Grooming Tzus and Poos

Anne Hendrickson
Jul 16, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Aug 25, 2024

Grooming is absolutely essential to humane care and health of your Shih Tzu or Shih Poo. Therefore, as part of our contract you will be asked to initial each section of this document confirming you have read and understand.

At Winona’s Legacy we work very hard to develop your dog to enjoy grooming because it has a significant impact on their quality of life and your pocket book. (Stressed dogs usually cost more to groom because it takes two people and there is less you can do at home to save money)

You will need to continue the foundation we have started with genetics and early desensitization to the grooming process.

Grooming is absolutely paramount to health and humane care. So if you fall on hard times (physical, mental, emotional or financial) and struggle to keep up with the grooming needs of your Winona’s Legacy dog, contact us immediately and we will do what we can to help without shame or judgment.

I prefer to keep my dogs' coats shorter because I worry about them being hot and uncomfortable and because they love to romp and play outdoors in nature. In a long coat the extra brushing and washing is harder on them.

Below is a list of the daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly grooming needs of a Shih Poo assuming a short coat. Long coats are going to increase the frequency of grooming needs in every category except nail trims and teeth brushing.

Daily:

Facial massage
Paw massage
Full body massage
Teeth massage (finger cover or toothbrush)

Weekly:

Hair Brushing
Eye booger cleaning
Private part wash/trim

Monthly:

Sanitary (private area) clip
Nail trim

Quarterly:

Full groom

How much does grooming cost? Can I groom my Shih poo at home?

Regular grooming is paramount to a shih poos health. Their non shedding coat is hair just like humans. If not properly taken care of it causes painful dangerous conditions for your shih poo.

You can use a groom shop or home groom and it is not either/or. There is a lot of middle ground. In fact it is where most people land. So let’s dive in so you can determine the costs/work you would put into your shih poo.

What Grooming Do Shih Poos Need and Why?

Hair Care

In exchange for not shedding, non shedding dogs have hair that continues to grow and needs care and maintenance. If not brushed and clipped it will cause “matting” (dense tangles) that get tighter with time and can eventually pull at the skin causing a lot of pain to the animal.

Nail Care

If nails are not trimmed they can cause arthritis as they grow they impact the dogs stance and hence joints. In extreme cases they can become ingrown and that can be very serious.

Personally I like “neat feet” meaning closely shaved feet as it is easier to keep clean. But as long as the nails are trimmed you are fine.

Genital Area (Sanitary Clip)

Hair grows everywhere! Hair must be removed from the genitals (at our house we call it a “brazilian”) for health and safety reasons.

Hair growing on the penis and vulva can collect urine that can dry and crust causing urine to back up in their system creating infection and pain. In a fragile puppy it could be extremely serious.

Additionally when females squat to pee, if the hair reaches the ground it can wick germs up causing UTIs.

Hair growing on the anus can collect poop leading to a “stage 5 clinger” and can block the passing of poop causing pain.

Ear Area

Did I mention hair grows everywhere? Hair growing in your dog's ears can mat and block the ear canal causing hearing difficulty and trapping infection. I also like to keep the outer ears short so there isn’t additional weight pulling the ear down and further assisting bacteria growth and blocking air circulation.

Eye Area

Hair growing by the eyes traps dust and dirt and contributes to eye irritation and infection. Therefore keeping eyes clean and clipped is very important to health and comfort.

Teeth

Small breeds can have a lot of teeth crowding due to their tiny mouths. Crossing “brachy” (flat faced) breeds with breeds with longer muzzles does help. But teeth are a challenge for the tinies. Daily teeth brushing helps prevent tartar and plaque buildup that cause dental and other health issues.

Now let's get down to the cost and options!

Option 1: Rely on Professional Grooming

You can use the groom shop for everything except the daily and weekly tasks above. You will still need a few grooming tools for daily care but it is much less money up front because you don’t have to buy a lot of equipment. However, it is more expensive in the long run.

Your Shih Poo will need professional grooming a minimum of every three months for a short coat and as much as every 6 weeks for a longer coat. Grooming prices vary so call a local shop to determine the quarterly and annual cost. Also keep in mind longer need MORE grooming, not less.

Option 2: DIY

You can do 100% of the grooming yourself (You can learn on YouTube how to groom your dog)

but you will need quite a bit of equipment including multiple kinds of scissors, clippers, and cleaners. If you have grooming experience and the tools this might be the way to go. However, if you are new to hair dogs and grooming I’d EARNESTLY recommend starting with a professional and easing into it.

Option 3: The Space Between

If you rely 100% on professional grooming you will need to go 4-6 times per year. You can cut the number of visits down by grooming your dogs “feet, face, and fanny” at home. This table outlines the grooming needs and equipment to do some grooming at home.

Groom	Equipment
Nail Trim	Nail Clipper Quick Stop
Ear Cleaning	Ear powder Ear cleaner
Face Trim	Blunt End Scissors
“Sanitary” Clip Optional - shave feet Anal Glad Expression (if needed)	Small clippers Gloves, old shirt, tissue