Taking Care of Shih Tzus

The first time I wanted to have a dog, I told myself that I wanted a small dog so I can easily carry it and walk him around. Then I also wanted it to be low maintenance in grooming. But then, I ended up getting a Shih Tzu.



This is Chooey, my second Shih- Tzu. She's a girl.

As puppies, they're so cute and fluffy. But then reality hits me, I need to comb his hair everyday so it doesn't matte.

I have to wipe his snout area so that eye discharges don't harden up.

I also had to learn how to groom him, clip his fur and toe nails if I decide not to bring him to the groomers.

Back then, I realized that being a dog lover doesn't necessarily mean you knew and had the willpower to choose what's best for you.

It's been a couple of years since then and I've realized that taking care of a Shih Tzu is no walk in the dog park- especially after having left him with my sister's because of my niece's request. Now that I've reunited with him, I'm back to square one.

 

yes they do require a little more maintenance but you can learn to groom yourself if cost is a concern. There are many youtube videos or your local vet my be able to help you with the basics in grooming health

 

My sister has a Shih-tzu and she just trims his fur real low. When their fur gets too long, it can be a real hassle getting all the knots out. They definitely do require a bit more maintenance than other breeds.

 

I understand your situation. I never really realized how much effort one puts into grooming furry dogs. My father always got short haired dogs when we were growing up so I never experienced grooming first hand. We only had to wash the dog and towel him dry. Then every now and then we'd clean his ears and trim its nails. Now with our dog we need to comb and brush the fur almost everyday. We also need to use a conditioner on the fur so its easy to de-tangle it and she won't get hurt. We also have to give her special vitamins to keep her coat healthy. What we have done is to have her fur trimmed shorter than most breeders would encourage. This way the fur doesn't tangle as much and it takes less time for her fur to dry when I give her a bath. I also brush her less often.

 

I love Shih Tzu, I find them adorable. My friend owns one and she keeps his hair really short. This way, she doesn't have to brush him too often, it's pretty convenient. He doesn't look too pretty though
Yorkshire Terriers need a lot of grooming too, so I know how you feel.

 

I agree that they are high maintenance compared to other dogs.
I prefer almost no fur dogs since no need to comb and there will be no problem with hair loss.

 

I found an interesting list of hair styles for Shih-Tzus, I hope that you'll find it helpful:



I think that the total cut is the most convenient both for the dog and his owner The butterfly cut looks the most interesting though.

 

Our groomer only charges £10

 

My dog doesn't need to be groomed but he does need to be brushed daily because he sheds a lot. He has short hair but since he sheds me out of my home, he requires daily brushing at least twice. Other than the brushing, I also trimmed his nails now and then.