Which haircut suits a Shih Tzu, and how do you groom one?

What are the most popular Shih Tzu haircuts?

There's a set of pet styles most groomers know, each with its upsides and downsides. Here are the main body styles.

• Full-furnishings clip. The neck and back are clipped, and the side coat and legs stay full length. It comes closest to the natural Shih Tzu, and it still needs brushing every day.
• Puppy cut. The whole dog is scissored to 1 to 3 inches, with a full, rounded head, straight column legs and a full tail. It hides most faults in a dog's build and keeps it warm in winter, though most Shih Tzus in it still need brushing at least twice a week.
• Cocker style. The back is clipped about a third of the way down the body, and the chest hair is left 4 to 5 inches long. It's easier than the puppy cut and good in every season.
• Schnauzer cut. The body is clipped short down to near the bottom of the ribs, with the leg hair scissored to an inch or two. It's quicker to bathe and dry, and cooler in summer.
• Kennel clip. Short all over, with a small tuft on top of the head and rounded feet. It's the easiest of all to keep and the coolest in hot weather, and it also shows any fault in the dog's build.

There's also a short-bodied clip with belled legs, and a run of separate choices for the head, legs and tail. Salons use their own names for many of these, so a photograph of the look you want will tell your groomer more than the name does.

How do you choose the right haircut for your Shih Tzu?

Start with how you live. The choice turns on your dog's coat type, where you live, how much time you want to spend brushing and what the two of you like to do. A Shih Tzu that hikes, rides in boats or runs agility collects leaves and dirt in a long coat, and the hair tangles faster when it's dirty, wet or windblown.

The coat itself matters too. The puppy cut works poorly on cottony or wiry coats that mat easily, and the cocker style and the short-bodied clip need a coat that doesn't mat easily. Some balance helps as well, with a fuller head, tail and feet beside a fuller body.

No choice is final. If the first style doesn't suit, let the hair grow back and try another, and a good groomer will help you decide. What a groomer costs is covered in our Shih Tzu price guide.

How should the face and topknot be cut?

Gently, and with the hair left long around the eyes. Cutting the hair short across the bridge of the nose and under the eyes isn't a good idea, because it's easy to injure an eye while cutting there, the regrowing hairs rub and bother them, and you're left with nothing to hold while you clean the face.

For the head, there's a rounded puppy style with the topknot scissored to 1 to 2 inches and the beard left 3 to 6 inches, a medium topknot over a longer beard, and a pig-tailed topknot parted down the middle and gathered over each ear. The hair on top of the head is traditionally tied up, and a puppy usually has enough hair for a topknot at about five months. Use a small latex band and don't pull it tight, or the dog will rub at it.

How often does a Shih Tzu need a groomer?

Plan on a clip at least every six to eight weeks to keep a pet style in shape. A groomer will usually clean the ears and trim the nails at the same visit, and will often notice skin problems or fleas and ticks that an owner can miss.

When you choose one, ask where the groomer trained, get recommendations from your vet or your breeder, and let your dog meet the groomer first. Tell them about your dog's personality, any health issues and the look you're after, because the more a groomer knows the fewer surprises there are. Three weeks without any care at home will probably mean shaving the coat to the skin.

What do you do between groomer visits?

A short routine every day. Daily grooming matters with this breed whether your Shih Tzu is in full coat or a puppy clip, and it's far quicker than rescuing a badly matted dog.

• Wipe anything from the corners of the eyes with a damp cotton ball, comb food out of the mustache, and put the topknot back up.
• Mist the coat with water and a little conditioner before you brush, since brushing a dry coat builds static and breaks hair.
• Brush from the feet, legs and belly up toward the middle of the back, all the way to the skin, and lift the brush away at the ends of the hair so you don't snap them.
• Check the insides of the legs, the armpits and the hair around the neck and ears, where mats hide, and finish with a wide-toothed comb to catch any you missed.

Brush out every mat before a bath, because water sets a mat in and makes it far harder to remove. A daily look also turns up sores, lumps, sore eyes, smelly ears or parasites early.

Can you trim the nails, feet and potty area at home?

Yes. Trimming the feet, the bottom of the coat and the area around the bottom for neatness and easier movement is normal, though show dogs aren't trimmed much more than that.

For nails, a little taken off every week works better than a lot taken off late, because the quick grows out with the nail. Trim the thin, curved tip, keep styptic powder nearby in case of a nick, and remember the dewclaws, which never touch the ground and so never wear down. A trimmed nail shouldn't touch the floor when the dog steps down. While you're at the feet, trim the hair between the pads level with the pads, since it can mat there and make the feet sore.

If the hair under the tail gets soiled, soak it under warm running water, wash it out, dry it, and leave the scissors in the drawer, since longer hair tends to fall away to either side on its own.

How do you get a Shih Tzu puppy used to grooming?

Start as soon as your puppy comes home, which with us is at 9 weeks, and keep it gentle, so grooming feels happy and relaxing from puppyhood on. For nails, hold the paws gently and calmly every day for a week or more, until your puppy accepts 15 to 30 seconds of it without squirming, and then clip one nail, praise it and stop on a calm note.

Ask your vet when the vaccines allow a first visit to a groomer, and know that the coat will go through a matting stage around its first birthday, which our Shih Tzu color guide explains. You can meet the Shih Tzus we have now on the breed page, and our Shih Tzu temperament guide covers the rest of life with one.