Shih Tzu – Tricks And Tools Of Shih Tzu Grooming

Brushing and combing out the Shih Tzu coat of hair is the most
laborious and time-consuming chore in Shih Tzu dog grooming. A
knowledge of some “tricks of the trade” will help cut down on
this labor time, especially so in cases of badly matted Shih Tzu
coats. The longer the coat of your Shih Tzu, the greater the
potential for matting.

If your Shih Tzu’s coat is very badly matted and tangled there
is no alternative but to strip the coat of your Shih Tzu.
Stripping the coat of your Shih Tzu means to remove the entire
coat with clippers fitted with a fine blade, right down to the
skin. If the coat of your Shih Tzu requires stripping,
obviously, there is no need for brushing and combing.

Coat conditioner: If your Shih Tzu’s coat is not so bad, does
not require stripping and can be saved, but still bad enough to
require considerable brushing and combing, you can saturate the
Shih Tzu’s coat with an oil-based coat condition to loosen the
knots and tangles and ease the brushing chore. Coat conditioners
that contain an oil base are beneficial for both the coat and
skin. Mink oil is probably about the best Shih Tzu coat
conditioner on the market and especially for a matted Shih Tzu
coat. There are other methods professional groomers and handlers
use for dealing with matted Shih Tzu coats. This becomes a
matter of personal preference between you and your Shih Tzu.

Universal brush: The Universal brush is a German import and is
convex-shaped with fairly long, hard, wire bristles. Its shape
and density enable it to pull out the dead hairs of your Shih
Tzu more efficiently than any other brush. Unfortunately, it
will also pull out the live hairs of your Shih Tzu’s coat and
therefore should never be used for a show coat of a Shih Tzu.

Oster mat comb: The “Oster mat comb is a major product that cuts
down on grooming time of your Shih Tzu. The comb is specially
designed to cut through knots and tangles and much less time is
spent in brushing and combing your Shih Tzu.

The Oster mat comb is used in the following manner: Grasp the
mat comb firmly with thumb resting on the thumbrest and the
other fingers around the wooden handle. Place the mat comb
directly behind the mat with the teeth flat against the skin.
Pull the mat comb forward towards you. If the Shih Tzu coat is
heavily matted, try pulling the comb through the Shih Tzu coat
with short vertical strokes that should result in slicing the
big mat into several smaller ones. Continue the process until
you can comb through the coat of your Shih Tzu without catching.

Use your soft wire slicker or Universal brush to brush out all
the remaining small mats and comb through the Shih Tzu coat once
again, until the comb runs through the shih tzu coat smoothly.

Brushes and combs: The brush you use to brush your Shih Tzu is
most important. A soft wire slicker brush is a happy medium
between the too-soft brushes used for Shih Tzu show dogs and the
too-harsh slicker brushes sold in most pet stores.

The Universal brush or a fairly large slicker brush with hard
fibers is used in cases of badly matted Shih Tzu coats. This
type of brush is harsher than the normal slicker and may take
our more hair than desired.

The comb of choice for general Shih Tzu use consists of half
fine and half coarse teeth and does not have a handle. The best
of these types of combs were formerly manufactured in Belgium
but American companies now make equally fine combs. The comb can
be used for roughing out to finishing touches of your Shih Tzu’s
coat.

The mat comb is a companion to the Universal brush for coping
with badly matted Shih Tzu coats. The mat comb is heavier with
wider-spaced teeth and is not to be confused with the Oster mat
comb, which is a tool especially for dealing with very badly
matted Shih Tzu coats.