Ensure that Their Drinking Water Isn’t Too Cold
Always check how cold your Shih Tzu’s drinking water is. Very cold water could make Shih Tzus ill, including giving them a sore throat and aggravating common cold symptoms.
Also, ensure that their water is not freezing over if it’s left outside and make it a point to leave their bowl near a warmer spot in the house.
The water flowing through your tap could also be too cold for them. If the pipes are almost frozen, the water would be too cold, so put tepid water into their water bowl.
Minimize Going Out
Your Shih Tzu might beg you to go outside, but use a commonsense approach regarding this matter. If it is too chilly outside, help them burn off some of their energy inside the house.
You can play with your Shih Tzu using a laser pen, which could chase up and down the living room until he is puffed out. Playtime like that keeps his weight and fitness levels in check; it also means that you don’t have to take a walk outside when it is too cold for him.
Make Use of Toilet Training Pads
When the temperatures are too harsh for your Shih Tzu to go potty outside, you would need an effective solution. We recommend puppy pads – you might have already used this when house training your Shih Tzu pup. They work just as great with grown dogs.
You could purchase a large pack of puppy pads on Amazon. Your dog should be able to recall how to use them, so these pads could be very useful, especially in cold winter weather.
Don’t Forget Sufficient Paw Protection
It would be best to always look at your Shih Tzu’s paws during the colder months to look for wounds and cracks. Their paws are very prone to cold temperatures and ice, and could deteriorate quickly, becoming horribly sore –with even the chance of frostbite! You could also purchase effective (and chic) winter boots for your Shih Tzu on Amazon.
