Why Is My Shih Tzu Acting Strange? 11 signs you must know!

Are you wondering if your Shih Tzu is acting strange? Please don’t panic, as I will list some reasons why your Shih Tzu is acting strange. If your Shih Tzu is acting weird, maybe he has been facing some problems lately.

However, Shih Tzu has become the most popular breed in recent years. Several reasons have been detected why Shih Tzu is acting weird. The purpose of stating this not-so-important topic is to give awareness to people who own a dog but don’t know which circumstances they are going through.

There are many reasons for this question, but I will highlight some points. Reasons include health issues, mishandling by groomers, blowing by someone else, not releasing energy, improper ladder, and other significant problems.

Before you face any problem with your Shih Tzu, let’s read this article to know why your Shih Tzu is acting strange.

Your Shih Tzu Could Be Going Through Stress

Shih Tzu Dogs are the cutest creatures. A disturbance in your Shih Tzus routine can result in strange behavior. Stressed dogs may hide somewhere, act weird, feel anxious, etc. if you have changed your dog’s way recently, he will act strange.

If you have bought another pet or someone else has moved into your house, they feel anxious.

Are you thinking of a solution? Yes, there is a solution to this. You can get your dog medication for stress, relax him, give him supplements, and give him special attention and diet.

Try to set his routine like before, as he would love to stay the same way. It will decrease his stress and change his weird behavior.

Your Shih Tzu could be naturally scared

If your dog is scared, he is going to act strange. He will hide under the table, avoid talking to you, show aggression, etc. however, these behaviors are temporary.

Your dog will start behaving normally after a certain period. But if your dog is a victim of any other chronic fear, in this case, Shih Tzu will need proper medication and care. If still, your dog is acting strange, contact a professional trainer or vet.

Your Shih Tzu could be bored

Shih Tzu will get bored if he does not get suitable physical and mental activities. Boredom may cause strange behavior or act weird. In this situation, he feels very aggressive and can chew everything he gets.

Keep your dog engaged in plenty of activities like walks, going out, picking up things, etc. If he’s acting strange, try another way to make him happy. Get him to an obedience class for a change in his behavior. Also, get him a few dog toys to escape this boredom.

Your Shih Tzu could have been mishandled by groomers

It happens most of the time with our pets. Most owners say their Shih Tzu is acting strange after visiting the groomer. But the sad thing is that this usually happens with the most known groomer.

Good groomers also face issues or accidents that owners are unaware of. You have to ask the groomer about any issue or problem that happened to them and whether they are feasible grooming pets.

If your Shih Tzu is acting strange after meeting the groomer, don’t blame but ask them why your Shih Tzu is acting weird.

You can also suggest the groomers for which type of grooming your dog receives and whether they are feasible.

Whether your Shih Tzu feels awkward when cutting their nails or touching his coat.

However, if your Shih Tzu feels hesitant touching a particular part of its body, this may be a sign for you to get your Shih Tzu checked.

In this case, you need to hire another groomer for your Shih Tzu. Try choosing a groomer in front of you so you can see your dog being groomed or mishandled.

Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes in female dogs are not a big thing. If you have a female Shih Tzu, it’s uncommon that she has odd behavior during her heat cycle.

Hormonal changes can lead to severe cramps in their stomach, so it is normal if they have a cringe behavior. In this situation, some of the female Shih Tzu hate eating.

On the other hand, if your Shih Tzu is becoming pregnant or mature, she may suddenly change her hormones.

It will also result in strange behavior.

Symptoms of this situation are panting, aggression, humping, etc., but these hormonal changes are regular, and she will get over it after some time. If the condition gets worse, go to a vet.

Fitness Issue

When your Shih Tzu is acting strange, first of all, you need to consider your health.

The main symptoms your dog will show are working quieter than usual, and some of these will be more articulated.

If your dog has an injury or illness, this could also result in strange behavior.

If any health issue occurs, the dog who loves to embrace will never want to come to you, and the Shih Tzu is already an independent dog; they will become more adherent.

When a Shih Tzu experiences pain, its behavior is the first thing that changes in them.

They will also leave their appetite behind.

There is a massive range of health issues a Shih Tzu faces, from joint pain to worms to diabetes.

For grown-up dogs, the most common health issue is hypoglycemia which means a drop in flow sugar level, and your puppy will act like he’s drunk, trouble walking, confused, and sleepy.

Moreover, check other issues why your Shih Tzu is acting strange; get your dog checked up first, even if he recently got his checkup done.

And if you get to know them early, it would be the best thing, and you can start their treatment early!

Not Releasing Energy

So, Dogs have gathered a specific energy needed to release at a particular time. If it’s cant removed, it will result in anger and acting strange.

Their behavior could be out of your control sometimes in this kind of situation.

A dog who goes for exercise daily may be running and doing nothing and find ways to stretch his body as well as legs. At this point, they need to release their energy.

A Shih Tzu needs to walk for 20 minutes in a place that is wide enough and made for dogs specifically.

You must be more careful in winter when you can’t take them out for a walk.

Also, you can apply wax on their paws to save them from cold so that they stay calm. If the weather is stormy or freezing, plan a game for your Shih Tzu, like hiding and seek for those walking 20 minutes.

Try to plan some activities on the days when you are unable to take them for a 20 minutes walk as they get frustrated staying at home for a specific time.

Mishandled By Someone Else

Now, this is another principal reason that some other person mishandles your dog.

We have heard that someone else beat their dog in jealousy.

The most common cause here would be that your children are playing roughly, and your Shih Tzu gets hit in this situation. And this way, your Shih Tzu is not appropriately supervised.

Never assume that a child would take care of your dog correctly as they don’t know they don’t have to pull their tail, pick them correctly, and many other causes.

In this case, your dog will act strange for a moment and then get fine if it didn’t get any injury.

The Shih Tzu may be a bit scary in front of that person.

You need to take proper care of your dogs in such a situation and know they don’t need to be left alone in the house or handed over to someone else.

You need to hire a mature person for such conditions or take care of them yourself.

Improper Hierarchy

It could also happen if your dog is acting strange in front of a specific individual in the house.

Your Shih Tzu may bark at them or feel unsafe having them around.

Also, maybe the Shih Tzu harm him in this situation.

In this situation, your dog will function unfriendly and weirdly in front of one person. It is common if the dog sees a single person as loyal, loving, and caring and it sees the other person as a warning to him. It happens when there is not involvement of the person in the dog and hesitates.

The person with whom your Shih Tzu is acting strange should take care of him and play with him so that the dog starts relying on the person.

He can provide food to the dog by asking him to sit and placing the plate in front of him. For this time, the owners can split their tasks so that Shih Tzu gets involved. It will apply to both persons equally.

Disturbances Left Unseen By Owners

Dogs can hear four times louder than humans. Suppose your Shih Tzu is acting weird by glaring at walls, looking up at the sky, walking randomly, or looking at something invisible.

It means that they are seeing something unpleasant or looking at birds sitting on the tree. In that case, squirrels are running, birds are making sounds, and many other situations.

There could be some sounds you are unable to hear due to the limits in the hearing of humans.

In this situation, the Shih Tzu needs some kind of distraction. When you reach the Shih Tzu, it will be essential to maintain your voice. It is because your dog will follow what you do. If you are troubled about something, your dog will also be concerned.

To distract him, you give him his favorite toys; you can take him to another room, ask him to sit, or various kinds of actions to engage your Shih Tzu.

If your Shih Tzu is sleeping and wakes up suddenly, the bird’s voice may irritate them, and then you need to change your Shih Tzu’s sleeping area or employ a white noise machine.

Major Problems

Suppose your Shih Tzu is behaving strangely and grown up, you want to exclude issues that may harm/affect your older dogs. The two main problems are hearing as well as vision loss.

These both problems let your Shih Tzu act weird. When a dog has lost hearing or vision, he acts strange, as when a person comes into the room and calls your dog’s name, but they can be responsive.

Another issue in dogs is CCD, which also happens in humans. It is just like dementia. It’s also a common issue in dogs who are grown up and age above 11 years.

In this situation, there are several symptoms you can take care of, which include confusion, feeling restless, not following your instructions, excessive licking, loss of appetite, changes in sleep, or bladder loss.

Final Word

As I have summed up all the reasons why your Shih Tzu is acting strange. If your dog is acting weird, you must rule these things out. Firstly if this situation happens, you must keep an eye on your behavior first. If you deviate from their normal healthy behavior, they may act strange.

Secondly, as we move forward, you need to know what normal behavior they feel comfortable in. this article will clear all your questions about the weird behavior of your dog.

The purpose of this talk is to make vets and owners of pets confused as to why they are cringe.

If your dog acts strange, he might want to tell you something. Whether it’s anything from the reason mentioned above, take action instantly. You won’t be able to get out of it until you find its route.

Dogs can’t tell us what is bothering them, so we are supposed to watch our pets’ behaviors. Usually, older dogs create more trouble. Younger dogs are more likely to get hyper sometimes. If you own a dog, you need to focus on his every activity.

I guess I have cleared all your queries regarding the weird behaviors of your dogs. Are you facing some related problems? Was this article helpful for you?