shih tzu doesnt like to be on our lap

[babyshihlvr]

we have a 11 wk old shih tzu and he doesnt like to lay in my lap for more than 10 min?
is it because he is a baby?
he lets me brush him and scrath him i also cradle him in my arms like a baby and sing to him.
when i tried to get him on my lap and just watch t.v with me at night he immedialtly gets up and wants to get down and last night he growled at me.
should i be alarmed?
also whenever the kids are near he bites their pants legs but he doesnt do it to me or my husband and he hold on for dear life!

i was just wondering if these are normal puppy behaviors? i thought shihs where suppose to be real cuddly.

[aly]

Some of it sounds like normal puppy behavior, and some of it sounds like dominant puppy behavior. Where does he sleep at night? Who feeds him? What kind of intereactions does he have with the kids?

As he gets older, there's a good chance he'll become more of a lap dog. There is a chance he may not though. I would just be patient and keep loving him

As far as the biting of the kids' pant legs (and not yours or your husband's), it is probably a dominance thing. Be sure he sleeps lower than your children. Maybe you could put a crate in their room for him to sleep in. Also, have your kids eat before the puppy is fed. And maybe you could have one of your children be the one to feed him.

I would also sign him up for puppy kindergarten so he can become socialized around other doggies and not get 'little dog syndrome'

Good luck!

[Cincy'sMom]

I can't relly add anything to what Aly has said, expect that our Cincy used to never lay on the couch with me and Sadie. She was always on the florr or she would go back to the bedroom and lay ont he spare bed. At night she preferred to sleep in her own bed on the floor, while Sadie slept in the big bed with us. Suddenly when she was about 10 mos old, she started getting more "clingy" She is now 18 months and she is always with us

[babyshihlvr]

thanxs for the response
i think its a little bit of a dominance thing also and so i enrolled us into puppy headstart that begins in 2 weeks.

he sleeps in a crate in the room with my husband and i. he plays good with the children other than the biting thing. and i really didn't know if its biting or "mouthing"

he used to hump the children and my slippers all the time but he has stopped for the last week and i thought that was kind of young for a puppy so young. he seems to do it to furry things or stuffed animals and i first saw him do it at the breedes house when we got him.

thanxs for all the advice and i will take everything into consideration

[tikeyas_mom]

you said your puppie growled at you when you tryed to make him sit on your lap. This behavior must be stopped while he is a puppy. I have a shih tzu and he is a floppy cuddle bug, but he wont sit on a persons lap for long periods of time as well. He gets restless. It is normal for shih tzus to do this. I know thay are called the "lap dog" but they arnt. the dog that is the lap dog that is fairly similar to a shih tzu is a lhasapso .. they are major lap dogs . @ least my aunts is lol.. dont worri in time your shih tzu will be more resistant to cuddles..

[lovemyshiba]

I'm just going to go ahead and agree with everyone else, and I'm sure in a few months or so, your pup will love to cuddle with you and be on your lap!!

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by tikeyas_mom
dont worri in time your shih tzu will be more resistant to cuddles..

I really don't think they want the dog to become more "resistant" to cuddles. That makes no sense at all.

[evelyn1157]

zoey is not a lap dog as well. and she prefers to sleep on the floor than on my bed. the only time that she will sit on my lap is when we are in a car. she also insists on sitting on my lap only and not others.
as for the humping part, i think it is quite normal for male shih tzus as my i have 2 friends who owns male shih tzus and they started humping people's leg at quite a young age.

[evelyn1157]

also, when she is in the car, she won't sit by her self or on other ppl's lap. she really insists on sitting on my lap. when i get down from the car without her, she starts whining.