How to Properly Shave Your Shih Tzu

Shih Tzu dogs are known to have a lot of fur, which means that they would also need a lot of grooming. If time and money won’t get in your way, you can always just take your dog to a professional groomer, but in the end, it would be a lot better both financially and in terms of time to just learn how to shave a Shih Tzu yourself.

Regardless of how cute you might consider a furry Shih Tzu puppy dog, it will come time for you to consider shaving it, to prevent its skin from developing all kinds of conditions. If you don’t know what you are doing, you will find it very complicated to groom this particular type of dog. A fur kept in the best conditions should be combed at least two times per day. This is usually a lot for most dog owners and will usually interfere with other chores they might have, their work schedule, or classes. As hair grows on their body, they will also get more and more agitated, because it might get into their eyes and obstruct their vision.

The hair, when long enough, will also get tangled and matted all over the dog’s body, which will cause the animal to try to bite and chew it.

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The best way to groom this dog is with the help of a professional, there’s no doubt about it. The only problem is that the speed with which the fur of the dog will grow will lead to grooming being needed very close one to another, which in turn will make shaving a Shih Tzu by a professional a very expensive practice. If you learn how to groom your dog yourself, you can not only save about $50 if not more in monthly grooming expenses, but you will also have another activity that will help you bond with your pet. This article will give you an idea of what it will take to shave your Shih Tzu yourself.

Tips on Shaving a Shih Tzu

• You should wear a cloth facial mask, to prevent the dog’s hair from getting into your nose. You can also spray the fur with some water to get it wet before you start shaving.
• To make sure that the full will be even and easy to handle, you should comb it before shaving it.
• If you don’t want the fur to get into your clothes, you should also wear a plastic apron.
• You should also use a hand-held vacuum cleaner to clean the free fur as it falls to the floor, so it isn’t carried away by other pets or people passing by.
• The best clipper blades to be used are the 7 and 10-sized ones. Keep the 7-sized one for sensitive areas of the pet like the tail, buttocks, the face, feet, and ears.
• You should also place a disposable sheet under the dog either on a table or on the floor, depending on the surface you want to shave it on. This is also to catch discarded fur.

Steps for Shaving Your Shih Tzu

Shaving the Back and Tummy

First off, have the Shih Tzu placed in front of your lap or on a table. To keep the dog relaxed throughout this activity, you should talk to it in a soothing voice. You will start by shaving the fur on the pet’s back with the size 10 electric clipper blade. Start gently and slowly, from the tail up, continuing up until the dog’s neck area. Repeat this process over and over until most of its back fur is removed. The next step is to roll the dog on its back with its tummy facing you. Shave its tummy and go down until the buttocks area and in the other direction, until the neck area. Use the same clipper for these areas as well.

Shaving the Private Region

To trim the genital and butt area, you should use a very small and fine scissor instead of the clipper. Keep in mind that this particular area shouldn’t be clean-shaved. This is because this area is more prone to developing infections and the fur protects the animal from this danger. One of the most important parts of the care routine for a dog is making sure that its private areas are clean. A dog with long hair in its butt region will catch dirt or have poop hanging from there frequently. The private parts of the dog that aren’t cut with the small scissor should be shaved with the size 7 clipper.

Trimming the Legs

The hair on the legs of this particular breed of dog is dense and will need proper grooming. The legs of the dog can also be shaved using the size 7 clipper and you should do so until only the dog’s feed will have any hair left. The hair on the toes and between the toes will have to be trimmed with fine scissors. This will ensure that your dog isn’t slipping on different surfaces.

Trimming the Ears

There is no rule that states that you will have to remove the fur from the dog’s ears. It is up to you if you choose to remove it or not. If you like your dog with fur on its ears, you should at least trim them a little, so that they have a cleaner look. If instead, you want to have the ears of your dog, then go for a smaller clipper, and always work in gentle movements to avoid any injuries

Shaving the Snout

The part of the dog’s snout that will need shaving will be the upper section. This is where the fur will be dense and long and will get dirty a lot if left ungroomed. Anything from muck to mud, and even leftover food will get stuck in this particular area. To remove the fur from this place you should also use the small clipper and just use a down-to-up hand motion from the tip of the nose towards the snout.

Trimming the Facial Fur

The hair around the eyes of the pet will have to be trimmed so that it can see clearly. You will only cut the hair that is in excess or longer than the others and you will do this by holding the hair with your fingers and cutting whatever is left. Always make sure that the dog will look better after trimming, not worse, and that the hair is cut evenly. You should never cut the hair from the chin and head of your Shih Tzu if you want to enroll it in any dog show that follows the breed’s standards.

You will also have to give your dog the appearance of a beard and a mustache. This beard should reach the mid-chest area of the dog in length and its hair will have to mingle with that of the legs and torso.