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All You Need to Know About Bathing and Grooming Your Shih Tzu

Mar 23, 2020 by Leo Roux

Do you own a Shih Tzu or are you thinking about getting one? If so, then you probably already know how adorable and cute these little dogs are. However, they do have longer, thicker hair than most other dog breeds.

With this being said, there are some Shih Tzu grooming, bathing, and other care tips that you might want to keep in mind for your pet.

Things You Need to Know About Grooming and Bathing a Shih-Tzu

If you are going to have a Shih Tzu as part of your family, you should know that they do require regular grooming and bathing so having a Shih Tzu grooming guide is imperative. In fact, you should be giving your Shih Tzu a bath once a week. They should go no longer than 3 weeks without a bath. This varies a bit based on the thickness of your Shih Tzu's coat and how often they are playing outdoors, as well. With the Shih Tzu breed having a double coat that is quite thick, it is important that they get regular baths.

This will help to keep their coat and skin healthy. Routine baths will also help to keep their coat growing healthy, as well. Not only that but the more you bathe your Shih Tzu, the easier it is going to be to comb their coat. If you try combing your Shih Tzu when their coat is tangled and matted, it will break down their coat, causing damage to it in the process. After you get your Shih Tzu out of the bath, you should make sure to dry their coat downwards. If you do circular motions, it is just going to tangle their coat back up again.

Every month or so, your Shih Tzu may need their coat trimmed, as well. It is important that they get the hair around their eyes and bottom trimmed. If you aren’t able to groom your Shih Tzu as often as they need it, be sure to hire a groomer to do this for you, so their coat stays healthy. Aside from this, a professional groomer might be able to offer different grooming styles for Shih Tzu dogs.

Overall Health Care for Shih-Tzus

In addition to bathing, you should make sure your Shih Tzu gets their nails trimmed, pads trimmed, teeth cared for, and ears cleaned. All these things should be done before your Shih Tzu is bathed and groomed. Sometimes your Shih Tzu may need to have hair plucked out of their ear canal. This makes sure their ears stay clean and air can properly flow through their ear. However, only properly trained professionals should pluck the hair out of a dog’s ear, so no damage is done to the ear in the process. Trimming your Shih Tzu's nails is also important. If their nails are too long, it could hurt them to walk around and they could easily scratch others while playing, too.

Pad trimming helps to ensure your shih tzu’s paw pads have the right amount of traction as they are playing around on the floor. In addition, it reduces the dirt that gets stuck to their feet while outdoors.

Conclusion

These are the tips you need to properly care for, bathe, and groom your Shih Tzu. With this information, you can keep your Shih Tzu healthier and cleaner.

When should a Shih Tzu puppy be groomed?

Shih Tzu puppies usually get their first bath at around 8 to 12 weeks old. If they're already clean, you can start grooming them at 12 weeks old.

How much does Shih Tzu grooming cost?

The average cost of a haircut for Shih Tzu dogs is $20 and dog grooming is about $40 to $50. Ideally, you will need to groom your puppy every 4 to 6 weeks.

How often should a Shih Tzu get groomed?

Shih tzus are known for their long and fluffy coat. Because of this, they need to be groomed and brushed more often than other dogs. Bathing them every 1 to 2 weeks and brushing their coat 2 to 3 times a week is recommended.