Training your Shih Tzu puppies to ring a bell with their nose or paws is a simple and effective way for your puppy to let his human friends know he needs food … right now! This trick is used as a substitute for your puppies barking, whining, or scratching at the door, all of which are not entirely pleasing, and may stress both you and your puppy. We practice it at least once a day. ZaiZai seems to be getting a lot better now. He sometimes pushes me to give him food by ringing the bell all the time.
Very cute!
It’s incredibly useful to use a command to get your dog used to the bell and to figure out what he’s supposed to do with it. Most people use the word “touch” or “bell” to turn this action into a command. Puppies react well to the structure, and having a command tells them what to do and when to do it. Once you get a message that “touch” or “bell” is affiliated with touching the bell with your nose (or paw), this is your first big hurdle cleared.
