Why are Shih Tzus so hard to groom!

Sorry, it was meant as a rhetorical question. Why are they so hard to groom? I leave my dog in the care of a help for a couple of days and she's gotten really matted.

This morning, I had just bathed Chooey, combed her hair, placed a little ponytail top on her forehead and cut some of the matted areas. That took me 2 hours to finish. What other breed take this long to groom? I mean if I did the entire work, I'm sure it would take alot longer. This is why Buchi, my other shih tzu,always ends up being shaved.

Is your dog difficult to groom?

 

I guess it's the same problem with Yorkshire Terriers when they have long hair. I keep my Homer's hair pretty short so it's not so hard to groom him. The only problem is the bathing - he hates it so he always fights with me And with the water
Does Chooey like to be groomed? Or she fights with you?

 

Our Shih Tzu gets matted really easily if her hair is long. Then she goes and gets her claws stuck in her matted hair and we have to pull the hair off the paw or cut it out in a worst case scenario. I think Shih Tzu's are more figity and their hair makes it take longer to groom them.

 

She hates baths like any other dog. Contrary to Buchi who often enjoys getting bathed especially during the hot weather.

Yorkies are so cute... But they look so small and fragile. I like that they still look adorable even when their hair are clip short.

Have you ever posted a picture of your Yorkshire Terrier here?

 

Yes, I've already posted some photos of him - check the 'Homer in a suitcase' thread, but I can post more:


Unfortunately, on this PC I have only old photos. I promise I'll upload new ones soon But in this photo you can see that his hair are pretty short - this way it's really easy to brush him

 

We used to get Trixie's hair cut really short. Now we have to be careful because the hair on her back doesn't seem to grow much anymore. I'm not sure if this is due to old age or not.

 

If you keep a grooming routine, it is easier. My aunt had them all throughout her life and basically made up a grooming schedule.

 

That's true megsy. We haven't keep it routine the past few months and it was tough to get her groomed. Keep in mind that Shih Tzu's have hair and not fur, so this might be a reason why it's so tough.

 

I would just keep their hair cut short, less maintenance and it would be easier to keep them clean. It seems like dogs with long hair, especially all white ones, often look dirty, particularly around their mouths.