Show Off your Shih Tzu Dog

I was surfing the web today, finding some goodies for you (and for myself) and while doing a search for "grooming the shih tzu dog" I bumped into a VHS video that I own called "Show Off Your Dog GROOMING BASICS" by a wonderful lady called Ena Lane. Now this video has the ENTIRE grooming process for a Shih Tzu from daily brushing to pre-bath preparations to blowdrying, to Show top knot making to Maintenance top knots, to ironing the hair for that silky ball gown look.

The most amazing part of the entire thing is that the Shih Tzu Model, if you wish, stays completely still for the entire process.  Now I remember my Archie sitting still as well for the most part of the grooming, but this beautiful dog even lies to its side to allow its groomer to completely blow dry his hair. Now that is just a dream come true for every shih tzu owner, isn't it?

Now you might be asking yourself,  " What precisely is a maintenance top knot?".  Basically, once you have finished bathing and drying your Tzu, you will section off the top knot and whiskers, and wrap them into little pieces of paper and tie them with the rubber bands.  The moustache is sometimes wrapped with a bit of boric acid in powder form to eliminate the tear stains (Please careful with the eyes).

Brush your Shih Tzu before you bathe him

I know, what's that you say?  This might not make sense, but the experts say it is the wise thing to do.
This has always seemed like strange advice to me, but it is definitely not that. Before I bought my second Shih Tzu, I did a lot of reading and research. I knew I would have to brush daily, but brushing before bath time always seems like doing the work twice not only for me but also for my dog who has to bear the entire experience.

To this day, I still consider it too much work, but this time will give you a chance to examine your dog thoroughly and clean areas like ears and eyes, and if your dog is mat/tangle free or almost, you can get the last of them out. More importantly, the mats don't get a chance to worsen, which is the case when you don't brush before bath time. Then, if you are careful when bathing, you might only get a few tangles afterwards.

So, decide today and dedicate 5 to 10 minutes to prepare your Shih Tzu for bath time. It will be worth it!!!

Grooming Tip: Keeping it Short

What is the first thing that comes in to your mind when you think Shih Tzu? The flowing hair? The darling Topknot? There are other alternatives. The Shih Tzu breed is most famous for its long flowing coat and darling topknot. And I am sure many of us go into Shih Tzu ownership vowing that grooming will be a daily delight.

I certainly know I did! And I carried out the promise, too. But my Shih Tzu still got matted, badly so, and once that first mat appeared there was no going back! I wouldn't give up either, thinking it was somehow my fault, that I wasn't grooming him enough hours a day (will you ever forgive me for that one, Archie?), or had the appropriate tools.

I am proud to say that I once, for a span of 3 months, was able to keep Archie matt free, but it took a lot of discipline and long hours. So I thought, "I have it!", and I became proud step mom of a second Shih Tzu.
For two years I would fight the grooming battle, only to lose it and have to shave down Archie. Oddly enough, with my second addition I still felt I somehow owed them the right to have them with a long, beautiful coat. (I am sure they loved the 2 hour bathing process).

But you know what? For us, there is no need. My Shih Tzu are "pet" Shih Tzu, plus the weather in Panama is hot and humid. Their long coats only caused us stress (yes all of us) and the dogs were prone (and later fell prey to) pest and skin problems. Archie developed an allergy to tick bites with constant itching and bad skin odor, and Connor suffered anemia, from acute blood loss due to ticks. All of this because I could not manage the infestation under the thick coats (even at mid length).

So my decision was final, and now every 3 weeks I religiously take them to the groomer for a cut. The hair is so short you can see their skin, but they are so happy it is worth it. I also noticed more energy and willingness to cuddle at night.

So maybe you should consider going this way with your pet Shih Tzu, you do not need to go to extremes like I do, but 1.5 -2 inches of hair is enough for a pet Shih Tzu, and they look pretty darn good!

Make a Habit of Daily Brushing

As you meet more and more Shih Tzu dogs you will realize that some have lovely silky hair that hardly ever needs brushing, others have more difficult hair (much more). Getting into the habit of daily brushing your dog can keep you and your furry friend out of trouble.

Give your Shih Tzu a thorough brushing at least once a day.

After this becomes a habit, you will notice differences in several areas:

• The coat stays cleaner for longer periods of time.
• Your Shih Tzu starts feeling closer to you (and starts accepting you more as leader not as its slave like most Shih Tzu will have you believe).
• Circulation improves.
• Grooming sessions become easier over time
• And most important, you become more aware of your dog's overall health.

I cannot tell you how many times I have spotted health problems just before they become troublesome, just by brushing my dogs daily.

So the difference will be noticeable if you can get yourself to do it every day.