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2 min readDo all Shih Tzu puppies make great service dogs?

June 15, 2022 By Deanna

A chocolate Shih Tzu puppy with his chin on a giant donut stuffed toy.
A Shih Tzu Puppy working through service dog curriculum exposure items.

Are Shih Tzus Good Service Dogs?

First of all, let’s go over the differences between service, therapy, and emotional support animals. Service dogs perform essential tasks to help individuals with physical or psychiatric disabilities. For example, a service dog may provide key services to someone suffering from epilepsy. Therapy dogs help out by volunteering in places such as schools, hospitals, or assisted living centers. Emotional support animals provide comfort to individuals in need. For instance, if a person is suffering from depression, it may be a good idea to look into getting an ESA certificate from a psychologist.

Now to answer the question, not all of the Shih Tzu puppies in my responsible breeding program are cut out for service, therapy, or ESA work. The Shih Tzu puppies must possess specific temperament traits to make them ideal candidates for the job. For instance, some Shih Tzu puppies may work great with families with young children. Other puppies might possess temperament traits that make them great candidates for a therapy dog position.

This is the precise reason why I temperament test each puppy in my program. Why it is true that all the puppies go through the same first-class puppy curriculum? There is so much more to the puzzle. The puppy must possess certain temperament traits that align with the specific type of work that needs to be done. Furthermore, if a puppy possesses the correct temperament traits, he or she must still go through proper training in preparation for the future job. If you would like to learn more about my responsible Shih Tzu breeding program and the Arizona Sunrise Shih Tzus difference then click here for more information.

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Filed Under: Behavior, Education Tagged With: dog training, emotional support dog, service dog

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About Deanna

Hello my name is Dee! I am the breeder behind Arizona Sunrise Shih Tzus located in Goodyear, Arizona. All of my adults are health tested. Puppies are raised on an advanced curriculum which includes socialization essentials such as Early Neurological Stimulation, Early Scent Introduction, Sound Desensitization, Sensory Exposure Desensitization and so much more.
Furthermore, puppies receive an introduction to a basic recall, verbal marker training, crate practice, etc. All puppies are temperament tested to help families choose a puppy that will blend in with their lifestyle. Puppies go home with a prepaid lifetime membership to Baxter & Bella's training program & one month of free insurance through Trupanion.

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