The greatest purpose a dog serves is being a family member and a friend to the owner. There are plenty of popular breeds, out of which Shih Tzu is one. Talking about Shih Tzu, those who have one might have already thought of Shih Tzu haircuts and grooming, which is one of the greatest problems with having this cute looking dog.
A dog is a man’s best friend. Well, every dog owner evidently believes this. People all over the world are getting dogs. Dogs have become the most petted domestic animal worldwide. People adopt dogs as their companions. Other than that, they serve in military, hunting, guiding disables, and also in different sections like detection and even mining.
People who want a dog as a part of their family, and not even for protection purpose focus on good looking dogs. A dog is good looking if its fur is unique and fluffy. There are plenty of breeds with outstanding coats. With amazing coats come a lot of responsibilities.
If you are having a hard time with grooming and making haircuts to Shih Tzu, you need to know some ideas and hacks first. This article will help you get the best hairstyles yourself as well. Go through the article to learn more about Shih Tzu haircuts.
About Shih Tzu!
Shih Tzu is a cute looking small-sized breed that has coats that look more like human hair. Their locks grow longer than that of an average dog. Well, they do not even shed hair like other breed dogs. It is one of the specialties of Shih Tzu.
Having long and human-like hair is beautiful. But well, you will have to provide a lot of attention to this dog. The Shih Tzu’s coat has to be cleaned and brushed every day. It will help to remove tangles and prevent knots. The dog also needs a regular haircut within 4 to 6 weeks. It is essential if you have this breed.
Though people underestimated Shih Tzu as a show dog, a plaything, and something that belongs on the lap, nowadays, their purpose has been changed. Owners are taking Shih Tzu into training and even sports. They have become agility competitors. Without a doubt, this breed fits perfectly in your family, and the children are also safe from this breed. But maintaining a little safety is never wrong.
Shih Tzu is a Perfect Human Companion!
If you want a puppy that is small and fluffy and fits perfectly even in the small apartment, this is the best breed. It is up for cuddles, and with regular showering, grooming, and haircut, this pup is ready for everything.
The term ‘Shih Tzu’ means a small lion. But this dog does not have anger or violent nature as of lion. By lion, it means the coat. This dog has an amazing coat like that of a lion, but by nature, they are human friendly.
Their nature is pleasant. Shih Tzus make the best human companions. They are always happy, affectionate, and outgoing, good at laps, and fit in a tiny apartment too. They are comfortable mainly on the laps, and with constant human contact.
The problem is with Shih Tzu haircuts and grooming. If you have just got one of these breeds, you need to know about giving them proper haircuts at regular intervals. Also, you need to add enough grooming so that they do not have a problem with long hair and tangles.
For quick haircut and grooming ideas, check out this video.
Origin & History of Shih Tzu
According to researches, Shih Tzu is one of the fourteen oldest dog breeds. The bones that discovered in China of Shih Tzu tell they were here even in 8000 BC. According to some studies, Tibetan Monks developed them. They ended up in China as a royalty gift to China. According to Chinese philosophies, they were developed in China by crossing Lhasa Apso or Pekingnese. That’s is why it has a name that sounds a little like Chinese.
One thing is true; this breed was regarded as a royal breed and loved by everyone. People treated it like a treasure. One can even find the Chinese literature and paintings where Shih Tzu has been part of. During the time of Marco Polo, there has been writing about small lion dogs that were companions to hunting lions to keep the lions calm. They must have been talking about Shih Tzu by meaning it as a lion dog.
Even from the ancient feedback, this breed is a happy dog, which later on became popular worldwide. Because of the unique and long coat, Shih Tzu was part of human lives because of its beautiful appearance and petite size.
Also See: 140 Poodle Haircuts Your Pet Will Definitely Love
Purpose of Shih Tzu Breeding
Every new dog breeding has a purpose. In ancient times, every domesticated creature had a purpose. Human beings brought dogs in their life initially as a house guard or protect the house in their absence. Some also petted them to help in hunting, scaring other animals, and to look after children.
The purpose of breeding Shih Tzu is to serve as a companion. Historically, they were treated as royalty dogs or as treasure. Well, while other dogs guard, hunt, guide, and retrieve, Shih Tzu sits on your lap and makes you happy. They are man’s best companion.
They are very affectionate. The small size of this breed helps it to become a plaything, and it looks more like a toy. Well, Shih Tzus are the happiest breed and are craving for family, having attention, and love all the time.
But this does not mean that this breed is a couch potato. If trained, it can be a good competitor for other breeds. Even barking can be their dominant character and can alert you when a newcomer is there at your apartment. But this is only an option, a Shih Tzu lying on the couch is also enough for us, right?
Grooming & Haircuts of Shih Tzu
Though a Shih Tzu is loved and admired by everyone, not everyone can afford to have one. It is because of their fantastic hair. Well, a Shih Tzu needs a lot of attention and time. If you do not have time to groom it, do not get one.
This breed has a long, silky, and gorgeous human-like coat. It has different colored coats like black, white, gray, red, and mix with white. Well, one has to keep their coat maintained because this is the only way you can have a gorgeous looking Shih Tzu.
For that, you need to brush their coat every day. If you do not brush or comb them every day, there will be tangles and knots that will be hard to remove. At some point, you will have to cut their hair off because of knots and tangles that are too rough to brush.
Well, you also need to give them a frequent bath. It can be as frequent as once a week. You can even have a professional groomer to clip those locks short and also for bathing them. It is especially for those owners who are mostly occupied with work and do not have enough time to groom their dog.
Moreover…
You need to make sure how hot or cold the weather is. A Shih Tzu cannot tolerate heat but can fairly tolerate cold. So, during summer or cold weather, you need to give them a super trim and make their hair short. You also need to consider their age.
Because, with different ages, the coats will change. The puppy will have a fluffy coat, but after ten to twelve months, the fluffiness converts into silkiness. Their coat grows very fast, and they will see their coat once in four months. You should make a routine of trimming their hair at least once a month. It will avoid infection, odor, redness, dirt, and other problems that can come with an unwashed long coat.
Having a Shih Tzu is like having a toddler. But the problem is, this toddler never turns into an adult, and you are signed to take care of this toddler forever. So, with the best things come the best responsibilities too!
Shih Tzu Haircuts
Having a Shih Tzu comes with plenty of responsibilities like grooming and haircuts. You need to be very flexible with a Shih Tzu’s hair. It is similar to a human’s hair. So, you need to brush it every day. It is not enough; you also need to make sure the tangles and knots are off the coat. The hair has to be well brushed. You need to bath your dog once a month, at least. Otherwise, there are problems like rashes, odor, rashness, redness, and hair problems. So, well, having a Shih Tzu is not as easy as having some other dogs with small hair length. The only good thing is, they do not have a problem with you grooming them, and are very friendly to family.
This section consists of five different types of haircuts that go well with Shih Tzu. You need to realize that, even with these three cuts, you can modify to get several other hair cuts. It is just the list of the most popular ones. For other haircuts, check out the images provided in the image gallery.
Puppy Cut
This one is the most common haircut for Shih Tzus and is also known as Summer Cut. Well, by its second name, it is quite clear what this haircut is all about. You will trim the hair to 1 or 2 inches short all over their body. But you can always keep the length longer in the case of the face. Well, this is a must-do haircut during hot seasons. As mentioned earlier, Shih Tzu cannot stand the heat. The coat will add a lot of heat to them. So, trimming the entire coat into 1 or 2 inches is the best solution.
The puppy cut is handy in the case of Shih Tzu when you do not want to do a lot of grooming and frequent haircut. It will save a lot of shampoo and other grooming expenses, as well as your time. The best thing is, they will grow the hair long again in a short time, so you need not worry about the appearance which you might miss after giving this haircut.
Teddy Bear Cut
The best feature of a Shih Tzu is its beauty. So, a teddy bear cut is a kind of perfect for keeping your Shih Tzu look just like a teddy bear. This haircut will make your dog look cute. The length of this haircut will range from 2 to 2.5 inches all over the body, including the ears too. But in case of the face, it can be let as long as four inches.
With this cut, you will still need to brush daily and remove the tangles and knots. But, surely, the grooming session will be short, and a little extra time you have for playing with it!
Lion Cut
This haircut is a popular one too. You will keep the length as short as 1 to 1.5 inches and sometimes 2. It gives you dog a lion-like appearance. The hair is mainly long on the face and ear. But the back and rest of the body have short hair.
Image Gallery | Shih Tzu Haircuts
Well, there are plenty of haircuts for a breed like Shih Tzu. But in the end, you are going to give it something that looks good at. So, keeping things simple, you can check out these outstanding images. These images will help you figure out what kind of haircut will add amazing looks to your Shih Tzu.
Every Shih Tzu is unique, and well, there is a difference in coats among every Shih Tzu. So, one cannot decide by merely looking at the haircuts. But it is always fun to describe people what hairstyle you have given to your Shih Tzu. Therefore, look at the pictures and get some mind-blowing ideas for your Shih Tzu.
Conclusion | Shih Tzu Haircuts
To conclude, this article gives you information on Shih Tzu, which mainly targets Shih Tzu haircuts and grooming. This breed came from China or Tibet and was a royal dog breed, which was treasured a lot. Even today, people treat it like a treasure. This dog’s primary purpose is human companionship. While other dogs are hunting, guiding, protecting, and being useful in different ways, a Shih Tzu sits in your lap and works somehow like a couch potato.
Well, with good things come a lot of responsibilities as well. You need to groom it more often as compared to other dogs. This attention-seeking dog requires regular grooming like weekly baths, monthly haircuts, and everyday combing or brushing. The thing about their hair is, it is just like human hair and grows quickly.
It means you need to find a lot of time to groom this dog. Well, having a Shih Tzu is just like having a toddler. But in this case, your toddler never grows into an adult, and you will have to groom it as long as you tie yourself with it.
If you have recently got a Shih Tzu or are planning to get one, you need to know some facts about them. So, in that case, you are loaded with a lot of information on this page. Check out this article to find a lot of information about this breed.
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