13 Easy Steps to Grooming A Shih Tzu At House

Perky and irresistibly cuddly, the Shih Tzu breed is among the most adored canine breeds on the earth – and rightly so! Shih Tzus flaunt glamorous, flowing coats and charming, floppy ears. 

These lovely lapdogs return no less than 1,000 years. They originated in Tibet again within the seventh century, and have been provided as presents to the Chinese language royalty.

At this time, Shih Tzus are referred to as blissful little balls of fluff that simply love being spoiled, and look greatest with a good quantity of grooming. 

And in the event you’re questioning whether or not grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling is feasible, the reply is sure!

With correct preparation and the best instruments and tools, you may give your furry child a snazzy minimize and a professionally groomed end result. 

Proceed studying under to seek out out how one can correctly and safely groom your Shih Tzu at dwelling.

Grooming A Shih Tzu At House

Grooming your Shih Tzu at dwelling strengthens your bond with them and helps you discover ways to take care of them higher.

Right here’s a useful video that will help you get an concept of how you can groom Shih Tzu at dwelling and do a pet minimize haircut.

Now that you’ve a greater concept on how grooming a Shih Tzu seems like, you’ll be able to comply with the precise steps we’ll focus on under so you’ll be able to groom your canine at dwelling.

For this information, we’ll lay down the steps for essentially the most well-known minimize Shih Tzus can rock – the pet minimize.

This haircut provides your small canine buddy a clear, easy-to-maintain look and makes them seem even cuter. And relying in your preferences, you may give your Shih Tzu a pet minimize with quick or lengthy ears. 

Are you prepared? Now let’s get began with the DIY grooming course of! Observe these 13 simple steps to grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, from begin to end. 

1. Put together Your Workspace and Grooming Gear

Earlier than anything, discover an space that’s roomy and comfy sufficient to your grooming session. 

Do you’ve gotten a desk with a flat, clear floor? Then that may function your grooming workspace.

In case your rambunctious little pet likes to squirm round, you might wish to get an adjustable grooming arm with an adjustable clamp and a haunch holder.

A grooming arm will assist management extreme shifting whereas retaining your pet comfy. Right here’s one in all our suggestions that you would be able to simply purchase on Amazon:

Earlier than grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, it’s essential to prepare the necessary supplies to make the entire course of successful. Listed below are all of the instruments and tools you’ll want to your DIY grooming session:

For Hair Brushing	For Bathing	For Cleansing the Eyes, Ears, and Enamel	For Nail Trimming	For Doing a Pet Lower
A canine brush with versatile pins	Canine shampoo and conditioner	Smooth moist wipes for eyes	Canine nail trimmers/filer	Electrical clippers
A effective slicker brush	Non-slip mat	Ear-cleaning answer		Blunt-tipped scissors
A dematting comb	A sprig nozzle for the sink/tub	Cotton-tipped swabs
A metal comb	Hairdryer	Cotton balls
	Clear towels	Washcloth

2. Get Rid of Matted and Tangled Hair

When grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, it’s essential to take away any matted or tangled hair to make bathing simpler. Thick knots of hair might be denser when damp and harder to take away. Moreover, tangles within the coat might additionally snag the clippers. 

Listed below are a couple of instruments you should utilize to do away with matted and tangled hair:

Pin Brush

Use a pin brush in case you have a long-haired grownup Shih Tzu, ideally a 16-millimeter to 20-millimeter brush.

Slicker Brush

You should utilize a slicker brush for a short-coat Shih Tzu. It successfully removes particles and free strands with out hurting your pet. And it additionally helps get rid of mats and tangles.

When selecting a brush, decide one with effective bristles to deeply penetrate your canine’s coat with out scratching the pores and skin. For instance, Hertzko’s Self-Cleansing Slicker Brush, which you will get on Amazon, does a fantastic job at safely eradicating matted or tangled hair.

De-matting Comb

A de-matting comb, alternatively, works wonders in de-tangling hard-to-reach spots from tricks to roots, particularly within the face, neck, and paw areas.

This Coastal Pet Safari de-matting comb helps take away cussed mats. And it’s best for canine with lengthy, matted coats or coarse hair.

Alternatively, you should utilize a de-matting spray in case your fluffy canine has cussed matted hair. 

Metal Comb

Lastly, use a easy metal comb (additionally known as a greyhound comb) to do away with extra hair and small mats. A light-weight comb with effective and coarse tooth, like Andis, is a superb instrument when grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling. 

To forestall undesirable matting, it’s greatest to keep up a brushing routine that retains your Shih Tzu’s double coat trying nice. 

Take time to repeatedly brush your canine child’s hair to make your grooming classes much less irritating.

3. Bathe and Dry Your Canine Fastidiously

Now that you just’ve efficiently de-tangled your Shih Tzu’s hair, the following step is to present your canine a pleasant tub to make sure your canine is totally clear. 

Maintain the following tips in thoughts when bathing your canine: 

• Place your Shih Tzu on a non-slip mat to stop pointless slipping. 
• Use lukewarm water so your canine feels comfy.
• Keep away from getting water on the face, particularly up the nostril. Shih Tzus don’t like their faces getting damp. Nevertheless, be sure to cleanse areas across the mouth and eyes correctly. 
• Maintain your canine’s head upward whereas massaging the shampoo. This helps forestall liquid from stepping into the eyes. 
• Use a bathe nozzle to attenuate spillage. Run the water into your palm first to make sure the spray isn’t too sturdy. You can additionally let the water trickle out of your hand onto your canine to start with so your canine feels much less anxious. 
• And ensure to rinse completely to stop residue buildup.

It’s essential to make use of high quality canine shampoo and conditioner to keep up your Shih Tzu’s stunning, wholesome coat.

When selecting, decide a hypoallergenic, all-natural canine shampoo and conditioner with out harsh chemical substances or synthetic dyes. Some formulations are specifically made to assist alleviate itching and dry pores and skin. And a few are made for delicate or irritated pores and skin.

For those who don’t know which shampoo and conditioner to purchase, right here’s an possibility you’ll be able to strive:

Moreover, drying your Shih Tzu requires mild pats – no harsh rubbing! Patting them dry will assist forestall break up ends on their coat. Then, you should utilize a hairdryer on the bottom warmth setting whereas frivolously brushing the coat together with your fingers.

4. Maintain Your Shih Tzu Relaxed

Shih Tzus are sometimes playful and energetic, however they’ll additionally get simply frightened or anxious when being groomed. 

So, when grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, all the time make sure that you’re giving them a much less irritating expertise by taking the grooming course of slowly.

Create a soothing background sound that they’re conversant in, like turning on the TV or taking part in some calming music at a low quantity. Or it’s also possible to strive taking part in together with your canine’s paws to assist your pet really feel extra comfy. 

It’s additionally greatest to include easy grooming habits into your canine’s common routine. Brush your fluffy pet incessantly, play with their paws and ears, and gently therapeutic massage their head every now and then.

This fashion, your Shih Tzu will squirm much less and really feel extra comfy with being touched when grooming time comes. 

Moreover, give your pooch loads of tasty treats and reward them lots when grooming them. Keep away from scolding them in the event that they carry on wiggling, particularly once you’re clipping their nails.

It’s essential that you just keep calm and affected person all through the grooming course of so your Shih Tzu feels much less nervous. 

5. Clear That Lovely Pet Face

Shih Tzus, significantly light-colored ones, shortly decide up grime, particles, and meals particles that would get caught of their double coat. Moreover, moisture retention additionally results in discoloration. 

To maintain your perky little canine trying clear and delightful, it’s important to clean their face every day.

And to do that, you should utilize grooming wipes to successfully do away with tear stains, grime, and moist buildup across the eyes. 

Here’s a grooming wipes possibility to your pooch that’s unscented and delicate on the eyes:

Listed below are fast tricks to take away stains and grime with grooming wipes: 

• Swipe across the eyes to take away seen stains. 
• Swipe over your Shih Tzu’s cheeks and down the chin. 
• Wipe their face twice each day after meals. 

6. Clear Your Canine’s Ears

The following step in grooming a Shih Tzu at house is cleansing their ears, which is greatest achieved with a cleaning solution for dogs.

Select an ear cleaner that lightly but completely cleanses and deodorizes a canine’s exterior ear canal. Listed below are our prime 3 suggestions:

You’ll want to comply with the producer’s directions fastidiously. We suggest that you just pour a couple of drops from the ear cleanser bottle over a cotton wool ball. Then, gently rub it into your pet’s ears. And at last, wipe away any leftover answer with a dry cotton wool ball. 

Routinely cleaning your Shih Tzu’s ears helps forestall ear infections. And you are able to do this round one to 2 instances weekly to keep up clear, wholesome ears. 

7. Brush These Pearly White Enamel

Dental hygiene is one other essential a part of your Shih Tzu’s grooming routine.

Brush your Shih Tzu’s tooth weekly utilizing a dual-headed brush for small canine just like the under possibility.

One of these toothbrush has a small brush on one finish and an even bigger brush on the opposite finish. And it helps simplify the method of cleansing hard-to-reach mouth areas. 

Alternatively, you should utilize a finger toothbrush with gentle silicone bristles for mild but thorough cleansing. 

And naturally, don’t neglect to decide on a toothpaste that’s specifically formulated for canine. 

8. Clip the Nails

Now it’s time to present your fabulous pooch a paw-dicure! A part of grooming a Shih Tzu at house is retaining their nails well-trimmed. 

As talked about earlier, when grooming, it’s greatest to lift your canine in a means that makes them comfy. And in terms of clipping their nails, it’s greatest to reveal them to the sounds and sensations of nail trimmers whereas they’re nonetheless a pup. 

Earlier than trimming the nails, put together a pet first support equipment with a clotting agent like styptic powder. Within the unlikely occasion that you just hit the “fast” (the vein in the midst of the nail), you must instantly dab some styptic powder to cease the bleeding. Over time, this vein will recede and permit you to trim your pup’s nails shorter. 

Subsequent, discover out what place works greatest to your canine. Some Shih Tzus wish to be held, whereas others desire to sit down at a desk or sprawl on the ground. 

When nail cropping time comes, begin frivolously touching your Shih Tzu’s paws. Contact the areas round and in between the toes. 

Give your little pooch treats everytime you’re taking part in with their paws, so that they affiliate the exercise with a constructive expertise.

Nevertheless, you’ll want to reward good conduct solely. Don’t hand out treats when your canine retains on shifting, biting, and resisting. Your aim is to assist them be calm, obedient, and nonetheless. 

As soon as your fur child begins responding positively, you’ll be able to then begin clipping their nails. Be mild and take it slowly. 

Begin making small cuts on the nail with the clippers. Solely minimize the white portion of the nail. And cease reducing when you see the black dot, which signifies the beginning of the fast. 

Alternatively, you should utilize a nail grinder as an alternative of a nail clipper. This instrument is often costlier, however makes it simple to trim your canine’s nails swiftly and extra safely. 

So, in case you have a fussy and delicate pooch, right here’s a canine nail grinder we suggest:

After trimming your pet’s nails efficiently, don’t neglect to bolster good conduct with delectable treats. 

9. Snip Hair Between the Paw Pads

The following step to grooming a Shih Tzu at house is retaining their paw pads well-trimmed.

This helps forestall your rambunctious fluffball from sliding on slippery surfaces that would end in harm. Additionally, sustaining well-trimmed paw pads prevents grime buildup and matting. 

Right here’s a step-by-step information on how you can trim the hair in your pooch’s paw pads:

• Gently brush the underside of your pet’s paw with a slicker brush. This makes the hair between paw pads simpler to trim.
• Glide the electrical clipper frivolously over your canine’s paw pads, making certain that the hair is even with the pads.
• Fastidiously minimize extra hair between the toes whereas spreading the paw pads.

Relying in your canine’s clipper mannequin, you should utilize a #40 blade to trim their paw pads.

And don’t neglect that once you’re grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, give them extra treats as you undergo each step of the grooming routine. 

10. Snip Across the Physique

The pet minimize, additionally known as the summer season minimize, is among the hottest hairstyles for Shih Tzus.

This haircut is once you trim the hair 1 to 2 inches in size to create a neat, low-maintenance look. And to keep up this look, you’ll should trim your furbaby’s hair each three months or so.

To make the grooming course of simpler, it’s greatest to carry your pet in place by placing them on a flat, clear desk that’s outfitted with an adjustable grooming arm.

Nevertheless, you might not have to do that in case you have a well-behaved pooch that’s comfy with being groomed. 

You should utilize a #10 blade to your cordless electrical grooming clipper to trim your canine’s hair. Relying in your chosen grooming clipper, you’ll have to make use of totally different blades when trimming particular elements of your canine. 

In our case, we love utilizing this grooming clipper from Amazon when trimming the canine’s physique:

When snipping across the physique, first, frivolously trim the fuzzy elements round your canine’s groin space whereas holding one leg up. Be certain to take further warning when snipping hair from the stomach and delicate areas. 

Connect a clipping comb guard to guard your canine’s pores and skin from direct contact with the clippers. Adjustable clipping combs sometimes are available various measurements to go well with totally different pet hair lengths. 

Subsequent, maintain your canine’s face upward and begin trimming down the neck. Proceed trimming to the center of the physique as you make downward strokes from the highest of the top. 

Depart the top untouched for now, so you’ll be able to later see what the physique seems like and how one can make the top look proportionate to the remainder of the physique. 

And don’t neglect to brush the physique swiftly each as soon as in awhile earlier than persevering with the haircut to do away with free hairs. 

While you’re clipping, you’d wish to go along with the grain within the hair for essentially the most half. Repeat the method and shortly, you’ll get a very good sense of the best pace and stress to realize a easy, balanced minimize. 

11. Clip Across the Legs

Grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling additionally means clipping across the hair on their legs.

So, now that you just’ve evenly trimmed the physique, begin clipping hair round every leg whereas retaining your Shih Tzu in place.

Simply do the identical swift downward strokes in a single course to realize a clear minimize. You can maintain every leg as much as trim the interior space extra completely. And clip from the highest of the leg right down to the foot. 

12. Begin Trimming the Head

When grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling, you’ll be able to’t neglect trimming their head and face!

To do that correctly, add a snap-on comb atop the #30 blade to present your Shih Tzu a cute pet look whereas defending delicate areas.

Trim the highest of the top easily with the clippers, after which use a pair of round-end scissors to create a well-balanced facial form. You’ll should always test if the dimensions of the top suits the remainder of the trimmed physique. 

After trimming your Shih Tzu’s head, you’ll be able to then use scissors to clip the ears and snip away any uneven hair lengths on the face. It’s as much as you to resolve whether or not you wish to hold the ears quick or lengthy. 

13. Do Some Ending Touches

The ultimate step to grooming a Shih Tzu at house is to easy any uneven areas. This helps guarantee your charming pooch seems fantastically groomed.

You may also use a brush or comb to examine your furbaby’s coat intently and spot any tough areas. Take your time to trim as obligatory, making certain that your canine’s new haircut seems clear, constant, and easy. 

Remaining Ideas: Protecting Your Shih Tzu Nicely-Groomed at House

Grooming a Shih Tzu at dwelling means placing in loads of effort and time to do it repeatedly. And we hope, that with these steps, you’ll be capable to correctly and safely do it together with your pooch at dwelling.

Don’t neglect that with correct preparation and high quality instruments, you’ll be able to hold your furbaby blissful, wholesome, and lovely always.