Our Top 10 Favourite Dog Grooming Styles for shih tzu
-
- by Adam
- 04 Apr 2025
- 0 Comments
A wildly popular toy breed known for their luxurious double cold, miniature size, an adorable round face and affectionate nature. The Shih Tzu originated in China as lapdogs with small sturdy bodies and big round expressive eyes. A compact body and a short muzzle is what has them stand out among other dogs. Their grooming styles particularly captures their essence and compliments their personalities.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE BREED
- They are very small
- Weighing only between 9-16 pounds
- Flat face
- Curled tail carried over the back
- Long, dense double coat
- Round eyes
- Droopy ears
DOG GROOMING STYLES FOR SHIH TZU
Shih Tzu is a double coated dog breed that has a soft undercoat and silky outer coat similar in texture to human hair. Just like human hair, it does not stop growing implying that it can become very long if not cut. Hence, grooming and haircuts are a must.
For those of you who live in the warmer regions, we have some good news for you. It is safe for you to cut your Shih Tzu's hair as short as 1-2 inches such as practiced in the puppy cut grooming style. However shaving their coat is a no, as it will disrupt their body's natural ability to regulate temperature, as well as cause sunburns and cause damage to their coat. Short hair reduces the risk of matting, knotting and tangles.
You should start grooming your puppy when they are around 3-4 months old. At this age their puppy coat has grown out enough and a little trim will help them get prepared for future grooming sessions.
Here is a list of our favourite grooming styles for this breed.
1. The Puppy Cut
It is a very popular to-easy-to-main, as well as the most practical grooming style for the Shih Tzu breed. The coat is uniformly kept around 1-2 inches in length, making it neat and manageable. The face is kept short, and a little bit of fluff is left around the muzzle. Ears are trimmed to match the length of the coat on the body, but not too much and with a feathery effect. A full and long feathered tail completes the look. Let's face it: we all love flowy tails. Legs match the body with rounded paws to maintain the fluff.
Maintenance
A puppy cut is short and even, implying that it is practical as it minimizes the chances of matting and knots, making it easier to brush. Ideal for the warm weather and enhancing their life long puppy look. It is less likely to get dirty but will have to be brushed every day. Maintenance and resfresh will be needed every 6-8 weeks.
2. The Long Ear Puppy Cut
This grooming style is a variation of the the traditional puppy cut with a few exceptions. The defining feature is their long ears and this is the key difference between the traditional puppy cut and this variation. It is left 3-4 inches longer, depending on the individual preferences of the owner. They have to be brushed daily for maintaining the smooth texture and keeping tangles at bay.
Maintenance
The overall combo of the short body coat and the long ears requires much lower maintenance despite the fact that the ears will require more frequent brushing. To upkeep, they will need trims 6-8 weeks, even earlier if the ears have grown too long and have become hard to manage. Conditioning spray will be added to your daily grooming routine. Most importantly, we will advise you to regularly clean their ears as they will be prone to trapping dirt and moisture, causing infections.
3. The Lion Cut
The lion cut is a grooming style that tries to replicate the lion's mane on a Shih Tzu. The mane is long and fluffy, while the rest of the body is short, the same as that of a lion. The head, chest and neck have a fluffy ruff, while the rest of the body is trimmed short, about 1-2 inches, as per the owner's preference. The long face hair and long ears blend in with the rest of the head and are rounded out. The tail has a little tip left at the end to resemble the lion's tail, while the rest of it is kept pretty short. Legs and paws have the same length as the body hair.
Maintenance
The grooming style bodes well to the dogs living in warmer parts of the globe. The body hair is short, therefore easier to brush yet it stands out among others cuts. Trims are necessary every 4-8 weeks specially if the mane is starting to block the dogs vision. Regular bathing and conditioning is necessary to keep the mane matt free. Individually you will have to keep the face clean because it will be prone to trapping moisture and debris.
4. Short in the Middle, Long on the Ends
A unique grooming style that creates contrasts by experimenting with different lengths. Short middles and long ends are balanced out to create the perfect look. The midbody is kept at a length of 1-2 inches, creating a sleek, low, maintenance look. Features such as the head, tail and ears stand out because the hair is left longer. The head is rounded out, leaving it full and fluffy and blending the ends into the body. The tail is left long; hair flows on the tail with a feathered effect. Legs are left at a length of 3-4 inches long. Adding a top knot to this haircut is optional.
Maintenance
The haircut is practical, stylish and comfortable for the dog as well as easy to manage for their owners thanks to the short body. You may need to get trims every 3-6 weeks depending on how fast the longer parts of the body grow and of course how well the coat is kept. Brushing regularly is crucial to prevent the long ends from matting, as well as regular face grooming is a must to keep them neat and tidy.
5. Cone Paws
This grooming style focuses solely on the legs and around the paws of the Shih Tzu. The overall head and body are trimmed in the same manner as the original puppy cut, and the face might resemble the teddy bear cut as well. The focus point is the legs and paws that form a cone-like shape. The hair around the ankles and paws is the shortest, and the upper legs are full, creating a cone effect. The tail can be adjusted as per the owner's preference. You may even add a top knot to add contrast.
Maintenance
If you're looking for an all in one grooming style, that is unique, practical yet has a fluff factor, this is the perfect choice for you. The style will require regular grooming and then eventual trims every 6-8 weeks are necessary for upkeep. Remember to brush the legs daily, pay extra attention to the cleanliness of the paws.
6. The Teddy Bear Cut
The teddy bear cut is the perfect grooming style that creates a full, well-rounded, yet soft silhouette; the best part is that it is customizable. The body is trimmed to a uniform length of 2-3 inches, but you can keep it longer if you desire because it has a fluffy look. The face, being the distinctive feature, is rounded, and the muzzle is trimmed short and then blended into the cheeks. Ears can be trimmed short or left a little longer but are blended into the face. Our groomer leaves the legs a bit longer than the body to balance out the fluff, but the paws remain short. The tail can be left long with a feathered effect that can match the overall body or left longer as desired.
Maintenance
This is a aesthetically pleasing low maintenance grooming styles suitable for all weathers as well as lifestyles. You have to groom your dog regularly but trims will only be necessary every 6-8 weeks. Be sure to brush the ears, tail and legs without a miss. Face should be wiped down daily to prevent any tear stains and gunk accumulation.
7. The Practical Top Knot
This is an added feature to either the puppy cut, the teddy bear cut, or any other traditional cut you prefer. It can be little or long, depending on the owner's preference; it keeps the hair out of the dog's eyes while adding a little fashionable touch to it. The hair on the head is grown long, as desired, and then brushed back and gathered into a ponytail, then secured using a hair elastic. The vision is clear, and the eyes are void of any irritation caused by the hair around the forehead. This also helps reduce the risk of eye infections in the long run.
Maintenance
You must brush the top knot daily to avoid any discomfort for your dog, keep it free of any tangles and knotting. You can grow it out long or keep it short as per your desire and of course you can play with accessories to decorate it.
8. Medium-Length Puppy Cut
This variation of the puppy cut is a slightly longer version of the original puppy cut. In this version of the puppy cut, everything remains the same except the length of the hair which is kept between 1.5-3 inches. Increasing the fluff yet easy to look after. The face matches the body is styled in a rounded manner, but hair around the eyes is cleared. Ears are longer to match the rest of the silhouette with a complimenting length for the tail.
Maintenance
You will need to put in more effort when it comes to brushing for a longer coat to maintain it. Facial areas and ears will have to be wiped down regularly. Trims every 3-6 weeks will be mandatory.
9. Teddy Bear Variation
Basically the shorter version of the original teddy cut. In this variation the every feature remain the same but is trimmed slightly shorter than the original. The hair length is kept uniform 1-2 inches long and the other features are balanced out in the same proportion.
Maintenance
The haircut is easier to maintain and brush than the original and can be trimmed every 6-8 weeks.
10. The Top Knot Show Cut
A much more formal and sophisticated grooming style is often seen in professional show dogs among the breed, which highlights their appearance, their long flowing double coat, and keeps the face clean. The long-grown top knot is the distinctive standout feature that is secure with a ponytail or a ribbon. Keeping the long hair away from the eyes ensures a clear view because it grows thick and long. You can divide it into two parts if it's thick and secure them together afterwards. The face, body and tail match the long-flowing aesthetic with minimal trimming. The hair around the eyes is, however, trimmed to prevent any irritation from them. The body is long and sleek with minimal trimming; it is brushed out regularly, and the legs match the body by blending into them with slight trimming on the paws. A long flowing tail is feathered out to match the body, and it fans out as the dog moves.
Maintenance
This is a high maintenance haircut, not very practical for day to day life, therefore we only recommend it for show dogs. It will require constant care, attention and high frequency grooming otherwise it will result in horrible matting, tangles, knots and infections. More frequent baths and trims will be necessary.
CONCLUSION
In our opinion, the best haircut for any breed depends on their, as well as their owner's individual lifestyle, level of grooming they can afford and upkeep. The most practical haircut is, of course, the puppy cut due to its low-maintenance nature. The other two names on our recommendation list are the Teddy bear cut or the top knot with a shirt body; they are easy to maintain and look extremely cute yet stylish. If you don't mind a little maintenance, you can opt for a top knot with a teddy cut variation or even a show cut.
0 Comments:
{{success_message}}
No comments available.