The Shih Tzu is a lovely looking toy breed. It looks lovely, whether it’s fully coated or clipped regularly. A clipped dog is easier to maintain in a pet home, though.
If he is fully coated, typically for dog shows, their long silk hair touches the ground when the Shih Tzu is standing. The hair is long, silky, and non-shedding.
This kind of coat is great for people with allergies due to lack of hair loss and a general lack of dander released into the dog’s surroundings. Dander is dead skin cells, and generally these tiny culprits that cause an allergic reaction in people.
Because the dog cannot maintain its own coat and the hair does not shed, Shih Tzu’s grooming at the pet shops are non-negotiable. An unkempt Shih Tzu will not be able to see, his hair will become a mass of loops, and sooner or later, the little dog will become one massive knot.
This would affect his walking and cause a lot of serious infection underneath his hair.
So unless you show the Shih Tzu or intend to spend a couple or three, twenty-minute sessions per day grooming him, the Shih Tzu is better off wearing a short, clipped coat.
Of most dog breeds, Shih Tzu wears their coats clipped. That way, it is simple and quick to manage. They require clipping from a few months as their old coat has taken over, and all the puppy fluff has disappeared. Then, depending on how frequent you brush them at home, your Shih Tzu will require clipping every two or three months after that.
As long as the dog is presented to a groomer early on, he will actually enjoy the attention of a bath and clip.
Source: PetGroooming
