Board & train
Board and train for Shih Tzus
A Shih Tzu was bred to sit in a palace and be admired, and many still expect the arrangement to continue. The three things owners ask us about are a dog who is still not house-trained, a dog who has an opinion about every request, and a dog who turns brushing into a wrestling match. Some of that suits a live-in program. Some of it does not, and we will say so.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
What a program covers
Daily routine, a settle on place, and a dog who stands for the brush.
A Shih Tzu puppy in Puppy Fundamentals spends three weeks on crate comfort, name recognition, sit, down, place and meeting new sights and sounds calmly, and that groundwork is what calm handling for a face wipe and a topknot is built on. For an older dog who treats sit as negotiable and the leash as decoration, On-Leash Foundations covers loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place in two weeks, with everyday distractions folded in.
Stubborn is usually a dog who has learned that waiting you out works. Daily repetition inside a structured routine makes waiting a poor strategy: the dog eats, rests, trains and goes out on a schedule, not when the mood strikes. Grooming tolerance rides on the same skills: a steady down-stay and a calm place are what let a brush reach the belly and the beard. If the brush meets a growl or a snap, that is fear work; Behaviour Rehab starts with a full assessment.
- Crate comfort and a calm place
- Loose leash at a small dog's pace
- Standing still for the brush
- Sit that is not negotiable
Where it transfers
House-training lives in your hallway, so the plan may live there too.
A dog can be clean on a structured routine somewhere else and still wet your rug on the first evening home, because the rug, the schedule and the person at the door are all yours. Crate comfort, the settle and the manners transfer from a live-in program; the toilet routine transfers only if you run it. Day Training keeps the dog with you every night, drop-off 8 to 10 am and pick-up 5 to 7 pm, so the routine is practised in your own hallway.
Private Training at $150 plus GST per hour gives you a written weekly plan customized to your home, down to which door and which hour. After any program, you keep brushing in short sessions on place, keep the crate as a bedroom rather than a penalty box, and keep asking for the sit once and meaning it. The method behind all of that is in our Shih Tzu training guide. The consultation recommends the program, and when coaching is enough, we say so.
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
NE · 2-week board & train
On-Leash Foundations
If every walk is a wrestling match, pulling, barking, zig-zagging, this two-week program rebuilds the walk from the ground up with foundational on-leash obedience..
Includes handover lesson, follow-up session, lifetime support, slip lead + collar
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Does a Shih Tzu board and train fix house-training?
It builds the pieces: crate comfort, a structured routine, and a dog used to going out on a schedule. The routine only holds at home if you run it there, so for a dog whose main problem is the rug, Day Training or Private Training may be the better recommendation. The consultation is where we decide that honestly.
What does a board and train for a Shih Tzu actually work on?
Puppy Fundamentals covers crate comfort, name, sit, down, place and calm exposure to new sights and sounds over three weeks. On-Leash Foundations covers loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place in two weeks. Both include a handover lesson and a free follow-up session.
Which Shih Tzu training program fits a dog who hates being brushed?
Handling tolerance is built on a calm place and a steady down-stay, which both shorter programs teach, and the handover shows you how to keep brushing sessions short and rewarding. If the dog growls or snaps at the brush, that is fear-based behaviour and Behaviour Rehab begins with a full assessment. Never punish the growl; it is the dog telling you the brush is too much.
How much is a Shih Tzu board and train?
On-Leash Foundations is $1,865 plus GST for two weeks and Puppy Fundamentals is $2,775 plus GST for three. Day Training is $650 plus GST per week and Private Training is $150 plus GST per session. Every option includes a lesson for you, because the Shih Tzu is only half the student.
Keep reading
Realistic goals, honest advice
Tell us about the rug, the brush and the sit that never comes. Book a consultation and we will recommend coaching or live-in training.
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