Physical violence can cause fear or scare your pet, but it’s not an effective method to educate them and should be avoided.
Unfortunately, many Shih Tzu owners and other pet owners still believe that punishing with physical force leads to positive effects in pet education. But this is not true!
For many years, physical punishment was used as a way to direct Shih Tzus towards correct behaviors, but over time, this type of “reprimand technique” was considered violent and wrong.
Unwanted behaviors from your pet should indeed be corrected, but without violence.
Reasons Why You Should Never Hit Your Pet
There are much more effective ways to educate Shih Tzus than using violence. Believe it or not, you will achieve better harmony with your pets if you use tools like kindness, love, and patience.
Not even “gentle taps” should be used to reprimand your puppy. Below, find out why you should never hit your pet:
Hitting Does Not Correct Bad Behavior
Hitting will not correct your pet’s undesirable behavior. Physical violence may cause fear or scare in the moment, but it’s not an effective method because it doesn’t guarantee the pet’s understanding of whether to repeat or not the action that caused the aggression.
An animal that feels intimidated by its owner cannot properly assimilate an order or understand what is expected of them.
Hitting Can Cause Irreparable Damage
Hitting your Shih Tzu can cause physical and psychological trauma. The excessive force used in moments of nervousness, combined with the delicate anatomy of your pet, can cause significant harm.
Even “harmless” taps can hurt. Additionally, a puppy that receives physical punishment becomes skittish, aggressive, fearful, and feels unwanted, especially when they don’t understand the reason for the punishment.
Educate with Love
To effectively educate your Shih Tzu, use positive reinforcement combined with the affection you have for your furry best friend. What can you do to teach your pet some basic behavioral rules? Reward good behaviors and ignore the bad ones.
When your pet responds to a command you gave them, offer them a treat, pet them, and express how proud you are of their learning. Also, remember that the earlier you start training – with love and respect! – your pet, the easier the coexistence between you will be.