The name Shih Tzu originates from one of the four ancient Chinese beauties, Xi Shi, representing their magnificent fur and beautiful appearance. The Shih Tzu is covered with gorgeous long hair that is straight and coarse with a slight wave, so regular grooming and bathing are necessary to keep it healthy and beautiful.

1. Grooming

When grooming a Shih Tzu, use a pin brush or a boar bristle brush. Spray with a smoothing spray while brushing, making it easier to comb and less likely to tangle.

Cleaning the eyes: Use eye wash daily to clean its eyes.

Ears: The Shih Tzu has ear hair inside the ear canal. Apply ear hair removal powder around the ear opening, then fold the ear to massage the ear base. Then gently pull out the ear hair with your hand or hemostatic forceps and clean the ear canal with ear wash.

Nails: Regularly trim its nails; overly long nails can cause toes to spread and skeletal deformation.

2. Bathing

In spring, summer, and autumn, adjust the bathing frequency based on temperature. If it's cooler, bathe every 2-3 weeks; if warmer, once a week; in hot summer, every 3-5 days. Before bathing, use degreased cotton to plug the ear canal to prevent water from entering and causing ear infections or other diseases.

During bathing, pay attention to the shampoo. The Shih Tzu’s coat is composed of white and various deep shades; do not use only shampoo for white fur. Choose a shampoo with stronger stain removal to keep the dark fur from discoloration. After shampooing, use conditioner and rinse thoroughly to remove oils. Do not use an absorbent towel to dry the hair to avoid tangling; it’s best to wrap it in a large bath towel to prevent catching a cold.

Drying: When blow-drying a Shih Tzu, use a pin brush or boar bristle brush while drying in the direction of the hair to keep its long fur straight and smooth.

Trimming: For show dogs, the four limbs should be trimmed long and round, without exposing the toes. The body’s decorative hair should be long and neatly trimmed. Trim the base of the tail, but do not trim other tail decorations. The head hair should be tied into a topknot.