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.