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Tools

Grooming Tools for a Shih Tzu

Overview

Grooming your Shih Tzu will be much easier when you have the right tools and products. Some are used no matter the Shih Tzu's coat length and others will depend on their hair style. So, let's get your little guy or gal looking their best, by seeing what's needed and how to use it.

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Summary List of Grooming Tools and Products

For most Shih Tzu puppies and dogs, you'll want to have the following grooming tools:

Comb
Brush
Mat remover tool (if the coat is long enough to develop mats)
Leave-in conditioner spritz (this is used alongside brushing)
Eye wipes and eye flush solution
Body grooming wipes
Shampoo and conditioner
Cotton balls (optional)
Thin, soft and absorbent towels
Nail clippers or grinder
Ear wipes and cleanser
Hemostat
Round-tipped scissors

Next, let's take a closer look at these items.

Combs and Brushes

Overview:

Combs and brushes are some of the most important grooming tools you'll have for your Shih Tzu puppy or dog. There are many benefits to combing and brushing, including removing dirt and debris from the coat, distributing natural body oils, keeping hairs free from tangles, and keeping the coat looking tidy.

There are many types of combs and brushes because there are many types of dogs. Most canines have fur, so brushes are designed for that sort of coat. But the Shih Tzu has hair and grooming tools designed for thick fur coats can destroy a Shih Tzu coat. So, choosing the right combs and brushes is important.

Combs:

For all but fully shaved coats, you'll want to have a comb for your Shih Tzu. Combing separates longer hairs (like on the face, ears and tail), separates hairs on long show coats and is great for tidying up faces.

Look for steel combs (for durability). Narrow spaced combs are used for facial hairs and wide spaced combs are used for areas on the body. A two-level steel comb will offer both of these elements in one tool. Though, you may prefer to use a small face comb on the face, since as it's smaller and easier to maneuver.

Recommendations:

Two sided comb: We recommend the Coastal Pet Li'l Pals Double-Sided Dog Comb. It's nicely sized for small dogs, the tips are rounded for comfort, and it holds up well.

Facial Comb: We recommend the Master Grooming Tools Face and Finishing Comb. The 6.25 size works well for most Shih Tzu and it works great for getting the hairs under and around the eyes and other small areas.

Brushes:

As we touched on briefly earlier, brushing has many benefits, most of all keeping the coat tidy and clean. And it's worth mentioning again, it is extremely important to use the right brush on your Shih Tzu. Some grooming tools are meant to remove thick undercoats from certain dog breeds; something like that would destroy a Shih Tzu's coat. Never use a slicker brush or undercoat rake.

The best types of brushes to use on Shih Tzu puppies and dogs with shaved or short coats is a bristle brush. And the best type of brush to use on Shih Tzu dogs with medium to long coats is a round-tipped or polished tip pin brush. Look for those with a comfortable grip. Wooden handles may be preferred for durability.

Recommendations:

Bristle brush: We are constantly reevaluating products and the bristle brush we are loving right now is the Buddy System Soft Touch Palm Brush. It's perfectly sized for Shih Tzu dogs and it's a palm brush, which means it slips over your hand, and it does its job while your Shih Tzu feels like they're being petted. It has a nice bamboo wooden base and boar bristles, which are ideal. The band for your hand is elastic, so it's very comfortable.

Pin brush: One pin brush that we really like is the Chris Christensen 20 mm Oval Pin Brush. The 20mm size is ideal for Shih Tzu up to the 10 lb. range. For those over 10 lbs, the 27 mm size usually works well. This has a comfortable beech wood handle and polished tips.

Mat Remover Tools

Overview:

This is only needed if your Shih Tzu's coat is kept long enough for mats to develop. A mat is a tangle of thickly woven hairs, often close to the skin and usually too tight to untangle by hand. They can gather in size rather quickly, pulling in nearby hairs. And in time, these can start to pinch a Shih Tzu's skin. So, it vital to brush often to avoid mats and keep an eye out for their early development.

A mat remover tool has a curved razor designed to precisely slice the mat off from the coat without damaging the surrounding coat. Do take care when choosing the tool; there are some that sound similar ('dematting tool' or 'dematting rake') that are larger grooming tools designed to rake through the thick undercoats of breeds with double-coated fur and you do not want to use that on a Shih Tzu.

Recommendation: We like the Coastal Pet Safari Dog Mat Remover. This is sized well for the Shih Tzu breed, is easy to maneuver and the handle has a great no-slip grip.

Leave-in Conditioner Spritz

Overview:

This type of product is a conditioner that is meant to be sprayed onto the coat, without washing it out. It's usually applied while brushing a Shih Tzu. And leave-ins have such a wonderful array of benefits: It helps protect the coat by repelling dirt, debris, tiny urine splashes and environmental irritants including pollen. It also can offer protection from UV rays, helps skin to retain moisture and protects hairs from split ends and contact friction. Last by not least, it can help a Shih Tzu to smell nice and clean.

Recommendations:

Our choice for best fragrance: If having your Shih Tzu smell super-nice is your top concern, we recommend Nootie Daily Spritz. This line has some amazing scents including cucumber melon, Japanese cherry blossom, sweet pea & vanilla and warm vanilla cookie. It's also fantastic at conditioning the coat and offering protection.

Our choice for best detangler: If detangling hairs is your top priority, we recommend The Stuff. This has an extremely light fragrance but performs in exceptionally in all other ways, including protection and repelling debris. It also adds great shine. Tip: All you need is a light mist.

Our choice for summertime: If you're looking for a leave-in spray with sunblock, we really love Chris Christensen Ice on Ice with SunScreen.

Eye Wipes and Cleaning Solution

Overview:

Eye wipes are pre-soaked grooming wipes formulated for use on a dog's face and are used on a regular basis to keep the area around a Shih Tzu's eyes clean from debris like food particles, dirt, etc. This will help ensure that your Shih Tzu's eyes do not become irritated, help prevent even more serious eye issues, and as an added bonus can help to prevent the development of tear stains.

You can read more about eye care here: Shih Tzu Eye Care.

Eye Flush Solution is typically a saline solution liquid that is meant to be used to flush out a dog's eye/s if there is an irritant such as a loose eyelash or other debris. Since the Shih Tzu breed is prone to eye issues, having this on hand is wise; you never know when you'll have to use it and it can prevent lots of pain and issues down the road.

You can read more about eye issues here: Shih Tzu Eye Issues.

Body Grooming Wipes

Overview:

Body grooming wipes will be one of the most helpful grooming tools in your collection. Shih Tzu dogs should only be bathed about once every 3 weeks (unless a mud puddle tells you otherwise) and grooming wipes play a big role in keeping the coat clean and smelling nice.

These are great for touch-up cleaning, removing allergens, removing debris, dirt, urine and tiny bits of feces and just about anything else that may cling to your Shih Tzu. These can also wipe up excess body oil that can start to make a dog stinky.

With canine-friendly wipes, you can use these multiple times a day. And to keep your Shih Tzu tidy, try to wipe them down at least a few times a week.

Recommendation: We love Earthbath Grooming Wipes. There's four different types: Mango Tango is ideal if your Shih Tzu tends to get stinky. The Oatmeal & Aloe/Vanilla & Almond wipes are for dogs with dry skin. The Green Tea & Awapuhi is wonderful for a regular-use wipe. And their Fragrance Free wipes are for pet parents who prefer no scent at all on their little guy or gals.

Bath Time Supplies: Shampoo, Conditioner, Cotton Balls, Towels

Overview:

Baths are given once every 3 weeks, and more often if needed.

Shampoo is, of course, to wash the coat and rid it of excess body oils, dirt and debris. It's important to stay away from any harsh shampoos since they can be drying to both skin and coat.

Wash-out conditioner goes hand-in-hand with shampoo. It helps smooth down hair cuticles, and good ones can add moisture to the coat and offer a layer of protection.

Cotton balls are optional; for Shih Tzu puppies or dogs that squirm around a lot in the bathtub and tend to get water in their ears, you can gently place pieces of cotton in their outer ear canal to prevent water from going in.

Towels are needed to dry your Shih Tzu off. Unless the coat is closely shaved, it's best to blot and dab, not rub. You'll find that thin towels can work better than extra thick ones and are easier to wrap around your little guy or gal.

Recommendation: There are many types of shampoos, including specialized formulas for rashes and other issues. Below, you can reach our full article regarding those options. Our general recommendation is for Earthbath Vanilla and Almond; this formula also has aloe and oatmeal, and it's a great product to use to prevent dry skin from occurring. It has an accompanying conditioner that is also excellent. As with most of their products, it is plant-based and has no parabens, dyes, sulfates or phthalates.

You can read more about bathing products here: Shih Tzu Shampoos.

Nail Grooming Tools

Some pet parents opt to have a groomer take care of clipping the nails and others prefer to take on this task at home. Options to trim the nails include canine nail clippers or grinders (which file the nails down). Nails on a Shih Tzu need to be trimmed about once every 6 weeks and this will vary depending on how much walking they do on hard outside surfaces. If your Shih Tzu walks and their nails make a 'click-clack' sound, it's time for a trim.

We are working on updating our Nail Trimming article. A link will be placed here as soon as it is complete.

Ear Wipes and Cleanser

Overview:

Caring for a Shih Tzu's ears is generally a simple process, so there's no need for concern even if you've come across more complex ear care routines.

Ear Flap Cleaning: Typically, a thorough wiping of the inner ear flap and the external canal (to the extent reachable with a finger wrapped in the wipe) every one to two weeks suffices. This routine helps to eliminate any build-up of ear wax and debris. However, if your Shih Tzu tends to have more wax buildup or is susceptible to ear infections, you may need to clean their ears more frequently.

Ear Canal Cleaning: This involves applying an ear cleaning solution into the ear canal, massaging the base, and then wiping with a cotton ball. It's a task both groomers and pet owners can do and is typically done every 4 to 6 weeks. For Shih Tzus with more wax or prone to infections, this may be needed weekly.

Recommendations:

For general wipes of the ear flaps, we like Nutri Vet Ear Cleansing Pads. These are small circular pads (similar to human acne pad size), so it's easy to maneuver these around to clean all the crevices in a Shih Tzu's ear flaps and external canal.

And for cleaning the ear canals, we like Pet MD Otic Clean Dog Ear Cleaner; it's has a gentle yet effective formula and is normally tolerated very well.

Optional: Hemostat Tool, Round-tipped Scissors

These are optional grooming tools because sometimes a pet parent decides to let a groomer handle the tasks associated with these. A hemostat tool is used in conjunction with ear powder to pluck long hairs from a dog's ears. This only needs to be done if a Shih Tzu is prone to long hairs in their ears, and in turn has issues with excess ear wax or debris or suffers from ear infections and the vet has recommended that this be done.

And a round-tipped scissors is good for doing touch-up trims to the coat, a task which many owners decide to let the grooming salon handle.