How Often should you Bathe your Shih Tzu?

Q: How often should you bathe a Shih Tzu?
I have an 8-month-old Shih Tzu puppy. I and my mom were wondering how many times should she take a bath. Can Shih Tzu take a bath every day, what is their bath schedule?  And what are some cute hair cuts?

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Answers and Views:

Answer by walking lady
A Shih Tzu should never be bathed more than absolutely necessary, especially in the dry winter months - no more than once every 6 weeks at most. To help her skin and coat from drying out, it would be great if you added about 1 teaspoon of veg. or olive oil to her food daily - it'll keep her coat and skin in great condition.

Answer by Paul
Shih Tzus have very nice hair that must get the proper care. Regular bathing and grooming are essential if you don't want skin and coat problems in your dog. Grooming should be done quite frequently but bathing does not need the same regularity.

If you use a soap shampoo, you should bathe your Shih Tzu once in 3 to 4 months. In soap formulas, they now use chemicals that will irritate the skin of your dog. Natural shampoos are much better from this point of view. You can use them as often as you wish but it’s better to do it once a week at most.

Washing the Facial Hair

The facial hair of Shih Tzus requires special attention. It’s not recommended to wash your dog's face with shampoo but it is often impossible to avoid it. Try to find a gentle shampoo formula and be very careful when applying it so you don't get it into your dog’s eyes. Wash off the shampoo before washing any other part of its body. Remember not to get Shih Tzu’s ears too wet to prevent water from getting inside and causing illness.

Use special eye wipes to wash the area around the eyes and remove any dirt. Don't try to do it with soap and water! Finish the cleaning of facial hair with a pin brush without balls on the end of the pins.

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Shih Tzu Bathing Tips

Here are some simple tips that will make bathing your Shih Tzu a little easier.

1. When washing your dog's facial hair, you risk getting water into their ears that may provoke illness. To minimize that risk, you should place a small piece of cotton in each ear to protect them from water. Don’t forget to take this cotton out afterward!
2. Pat do not rub! You should avoid rubbing your Shih Tzu when drying after the bath. Their hair is super vulnerable to matting and tangling, and rubbing makes it much more likely to happen. Instead, you should gently pat your dog with a towel.
3. Since Shih Tzus are not large in size, you could often bathe them in a sink. Washing your dog this way is less stressful for them and more convenient for you.
4. Brush before bathing. You need to brush your Shih Tzu before washing to prevent mats or knots from getting worse.

Answer by Ani
With my Shih Tzus, I get them what's called a "puppy cut". They cut their bodies a little short and leave the heads more fluffy and the tail long. Also, if you think top knots are cute (doggy ponytails) get her used to it now, then after a while she will be used to it and beg for her hair to be pulled up. My Shih Tzu loves it because it keeps his hair out of his eyes.

As for washing, I wouldn't wash her any more often than once every 2 weeks for an indoor dog, unless she gets into something. If you bathe her too much (especially a sensitive-skinned dog like a Shih Tzu) it can dry out her skin and hair.

Answer by Michele
My mom has 3 Shih Tzus back in my hometown (Brasil) and I have a puppy of one of these Shih Tzus in Canada. My mom bathes her dogs at least twice a week because they live by the beach and it's tropical there so it's hot throughout the year but for my puppy only 1 bath a week is enough in warm periods and every other week when it's winter.

Answer by Tongue Tied
You can bathe your Shih Tzu every two weeks, but only if she needs it. You should also brush her every day if you keep her hair long. Also, wipe the corners of her eyes with a warm cotton ball daily to avoid staining the hair by her eyes. When you bathe her only use puppy or dog shampoo, Johnson's baby shampoo works well too. But never use any other type of human shampoo. If you have a problem with dry itchy skin, try bathing less frequently and avoiding shampoos that kill fleas. Flea shampoos tend to dry out the skin.

• What is the best shampoo and conditioner for my Shih Tzu dog?
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• How many times a day does a Shih Tzu puppy need to eat?

Answer by Sue Shaddox
My Shih Tzu has terrible skin allergies. I bathe her at least once a week, and should probably do it twice a week, in a medicated shampoo I get from the vet. It makes her hair very soft and it smells good. She hates a bath but it really helps her skin.

Answer by savage
Me and my wife raised them for a while a groomer told us to bathe them once every two weeks with a mild dog shampoo baby shampoo will strip all natural oils out, if you have odor problems get a professional groomer show you how to relieve the anal glands which is a type of scent gland a dog has and can be done at home once taught this breed has to have it done ever so often can save you a lot of problems

Answer by Mike G
Bathe your Shih Tzu at least twice a week or else they start to smell really bad

Answer by Evelyn H
I think twice a week Is a little too much. Your Shih Tzu's skin would start to dry up. I think once every 2 weeks Is enough.
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