Housebreaking a Shih Tzu can be one of the most difficult things you will ever try to do and many people find it the most frustrating thing about owning a Shih Tzu. Shih Tzu dogs are very independent thinkers and prefer to do things their own way.

It takes patience and many Shih Tzu owners turn to Shih Tzu litter box training when regular housebreaking does not work. You may want to give it a little time before you break out the litter box.

Patience is a virtue when training a Shih Tzu and you will need a lot of patience to housebreak your Shih Tzu. Even the best-behaved Shih Tzu dogs can take up to six months to be properly housebroken. So if you have only been at it for a few months then you need to keep trying. Litter box training should be a last resort, a very last resort.

Due to their behavioral patterns it is very much worth repeating that you may want to develop patience with a Shih Tzu in regards to housebreaking before you resort to using a litter box. A Shih Tzu will look at your entire house as a territory and if you let it know that it is okay to relieve itself in the house anywhere then it may not always associate that activity with the Shih Tzu litter box training. It is still much more beneficial to get the dog to understand that, for bathroom needs, outside is good and inside is bad.

The size of the dog can also determine whether or not you want to consider the litter box. The Shih Tzu is a toy breed but it can grow to sizes that are much too big to be using a litter box with. Consult your breeder, or your vet, on their advice about whether or not a Shih Tzu the size of yours should be considered for litter box training or not. A bigger dog is going to have problems with a litter box so be sure before you start training.

You think you have tried everything else and Shih Tzu litter box training is your last resort. Get a large litter box and put it in the area the Shih Tzu has been soiling the most. Take your dog to that litter box several times a day and praise and reward the dog for using the litter box. Never punish a Shih Tzu, as that will negate all the training you have done and cause you to have to start over.

Punishment confuses a Shih Tzu and causes any training already completed to have to be done over. Watch your Shih Tzu and take it to the litter box when it displays the signs of getting ready to go to the bathroom, like sniffing in a spot or circling.

Never give up on housebreaking until you have tried everything there first or you may regret it later on in your dog's life.