Grooming | tzus

Shih Tzus are very gorgeous little dogs, known for their long flowing coats. To keep a Shih Tzu in full coat is not as difficult and time consuming as is said providing you have purchased a Shih Tzu with the correct coat type. The choice whether to shave your Shih Tzu down to a puppy cut, or to let their hair grow is up to you. Below are some grooming tips to help with the maintenance of a coated Shih Tzu.

Pre Bath Preparation: You should bath your Shih Tzu at least once a week. Prior to bathing, all tangles should be removed, as they are more difficult to do so after the bath which seems to set them in. Tangles should first be sprayed with a good detangler of your choice, there are many different brands on the market. Then pull the tangle apart with your fingers, trying to free has many hairs as possible from the tangle itself. Then brush the remainder of the tangle out with a boar hair and nylon hair brush. Go over the remainder of the entire dog gently brushing all hair with the boar hair and nylon hair brush. This should then be followed by brushing out your Shih Tzu coat one more time, now with a greyhound comb. As you brush through your Shih Tzus coat, be sure to be gentle and talk to your Shiih Tzu trying to make it a pleasant experience for your them, as you want your Shih Tzu not to dread grooming day. Be extremely gentle when brushing around your Shih Tzus face. If there is any discharge around the eyes, first moisten (which will loosen it from the hair) and wipe softly with a wet washcloth, then you can use a fine tooth comb similar to a flea comb to remove any bits that still remain.

Bathing your Shih Tzu: Have your towel, shampoo, conditioner and anything else you will need already at the sink ready to bath your Shih Tzu. Never leave your Shih Tzu unattended in the sink even for a second. Put a nonskid mat in the bottom of your sink so that your Shih Tzu will feel more secure by not slipping and sliding. Having better footing will lessen the chance for injury. You can buy an inexpensive rubber bath mat at your local store and just cut it down to size to fit your sink. Also be sure there is a filter/strainer across the water drain so that your Shih Tzus paws cant slip into the drain, scaring or even hurting them. Be sure not to collect the water in the bottom of the sink, you want it to run off the dog and right down the drain. Use your sinks sprayer, if you don't have one, you can buy one that attaches directly to your sinks facet. Next be sure that the water is tested for temperature. Use the bottom of your wrist, just as you would for for testing a baby bottle prior to feeding a baby. It should be lukewarm. Remember that your Shih Tzus skin is more sensitive. Use a good quality dog shampoo and conditioner for your Shih Tzu. Gently massage the shampoo into the coat. Don't rub or scrub, or else you"ll have tangles to deal with afterwards. Be especially careful when you're washing your little one's head and face. . When you have your Shih Tzu entirely lathered, its time to rinse. Rinse the shampoo out, until the water running down the drain is clear with no suds, once you think you have it all out, rinse the entire dog again. Rinsing thoroughly is very important. Repeat with a good quality conditioner and it is time to dry.

Drying your Shih Tzu: Blot your Shih Tzus coat with the towel to soak up the excess water. Blotting insures you are not tangling up the coat. Prior to drying, spray on a leave in conditioner or coat oil, and brush throughout the coat, combing out any tangles along the way. You can find many different brands on the market. This will help greatly in preventing tangling. You can buy a spray bottle and dilute a leave in conditioner with water, or use a olive oil sprayer to spray on a coat oil for dogs. You can find an olive oil sprayer at your nearest bed and bath store. Use it very sparingly a little goes a long way, you don't want to leave your Shih Tzu looking too greasy. The amount used with depend on the Shih Tzus coat texture. That is why the olive oil sprayer is works good, as it only mists the coat with oil. You will find that this really helps in maintaining a tangle free coat, which cuts down greatly on brushing and detangling for the next bath time. Once your Shih Tzu is brushed, it is time to dry. Use a dog dryer if possible as they have a lower heat setting than human dryers. If not, be very careful to use the lowest possible setting for temperature, and maintain a greater distance away from your Shih Tzu, as their skin is very sensitive, and a hot dryer setting will hurt them. Check to see how hot the air flow is on the bottom of your wrist to gage the correct distance to keep from your dogs skin. Gently brush the hair the way you want the coat to lay as you dry. Try to reassure your Shih Tzu during this process so that your little one isn't so scared.

Trimming Around the Anus - VERY IMPORTANT Long-haired breeds are notoriously difficult to keep clean around the rectal area. All that hair in the one place where you want a clear shot . . . well, suffice it to say that you have to help eliminate the problem. To do that, keep the hair around the anus short. Shih Tzus can become easily blocked totally if not trimmed. This can lead to a life threatening situation if not taken care of. Especially watch puppies as well.

There is nothing more beautiful than a Shih Tzu freshly groomed. But whether you choose to let their hair grow and drape over them, or cut their hair into a puppy cut, either way they are still beautiful.

Picture to the above is a Shih Tzu with what is known as a Topknot. With this topknot it is ways seen in the show ring.

Shih Tzus get use to having something decorative in the hair fairly easily. Just be consistent with putting in back on if your Shih Tzu takes it out.