How To Groom A Shih Tzu (Make Your Pup Always Looking Good)

Quick Summary

• Grooming a Shih Tzu includes brushing its hair regularly, bathing, cleaning the ears, teeth cleaning, clipping the nails, expressing anal sacs, and cutting the hair.
• Shih Tzus are known for their long, flowing hair which needs to be full and shiny to look its best.
• It’s important to desensitize your Shih Tzu to grooming tools as early as pupphyhood.

Choosing to groom your Shih Tzu at home is a good way of getting closer to your pet pooch. Once you look into how to groom your Shih Tzu, you will notice it is a more complex task than you imagined. There is more to grooming your Shih Tzu dog than bathing and trimming their coat. Did you know that the steps you will take to groom a Shih Tzu include ear cleaning and expressing her anal sac? I often get surprised reactions from pet parents regarding this one. Once you understand how to groom a Shih Tzu, you will be able to keep them clean and looking their best. Check out my guide below.

The Breed Standards for Your Shih Tzu

Whether you are looking to start a dog grooming business or want to save a few dollars on dog grooming expenses, you need to understand the breed. The American Kennel Club reports the Shih Tzu is known for its long double-coat [1]. To meet the standards of the AKC, your Shih Tzu dog needs to have a dense coat of luxurious hair. The breed requirements for your pooch make regular grooming a necessity for Shih Tzu lovers. The AKC requires the hair on the top of your Shih Tzu’s head to be tied up to meet its stringent requirements. 

The Benefits of Grooming Your Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu lovers take pride in the appearance of their pup. Shih Tzu’s coats are known for their long, flowing hair. A Shih Tzu’s coat needs to be full and shiny to look its best. Your Shih Tzu needs to spend time with a professional groomer or be groomed at home by you. 

A reason why Shih Tzu owners choose to groom a Shih Tzu at home is the chance to bond with their pet. The Shih Tzu breed is one of the most aesthetically-pleasing dog breeds on the market. Grooming your Shih Tzu at home gives you the chance to create a lifelong bond that comes from trusting your judgment implicitly. A close bond with your dog is needed to increase the happiness you share with your Shih Tzu puppy. The closer the bond you share with your Shih Tzu, the more content your pet will feel.

A happy Shih Tzu is a healthy dog. Regular grooming of a Shih Tzu owner to check for ticks, fleas, and other parasites. Biting insects can make your dog unhappy and cause loss of your Shih Tzu’s coat. Regular Shih Tzu grooming will help you gain an understanding of the skin of your pet. The emergence of lumps and bumps on your Shih Tzu’s skin will be easy to identify when you regularly groom your dog. 

Get the Right Tools for the Job

The expense of grooming your pet by yourself is added to when you factor in the weekly baths needed to keep your dog clean and tidy. The longest the flowing Shih Tzu coat can be left between bathing is three weeks, with this length of time running the risk of developing matted dog hair.

When you decide on Shih Tzu grooming at home, you need to assemble the correct tools. Short-haired dogs can be groomed in a few minutes, with a limited number of tools. Shih Tzu lovers need to find different kinds of brushes and combs to keep their dog looking its best. Among the basic items needed to keep your Shih Tzu looking good are a slicker brush and combs of different lengths. Ph balanced shampoo will help keep your Shih Tzu coat looking healthy and shiny. If you are planning on giving your pet a haircut, you need to invest in clippers. Cotton swabs, wipes, and ear cleaning chemicals are important tools for keeping your ShihTzu’s ears clean.

Brush Your Shih Tzu’s Coat

Your Shih Tzu needs to know it is time to be brushed and bathed. If possible, try to follow a similar routine each time you groom your dog. Dog treats always make bathtime go off without a hitch. Start the grooming process by combing out her hair to remove all tangles and debris. By removing tangles before you bathe your Shih Tzu, you will help her feel better and limit the number of mats you face after she is wet.

Regular brushing limits the number of tangles your Shih Tzu puppy will have to face. A clean dog bathed regularly will feel happier and have fewer tangles than a dog who is bathed at larger intervals.

Bathing Your Shih Tzu

After you have combed the dirt and tangles from your Shih Tzu coat, you need to start the bathing process. A bath is vital to keeping your Shih Tzu clean and healthy. There is a way of shampooing your dog to keep the tangles down to a minimum. 

Firstly, decide where you plan on bathing your dog. Are you going to use a sink with a spray nozzle, or in the bathtub? A removable spray nozzle is important for you when you are looking to bathe your Shih Tzu efficiently. Damp your Shih Tzu’s coat from the head to the rear and ensure all the hair is wet. Using a pH-balanced shampoo, squeeze the shampoo onto the top of your Shih Tzu’s coat and work it down towards her feet. Once you have worked the shampoo into her coat, rinse with warm water from the head downward. A conditioner will help to keep her coat strong and healthy. Massage her conditioner into her coat to give it the best appearance.

A handy tip is to keep your Shih Tzu’s face dry while you are working on bathing her coat. Instead of using shampoo on your Shih Tzu’s face, you should use a damp washcloth. Cover the Shih Tzu’s eyes and wipe her face to remove any dirt.

Clean Her Ears

A Shih Tzu’s ears are difficult to handle because the 20th most popular dog breed in the U.S. is liable to infection. Getting water in your dog’s ears is a good way of attracting an ear infection. 

You have several options for cleaning the ears of your Shih Tzu. Firstly, you can ask your veterinarian to prescribe an ear cleaning solution. Secondly, you can buy an over-the-counter solution. Finally, there are several recipes for making an homemade dog ear cleaner available online. Ear Cleaning is an important part of keeping your dog healthy and free of infections—you first have to master how to clean dog ears. After you have worked out how much solution to use on each of your dog’s ears, insert the solution and massage the ear to move it inside. 

Do not make the mistake of inserting a cotton bud into your Shih Tzu’s ears to remove any excess solution. Instead, use a cloth to wipe away excess solution from the exterior of the ear. Wax and debris from the interior of your dog’s ear may work lose with the solution. Wipe any debris clear from the exterior of your Shih Tzu’s ears to limit any long-term damage.

Teeth Cleaning

You need to brush the teeth of your Shih Tzu regularly. Dog toothbrushes can be used, but these are larger than you will need for your dog. Instead, purchase a fingertip toothbrush and use it to brush your Shih Tzu’s teeth each week. You can choose a specially-formulated dog toothpaste to keep her teeth clean and her breath fresh. Much like the teeth of people, making your dog’s oral health a priority will help you to keep your dog happy and healthy. 

Clip Her Nails

Your Shih Tzu’s nails are important for her long-term health. Leaving her nails to grow unchecked can leave her open to the possibility of ill-health later in life. The simplest way to decide if your Shih Tzu’s nails need clipping is to listen as she walks across a hardwood floor. If you can hear the sound of her nails on the hardwood floors, you should find your nail grinder. The best dog nail grinder limits the risk of clipping the quick in a dog’s nails. A Shih Tzu will yelp and bleed if you clip the quick of her nail. Grinders will limit the risk of bleeding and pain for your Shih Tzu puppy.

Express Her Anal Sacs

Sometimes, you will be able to detect a strong odor from your dog that will not leave despite repeated bathing. This is the tell-tale sign of anal sacs in need of assistance. Your Shih Tzu can be affected by a blocked anal sac when she is affected by a poor diet or an infection.

The process for expressing anal sacs is easy, but not the most enjoyable for most Shih Tzu owners. If you want to learn the best techniques for expressing the glands beneath the tail of your Shih Tzu, it is best to discuss techniques with your veterinarian or professional dog groomer.

Cutting Your Shih Tzu’s Hair

After you have brushed and cleaned your dog’s coat, you can think about giving her a haircut. When you trim dog hair, there are three common cuts you can use to improve the appearance of your Shih Tzu. A little practice will allow you to complete any of these three haircuts, including the Shih Tzu puppy cut. The puppy cut is a short haircut for your dog that needs you to shave them down to between two and three inches all over. 

Another option is the Teddy Bear Cut. Instead of removing the dog’s hair around her face, you will leave this long and shave her body down. The major difference between the puppy cut and the teddy bear is the length of hair around her face.

The show cut is the classic style for your dog that is well-known among dog owners. The cut is difficult to complete and requires a lot of work on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I groom my Shih Tzu at home?

Follow the tips in this article to successfully groom your Shih Tzu at home. Spending some time learning the best techniques will help you to care for your Shih Tzu effectively.

2. How should Shih Tzus be groomed?

The basics of grooming your dog do not vary between the different breeds. Keeping your Shih Tzu’s coat, teeth, and ears clean is a simple step towards a better appearance. The grooming process should end with a haircut for your Shih Tzu. Choose between the classic show cut, teddy bear cut, or the puppy cut.

3. How do you cut a Shih Tzu’s face?

The face of your Shih Tzu is a difficult area to cut. Starting to trim your Shih Tzu’s face early in their life will help to keep her happy in the future. Use scissors to trim around her mouth and eyes, instead of noisy dog clippers.

4. How do you groom a Shih Tzu with clippers?

Cutting your Shih Tzu’s coat with clippers is a simple process if you follow some rules. Start with the longest guard you plan to use and get shorter as you work through her coat.