Hi, my 4 month old Shih Tzu is constantly barking/yapping at me for attention when i'm either doing something around the house or sat eating something. He doesn't stop until he has my full attention.

If i say to him quiet in a firm voice, he just looks at me with his little screwed up face , then starts again! I don't like getting mad at him, but along with his toilet training and now his barking, i am now wondering if he will ever settle down with these 2 issues. The funny thing is he never barks when i'm out the house. I have asked the neighbours to listen for him and they tell me he doesn't bark. So any advice on why hes behaving like this ?
He has only recently started barking at things that make a noise too, like the vacuum, hairdryer and even the kettle boiling !

Any help to try and settle him would be most appreciated. I know Shih Tzu's are regarded as companion dogs and love attention but surely not all the time ?

Kind regards Janette

Personally I would not talk to him at all, the moment he starts move him to another room, shut the door and ignore till he stops, may take ages to start with. I do not know the breed and his breeder may be able to advise.

Thank you for that. I have ignored him, but not tried putting him in another room. I will give that a go, thanks again.

Janette

Attention seeking is of course par for the course as his breeds job is com0panionship

Any attention even negative attention is attention, so as Nova says leave the room, or put him out every time he does it.  No talking no eye contact, and relaxed body posture.

As soon as he stops allow him back in, but continue to ignore, if eh is quiet just for a few seconds call him over, give a very low key pat and good dog and ignore again by going back to what you were doing.

Attention is on your terms not his.

I have tried the ignore tricks few mins ago. I didn't look at him but he continued to yap at me. Put him in the hallway gave him time out and he stopped. Fetched back in the room gave him 5 mins then had a quiet chat sayin good boy and gave him a treat. Did I do right by treating him along with the praise?
I don't like ignoring him and don't want to confuse his barking for needing something and just attention.
But so far the tips have worked.
Thanks to all for the advice, I have never trained a dog before so any advice is most welcome

He is still a baby at 4 months and I have owned lots of toys and would agree that this is a companion breed, and also a baby.  It is natural that he wants attention.

> Did I do right by treating him along with the praise

Definitely.  You were rewarding wanted behaviour.  Don't expect too much too soon at this age though. 

Hi Jean. Thank you for your reply. He's coming on great in other areas and he's a joy to have around. I appreciate he's just a baby still, but he still needs a routine and discipline, don't you agree?
He has my undivided attention but I'm worried I'm giving him too much and that's why he's barking at me every time my attention is not on him.
But saying all that, I will be patient with him and hope he settles soon.
I chose a Shih tzu because of their loving nature and should have expected the puppy to be more demanding than most breeds, if demanding is the right word to use.
I love him dearly and love his company never the less.

My next door neighbour decided on a Shih Tzu for their 1st dog and i remember her saying that she was exactly the same but their daughter (who was 18 and the dog was brought as a bdy present for her off her parents) was forever carrying the dog around which didn't help the situation. I agree that your dog is still a baby but yes he definitely needs discipline and a routine as do all dogs. So start as you mean to carry on. Good luck and most of all enjoy him.

He has my undivided attention

Maybe Jean could reply to this as she has huge experience with toy/companion dogs?..........might this end up causing separation anxiety if not handled carefully.. bearing in mind the OP has said this is the first dog she has trained?

He has my undivided attention but I'm worried I'm giving him too much and that's why he's barking at me every time my attention is not on him.

Yes, I would say so. He needs to learn to be left alone, to not always be able to follow you etc, as otherwise you will have problems in future. Far easier to start now rather than when he's older.

One simple way to start is use baby gates (unless he is as small as my 3 month old Papillon puppy Mickey, who just walks through the bars of all my gates!!) and teach him that sometimes you leave the room and he can't follow and barking will not bring you back. (Being QUIET will make you appear.) Buy a Kong, fill it with some treats or cream cheese or anything suitable that won't upset his stomach, as that should keep him busy and teach him to relax on his own.

Has he got plenty of toys? Everyone I know with Papillons have toy boxes full and the dogs love to go and find different toys to play with and keep themselves occupied. No idea if your breed is as toy orientated though.

> Everyone I know with Papillons have toy boxes full

    Marianne I'm silently nodding with a smile as I'm reading this.  I have several low trugs (easy to clean) filled with soft toys.  With pups I have been tricked several times when missing pups have eventually been found fast asleep in the toy box.  L/C Chis must be similar to Paps then.  They proudly carry toys around with wagging tails.

Janette1169
Hi, my 4 month old Shih Tzu is constantly barking/yapping

Janette, I think you need to know your dogs in a critical period right now & which does not end until appx 16 weeks old, its an 'imprinting' period please read the link I will past below & please take it in.
No idea if this has been mentioned or not in other posts.

Imprinting
http://www.dogbehaviorblog.com/2009/08/imprinting-and-dog-aggression.html
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Many thanks for all your replies and advice. Pippin has a basket full of toys and really doesn't know which one to choose at times to play with. Sometimes the basket itself is more fun than the toys.
As i mentioned before he's really good when left alone, its when we are at home together. The treat ball sounds great too ! Will buy one for him.
For the rest of yesterday evening, i placed him outside the door, left it open just enough so i could keep an eye on him and then allowed him back in the room. Gave him lots of praise and cuddles, but repeated it once he started barking again. It has worked but i don't expect him to ' get it' right away.

Thank you for the link also , im sure the info will be most useful to both Pippin and me.
While i am writing this post , i would like to thank everyone who has helped with various issues i have posted on the site and for taking time out to advise and share your tips too.
My first dog was a Jack Russell, very tough, easy dog to keep. And i will admit to , i never trained him, apart from his toilet. I more or less let him do his own 'thing' . However Pippin is a little more high maintenance, if that's the right phrase and i know i need help and advice to make his life here happy, comfortable and content and i'm very grateful for all of it..... Thank you to all !

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Just to add & related to what i wrote before, to that, there's a 'whole range' of behaviour's which simply belong the age of the individual dog's/human's/chimp's/birds etc! as it is at that point in age time. As time goes by 'a whole range' of behaviour's emerge as others mature & change or disappear, in dog's/human's/chimp's/birds etc!
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Does he have any interactive toys?  Treat balls, kongs, that sort of thing?  Something to keep him occupied while you're busy might help teach him that mum ignoring him is not such a bad thing

Hi Nikita, he has plenty of toys but none you have mentioned. I'm out today to buy for him, hopefully he will have hours of fun with whatever i buy.. well minutes lol