Females In Heat

So Bonnie-Lass just started her first heat yesterday. So many of you may be asking "What Exactly Happens?"

Heat is the term that is used to describe the time when a female dog goes into her cycle of menstruation. This will be very different than the human female cycle therefore an owner should be informed about all of the aspects.

So When will my Shih Tzu's heat begin?

Your Female Shih Tzu will have her first cycle when she is about 6 months old. Bonnie is now 7 1/2 months old so this is obviously not written in stone. Some dogs enter early and some enter as late as 15 months. If however your Shih Tzu bithc is over 15 months and you have not noticed that she has entered into heat yet, this is a red flag signal to bring her to the vet as soon as possible.

How Will I Know?

You will know that your Shih Tzu dog is in heat from the following symptoms:

•Her vulva will become swollen
•A small amount of blood will be discharged. The amount of blood will be a lot less than one may expect; smaller breed dogs may have very negligible amounts
•Male dogs may seem overly interested in her, even stray male dogs may hang around your yard. Male dogs that have not been neutered will be able to detect that your dog is in heat from as much as 3 miles away!
Will My Dog Feel Pain?

While no one can say for sure, it is suggested from studies that a female dog's behavior shows that she is aware of her cycle and may indeed feel some cramping or discomfort. Many female dogs may "nest", they will want more rest in a comfortable area, sometimes appearing to want to be alone and arranging blankets and other soft items around her. She may spend more time in her dog bed or resting area.


How Long Will It Last?

The average time is usually 21 days and it will happen about 2 times per year. Until you have your Shih Tzu spayed, she may continue to have this for the rest of her life. Usually around day 10 - 14 is when she will start Ovulating and it is around this time that it is very important that you watch her like a hawk as she will get pregnant during this time period It is not healthy for an elderly dog to go through this twice a year phase.

Spaying and Why It Is Important

Unless you serioulsy plan to be breeding all experienced veterinarians, breeders and clinical researchers are in general agreement that Spaying your female Shih Tzu dog will give her a better chance for a healthy life. Many vets recommend having a female spayed even before she enters her first heat and doing so will have no ill affects. So as mentioned above, unless you have serious plans to breed your Shih Tzu, this procedure should be done as soon as possible. Doing so will greatly reduce her risk of getting ovarian and mammary cancer.


It is true that smaller breed dogs like the Shih Tzu do not bleed as much as larger ones. You may want to protect your home and keep your female Shih Tzu clean by having her wear a doggie diaper. I was able to get 2 "Fancy Pants (one pink and one purple) for about $20 at PetSmart. The panty liners are about $4 a pack and are also available at PetSmart.

Keeping Your Bitch Safe!!

If you haven't had your Shih Tzu spayed and she is in heat the number 1 important safety rule is to keep her inside during this time! If she must go outside, you must go out there with her to keep an eye on her and have her on a very short leash! Never underestimate the power of stray, un-neutered male dogs. Such dogs will be able to smell your dog's cycle from as many as 3 miles away! When your Shih Tzu urinates, blood will be mixed into this fluid and will leave the odor in your back yard and even the smallest amount will be enough to trigger a male dog's instinct. That strong urge they will feel will compel them to get to her at all costs. They will jump fences, run across rivers and traverse any terrain to find her. Many owners have siad that they find stray dogs in and around their homes whiule their female is in heat. If she must go out open your door very slowly and have a good look around before bringing her outside to eliminate.

If you have a male as well, Well Good Luck as he will about lose his mind during this time! So far Danny-Boy is behaving very well, but I am prepared for a hard time as the next few weeks go by and under NO circumstances will they be allowed to be alone together without me "chaperoning". I have NO desire to breed them at this time. Females should be about 2 years old before they are allowed to breed as it could kill them if any younger. So Ms. Bonnie and Danny-Boy will just have to wait about another year or so.

How to make a TopKnot

1.You can learn how to make a topknot in no time at all. You must first make a part in the hair. There is a small bump on the center of a Shih Tzu's head. Use this as your stopping point when making the part from front to back. You will want to think of a triangle. You will gather hair from the outer edge of each eye and part back to the bump.

2.Now that the hair is gathered, Divide this long hair into 2 sections: front and back.

3.Put a band around the front section, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the skin

4.From the front section, hold some hairs from the center/back with one hand and push the band all the way down to the head of your Shih Tzu.

5.Repeat the above steps for the back section you created on your dog's head; however you will use a few hairs from the center/front when pushing the band down.

6.Place your chosen bow on the front section of your Shih Tzu's hair.

7.Once the bow is in place, gather both front and back sections together and use a final band to connect them. The connection should be slightly above the bow

How to Groom A Shih Tzu

How to Groom a Shih Tzu

Although the Shih Tzu may have a "high maintenance" look, grooming is not overly time consuming or terribly difficult. Many Shih Tzu owners choose to have their dog professionally groomed to ensure the proper look and sleek, professional pizazz. If you choose to groom yourself, you will need a bit of time for you and your dog to become familiar with the process. Let's talk about how to groom a Shih Tzu.

A Shih Tzu pup does not need much grooming! A daily quick brushing will do. An ungroomed dog can become a mess and this is unhealthy for the dog. A well groomed Shih Tzu will have long, flowing hair and a top knot or clipped hair and optional long-haired top knot. Show dog Shih Tzus will be groomed to perfection for that particular day of show.

If you choose to groom your dog yourself as opposed to having him or her professionally groomed, the biggest task will be proper grooming of your Shih Tzu's fur. One must remember that grooming involves all aspects of taking care of a dog's appearance. This will include teeth and nails as well.

Your Shih Tzu puppy will only need a bath once every week or two. The pup will need a brushing every other day, but no detailed work will need to be done; the fur will be very short. Your adult dog will need a bath approximately every 3 weeks, but this can vary greatly depending on the situation and events that may dirty the fur. Brushing will need to be done at a minimum of once per week; grooming 3-4 times a week will save you a headache in the long run, as you will be able to catch mats before they become large.

Once your Shih Tzu reaches the 1 year mark, its adult longer coat should have grown in. Now is the time to groom in accordance with proper grooming methods for fur. Do not groom your Shih Tzu when its coat is dry. Because of static electricity and its power to break off hair, mist-spray your dog with a mixture of water and a bit of dog condition. You may also use Static Control Spray that can be found at pet supply sites.

Begin at your dog's legs and work your way down to its feet. Go gently in case there are any pieces of matted fur. If you do find a mat, try to be patience and work it out before you rush to clip it. Make sure you allow the brush to reach through the complete coat of hair, down to the skin. The face comb and a 2 level comb should be used on the face of the Shih Tzu and around the ears. Using the wider side of the 2 level comb, is recommended until you are very used to grooming your dog.

Use the face comb to gently comb through the fur on the face, the "mustache" and topknot hair. For reasons of hygiene and cleanliness, the fur around the anus should be clipped with round tipped scissors. Feces can and does easily become stuck to any long hair and this can lead to very unpleasant odors and compromise hygiene.

Growing a Long Coat
"How to groom a Shih Tzu" will certainly be different if you wish to have the Show Dog look (the coat of the Shih Tzu will be long, soft, flowing and to the floor) This is achieved with patience as the coat grows and gentle grooming to prevent split ends and breakage. Some owners choose to wrap the fur of the Shih Tzu. This is a simple, yet time consuming method of protecting the fur. 1 inch (2.50 cm) sections are combed and held away from the dog. Silk wrapping paper is then wrapped around the end of the section. It is gently folded up to the base of the dog. It is held in place by thick, non-stick rubber bands. Once you become accustomed to wrapping your Shih Tzu, the process will move along faster. However, a Shih Tzu that has wraps must be un-wrapped every other day, groomed and then re-wrapped. It is vital to never leave the silk papers for more than 2 days and also for the dog to become wet while wrapped. Doing so may cause mildew to begin to grow underneath the silk. This presents the possibility of a discoloration to the Shih Tzu's fur.

Most owners will simply allow the coat to grow and take great care with grooming. Only top quality dog shampoo and conditioner should be used. Brushing should be gentle. An owner must take time to gently work out any matted hair. Brushing must be done with long, flat strokes. Curling the brush at the end of the stroke may cause breakage.

Red Around the Eyes

If your Shih Tzu has a red/orange color on the fur of the face, most often under and around the eyes, this may be caused by: 1. Eye discharge 2: A "Red Yeast" infection.

Be sure to clean this area daily with a soft, damp cloth or use professional dog cleansing wipes. If the discoloration remains, bring your dog to the vet, a Red Yeast issue will need medication given to you by an experienced veterinarian.

My Bonnie-Lass

Well of course my Danny just had to have a pal to hang around with. So.... meet his bestest friend Bonnie-Lass.

I also got Bonnie at 10 weeks old. She is such a sweetheart and just loves to cuddle up in your lap. She also loves "cookies".

Here is a picture of here when I first got her.




And here is a more recent picture of her at 5 months.




Here they are together.

My Danny-Boy

Here is my "little man" Danny-Boy who is featured at the top of this blog.

I got him when he was only 10 weeks old. Here he is when I first brought him home.





Here he is at 4 months







And at 8 months old







The picture at the Headliner of this site is him recently. Can you tell he is a "ham"? He just absolutely LOVES the camera and will stop whatever he is doing just to strike a pose LOL!