to leave a puppy in a crate for that long (I hope you are crating your dog) because they might pee/poop on themselves and they get lonely. Try to get a neighbor or a friend to stop by for a few minutes.
6. I dont know about how much they weight…but I would guess around 25lbs.
I hope I helped.
References :
1. you have to take baby steps. your dog won’t be able to stay in one place for longer than a minute with you walking around right off the bat. you have to use positive reinforcement and take little steps. remember, stay is a lock down command, and the dog can not move until you physically go up to her and say a release word like "ok" or "release". don’t reward the release command, praise your dog before you release always.
2. the best food is different for all dogs, but high quality food comes from small petstores, not from places like your grocery store or petco, even with all the so called "natural" and "organic" the brands claim there. i would recommend innova. it costs more, but you feed less of it, so cost evens out.
3. yes clicker training is great and lets the dog know immediately when she gets the command right.
4. that depends. food scraps given at the right time and situation (not while youre sitting at the table still eating) is ok imo. fruit should be limited. there’s no need for starch or spicy foods. and know what foods are poisonous or allergens (like grapes, soy, walnuts, corn, onions).
5. yes, they can not be expected to hold their bladder for 8 hours long, and that can cause physical damage like bladder or kidney infections.i would strongly consider a dog walker or dog daycare, or no dog..i mean besides the physical reasons, think of the boredom and sadness you’re puppy will go through..you can put an ad in your local paper saying youre looking for a young adult to visit your dog, it doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg:)
References :
Eight hours is a long time for a puppy to be alone. Set her up with some pee pads because she definitely will not be able to "hold it" that long. Also, see if there’s someone in the neighborhood who could check on her or walk her midday, or come home during your lunch hour to interact with her. Also, there are puppy daycare places that would be great for socialization!
I always feed my doggies table scraps, just be sure no bones/anything dangerous, and don’t feed too much. Especially for a little dog, that could easily lead to excess weight gain.
Clicker training is great! Grab a book on it, or I think there is a magazine special for sale at Petco, and you should have no trouble. Just make the treats really yummy (stinky, small, soft!), be consistent, and keep training sessions short and fun.
As for food, personally I like Solid Gold, but there are lots of good, high-quality choices out there.
Have fun with your pup!
References :
What is the best brand of dog food?
Wellness
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/
Chicken Soup
http://www.chickensoupforthepetloverssou...
Solid Gold
http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/
Canidae
http://www.canidae.com/
Any Natura Brand
http://www.naturapet.com/
Please never use any food from Purina, because they are all crap, and you would never want to feed a pet that you loved the Purina brand. Here is thier website:
http://www.purina.com/
Never use Science Diet, either. That is a very crappy brand. If your dog is ever sick, the vet will recommend Science Diet. Their Rx diets are Ok for some dogs who need them, but don’t get the regular Science Diet. Here is their website:
http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/home.hj...
HOMEMADE/RAW FOOD FOOD IS GOOD:
http://www.pet-grub.com/
http://www.barfworld.com
If you can get puppy, get it. Small breed puppy is even better.
Is it Ok to give table scraps?
No. I don’t EVER give Tiger table scraps. Not even turkey on Thanksgiving. But he does get cake and ice cream when it is someone’s birthday. But that’s all.
Is it bad to leave puppy at home for 8 hours?
Yes, especially if it is not potty trained. Have someone come and check on it every 2 hours.
References :
Clicker training:
http://www.clickertraining.com/
How do you make your dog stay?
http://www.ehow.com/how_2284324_train-dog-stay-yard.html
How much do adult shih-tzus weigh?
From a reputable showdog breeder:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/
From a BYB, or a breeder that is not as high qualtiy as showdog breeders:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/shihtzu.htm
I had to put these answers down here, because I am only allowed to have 10 links in the answer part.