Are you a Shih Tzu owner or do you own a dog? Some people prefer taking their dogs to a professional dog groomer. Others enjoy doing all the work by themselves as it usually is a fun and bonding experience between the dog and its owner. So, we will analyze the 3 simple steps that you can follow to groom your Shih Tzu at home.
Step 1 Preparation
Items That You Need
Before you groom your dog, you need to have the right tools required. Here is the list of items which you would need. You can easily find them at your local pet shop or online. I added links to my top picks for each of the items on amazon.
- Dog brush
- Dog nail trimmer, I prefer this electric dog nail trimmer. Go for what works best for you.
- Dog Shampoo, There are so many different brands you can go for. But this is my favorite. Also, some shampoos are made specifically for puppies.
Choosing The Right Space
Grooming is sometimes scary to dogs. It might seem to be a fun and enjoyable experience for you but is actually frightening to dogs. So choosing the right space for this is very important. You want to use an enclosed space where the dog cannot escape from. I use my bathroom and I’ve never had any problems. However, I recommend doing the grooming outside. It’s not much of a mess and hassle to clean up afterward. It is important to know that you should avoid grooming outside when it is too hot or too cold.
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Mentally Prepare Your Dog
Since grooming is scary to dogs, especially for newbies. Firstly, You want to take time to calm your Shih Tzu. Petting it and making feel like it is in a safe space.
Brushing Your Shih Tzu
Gently brush your dog from its skin to the edges of its hair. You also want to work out the tangles. You can easily do so by brushing from the bottom of the matted hair. Do so gradually till you can run the brush smoothly. Brush your Shih Tzu’s face focusing on the muzzle as food particles tend to get stuck there when it eats. Also, the best option would be to prevent tangles entirely. This can be done by brushing your Shih Tzu regularly. It is advisable to brush your Shih Tzu a minimum of 3 times throughout the week.
Step 2 Washing Your Dog – Groom Your Shih Tzu At Home
Start by wetting your dog. Make sure you use Lukewarm water. Ensure that the water is not too hot or too cold. Placing a nonslip mat which will prevent your dog from slipping in the bathtub. If you do not have a bathtub, you can buy this pet bathtub from amazon. it even has a drain and you would not need to worry about danger of the dog slipping. Use the dog shampoo to wash your dog until it is clean.
Work into a lather gently massaging the shampoo into the dogs fur. After you have rinsed out the all the foam. Use clean water to rinse out the mucus from the dogs eyes. Do not let shampoo get into your dog’s eyes. This will hurt the dog, which is why when washing your dogs face, you must stay clear from it’s eyes.
Once all that is done, to dry your dog, take it out of its bath tub and wrap it with a thick cotton towel to absorb all the excess water. You can air dry or use a hairdryer. Keep in mind that the sound sometimes scares dogs. So, it is advisable to introduce the sound gradually. Also, make sure to use the lowest setting and not to take the hairdryer too close to the dog. It will burn your dog’s skin.
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Step 3, Grooming
This is the part most of you have been waiting for. I am pretty sure you now understand that there are more steps involved in grooming a dog than you would expect. Now that you have properly prepared your dog for grooming. Let’s talk on how to groom your dog. If you don’t feel well prepared to groom your shih tzu at home. I would recommend taking your dog to a professional and watch every step they take keenly. Learn by observation.
Firstly, you want to properly comb your dog’s hair. This is especially important as it helps prevent tangles. Once its fur is about to dry, use a soft brush to comb its hair. if there was any matted fur that wasn’t properly attended to in the preparation phase. Now is the best time to fix that. The ideal way to comb your dog’s hair would be to start at the base of the hair and comb all the way up the edges.
Trimming your dog’s nails
This is pretty basic but it is important to follow these safety rules.
- Only trim the white part of your dog’s nails. the pink part has live tissue and your dog will bleed if you trim too deep.
- If you accidentally make your dog bleed. Applying corn starch would help clot blood and stop the bleeding.
It is best to stay as far away from the danger zone (pink part) as possible. Don’t try to get too close. Most dogs hate nail clipping and would give you a hard time. If after a few tries you are unable to clip your dog’s nails. Simply skip this part and get help from the vet.
Cutting Your Dog’s Hair
It is advisable to use a number 10 blade to cut your dogs hair. The number 10 blade is long enough to prevent you from hurting your dog. Cut the hair on your dog’s body and face. You can purchase the number 10 blade from Amazon.
Clean your dog’s ears using alcohol-based solution intended to be used specifically on dog’s ears. Simply add a few drops to a cotton ball and rub it on the skin and fur in the dog’s ears. Then, fold the dog’s ear and gently massage it all the way to ensure an even spread. After that, use a clean cotton ball to wipe off all remaining moisture. Ensure that you do not take the cotton balls too deep into the dog’s ear cavity. Furthermore, check your dog’s ears right after a walk to ensure no grass or twigs got stuck in your dog’s ears. If not removed can make its way deep into your dog’s ears. If you feel this is too complex for you. Leave it for the professionals.
Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth
You can use a double-sided dog toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your dog’s teeth. This can be done daily to maintain good oral hygiene.
I hope this information was helpful. Check out this post on shih Tzu puppies for sale. It has everything you need to know regarding buying a Shih Tzu. These are the 3 simple steps to groom your shih tzu at home. Thank you for reading.