How to Stop a Shih Tzu From Nipping and Biting

Overview

One of the most frustrating behaviors to contend with is nipping or biting. Owners can be very taken aback that such a cute, adorable Shih Tzu can seemingly aggressively nip. How can this be coming from such a cuddly little breed? Fortunately, there are some techniques to stop nipping behavior. In this section we will cover:

The difference between nipping and biting
Why a Shih Tzu may be nipping
How to stop nipping in two steps
What to do if your Shih Tzu is aggressively biting

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Nipping vs Biting

These words are often used interchangeably by pet parents. However, there is a big difference between the two. Knowing what's happening will help you determine how to react. But, before we look at the definitions, keep in mind that in regard to actions a Shih Tzu takes toward an owner, 99% of the time, the puppy or dog will have a nipping problem and not one where they are biting.

Nipping: Quick snaps of the jaw. If a person moves out of the way fast enough, this may be in the air (if so, the teeth will clack together). If the Shih Tzu comes into contact, the nip is often to an owner's hand or lower arm. Blood is rarely drawn or if so, it will be due to a small scratch or minimal puncture. Typically, there is just one nip. If there is more than one, there is a certain duration between them.

Biting: A serious aggression issue in which the dog locks their jaw down onto a person. Teeth sink into the skin. Blood is drawn due to a moderate or severe puncture. Even though a Shih Tzu is little, this is a fierce action that rightfully scares owners. So, as we touched on, most Shih Tzu will have a nipping problem. While every dog breed is capable of severe aggression, which includes biting, it is very rare with this breed.

With this mind, we'll first dive into how to fix nipping, and then will go over what to do if your Shih Tzu is actually biting.

Reasons for Nipping

Most of the time, it will be a Shih Tzu puppy that has this problem. Typically, by the time the pup reaches the 1 year mark, their reasons for nipping, along with lessons learned, will have caused the behavior to cease. However, there are times that an adult Shih Tzu will start nipping as well.

There are 3 main reasons why a Shih Tzu of any age will nip; note that more than one cause may be applicable to a Shih Tzu, so you'll want to consider all of these:

#1: Play behavior exceeding acceptable limits.

This is the #1 reason in regard to a Shih Tzu puppy nipping at their humans. While it may not seem very friendly to you, young puppies incorporate nipping into their play when tousling around with their littermates. Usually during this time, pups learn which levels of force are acceptable and which are not.

However, as a puppy grows stronger, their teeth become sharper, and when the object of the nip is your hand and not a pup with a coat to protect them, nips can indeed hurt. When you couple this with the strong oral sensations that a teething puppy is experiencing, you have the perfect recipe for the creation of a nipping machine.

#2: Improper hierarchy.

If a Shih Tzu either thinks that they are the leader of the house (Alpha) or even believes that they are in the running to possibly become the leader, they may try to exert their preferences by nipping. If there's too much commotion around them, if people come too close to their food bowl, or even if they want to rest and someone is trying to brush them, the puppy may nip to say 'Leave me alone' or 'Leave my things alone'. However, a Shih Tzu that fully understands that their human is the Alpha leader would not be so bold. If upset, the dog may look sullen or try to retreat elsewhere, but will not nip.

#3: Health issue.

Sometimes the onset of certain conditions or illness have no outward clinical signs. It can be a few days, or even more time in some cases, before there are enough symptoms that owners notice something is wrong. When a dog is not feeling well or is in pain, they can feel vulnerable and this can cause them to enter a defensive mode. If anyone comes too close, the Shih Tzu may nip out of instinct. This may be accompanied with a growl.

Ruling out Health Issues

If you even suspect that there may be any sort of health issue, bring your Shih Tzu to the veterinarian right away. Even if your puppy or dog just recently had a visit, something may have developed from then to now. Other signs that there may indeed be some sort of health concern, includes but is not limited to: Decreased appetite, lethargy, retreating or favoring a certain part of the body.

How to Stop a Shih Tzu from Nipping

Stopping a Shih Tzu from nipping at you is not overly complicated; however, it is important to follow each step to a T.

If not, you will have limited or temporary success.

Stopping a Shih Tzu from nipping at you is not overly complicated; however, it is important to follow each step to a T. If not, you will have limited or temporary success. And, as mentioned, you should only continue forward if all possible health issues have been ruled out.

Step #1: Establish Proper Hierarchy

Even if a Shih Tzu is nipping due to overly aggressive play this will be part of the fix. And, if your Shih Tzu is very intolerant of being touched, or nips in frustration, this will most certainly aid in reversing things.

First, you should understand why this works:

To all canines, there is order. Dogs interpret everything through this lens, viewing their household as the den and the household members, including humans and animals, as the pack. The pack is led by an Alpha, with all others being Betas. In homes with multiple dogs, there may be an 'Alpha Dog' among them, but this dog is still subordinate to the true Alpha - you.

The Alpha's authority is absolute, with challenges to this authority rare. If a Shih Tzu puppy nips but recognizes you as the Alpha, it will quickly learn from your lessons. Conversely, if an older Shih Tzu shows aggression or nips, it may be testing your authority, and addressing this behavior can help reassert your position as Alpha.

Please note: The following advice is NOT applicable to dogs that are aggressively and violently biting.

Next, establish proper hierarchy to make it clear you are the leader.

How to do this:

Food as a Training Tool: To all canines, food is synonymous with survival, even for small, pampered breeds like the Shih Tzu. So, making it clear that you provide the food, strengthens your position as leader. For every meal and snack, command your Shih Tzu to obey a 'Sit'. If your dog doesn't know how to sit, use their meal as a training opportunity. Hold food at nose level, move it up over their head, gently press down on their rear, and command 'Sit'.
House Entry and Exit Dynamics: Another effective method, especially when used with the first, is managing how you exit and enter the house. The Alpha (you) should always go first. If your Shih Tzu has been leading the way, they may be getting mixed signals about who is in charge.
Walking Etiquette: The way you walk your Shih Tzu is also a form of communication. Use a leash and harness (not a collar) and keep the leash short enough so your dog stays by your left side, not out in front of you.

Step #2: React Appropriately if your Shih Tzu Nips

These next steps will be much more effective once you have established yourself as leader as explained in step #1.

Prepping:

A huge part of this training is to have items that will refocus a puppy's attention. While treats can do this, it is temporary. Instead, you'll want to have something that not only grabs your Shih Tzu's attention but also keeps them focused on it. The best way to accomplish this is to have certain toys that are interesting (make noise or offer some type of interaction), meet a dog's urges to chew and are reserved only to distract after an attempted nip.

One recommended toy for this is the Multipet Lambchop Plush Squeak Mini Toy. This is a cotton toy with a squeaker (which entices pups to chew) and is a small 6-inches which is an ideal size.

Implementation:

There are 2 parts to this. The 1st is if you can pull your hand away before the nip occurs. The 2nd is if you could not pull away fast enough.

If you've avoided the nip:

Withdraw away to make distance between you and your Shih Tzu.
Offer one of the toys that is reserved for this situation.
When your Shih Tzu mouths the toy, give praise and allow your puppy or dog to enjoy it. This will teach them that there are much better options to focus their biting urges on.
As time goes by, if you see that certain toys keep your Shih Tzu busy and would be valuable additions to their regular toy collection, move them there and keep a new one for times with attempted nips.

If the nips occurs:

In a firm and confident voice, say 'No'. This will be equivalent to the 'yip' that your puppy heard from a littermate that was bitten to roughly.
Ignore your Shih Tzu for 3 full minutes. This MUST be a full and complete ignoring of the pup. This means no eye contact and no speaking. If needed, rise from a sitting position, to gain physical authority and prevent further nipping. This is because the goal is to have the pup worried that you, the Alpha, are considering banishing them from the pack due to the offense.
After the 3 minutes, speak to your puppy normally and continue on with the interaction you had previous to the nip.
If the pup nips again, repeat your reaction again. This can be done 3 times before needing to increase the 'banishment'.
If 3 nips have occurred and your Shih Tzu is still out-of-control or if they keep coming at you without allowing you to take pause, you will want to give a 15-minute time-out. Time-outs can be in a canine playpen or gated off area. Note that your Shih Tzu MUST be able to see you. If not, they will not realize that they are being ignored.
Once you let your Shih Tzu out from their time-out, go back to what you were doing when the nip occurred. This is particularly relevant if you were grooming your dog or performing a task that is vital to their care.

If a Shih Tzu is Biting

True biting is very different than nipping. And you may feel a bit uncertain about which of the two are happening. If you are in doubt, there is a good chance that your Shih Tzu is nipping. You may wish to refer back to Nipping vs Biting.

This said, if your Shih Tzu is actually aggressively biting (clenching down on you and breaking the skin), this should be considered a very serious issue that must be immediately addressed. In these cases, as much as an owner would like to hear a cost-free answer, the only real resolution (aside from having the dog removed from the home) and the only one that keeps your household members safe, is to hire a professional canine trainer who specialized in aggressive behaviors. You may need to segregate your Shih Tzu up until that time to prevent bite injuries. Your local SPCA should be able to provide references for trainers.