The Shih Tzu is a great, well-behaved dog with a unique look. You can further tailor that unique look by learning how to give a good Shih Tzu puppy cut.
There are a lot of different hair styles that you can give your dog. Some of them are quite simple to do at home, whereas others require a bit more dedication and practice (or a professional groomer).
In either case, we’re going to look at the most popular Shih Tzu puppy cut styles in this article. We’ll provide basic details on how to do these trims at home.
The Top Knot and Show Cut
The top knot is the haircut that really popularized the Shih Tzu.
For the show cut, you let the dog’s body hair grow to the floor, just covering the feet. For the top knot, you want to trim this hair a little bit shorter.
The remaining head hair is collected atop the head and tied together to form a knot.
Short Shih Tzu Puppy Cut
This is a simple cut that doesn’t really require much equipment – you can do it all using just scissors. Using your simple snips, cut the hair to about 1-2 inches.
It’s up to you to decide whether or not you’ll trim your dog’s facial hair. It’s customary to leave the hair on the face a little bit longer than the rest of the body.
This is a great cut to start with as it’s very forgiving and you can experiment with different lengths. You’re also not going to run the risk of cutting your puppy with an electric razor.
The Shih Tzu Teddy Bear Cut
This cut is actually quite similar to the previous one. If you’re looking to improve your grooming skills, you could move up from the Short Cut up to the Teddy Bear Cut.
The teddy bear cut is popular among small dogs of all types. The body hair is kept around 2 inches, but the hair on the face is left significantly longer – closer to 4 inches. This gives your dog the appearance of a teddy bear!
Shih Tzu Full Shave
If you’re looking for a trim that’s low-maintenance, the full-shave is for you. This is pretty much the most intense hair cut you could give your dog. The goal here is to trim the fur almost entirely off so your dog’s skin is exposed.
This is, of course, a good cut for the summer months. Cutting all your dog’s hair off during the cold season isn’t nice at all. There’s also the concern of nicking your dog with razors. If you’re not familiar with dog trimming, you should avoid this haircut until you’ve had a bit more practice.
Conclusion
Shih tzu puppy cuts can be done in a variety of ways. Small dogs tend to respond very well to hair cuts since their respectively small size allows for you to make a significant impact on their appearance with a little trim. Take, for example, the Maltese dog, which responds great to puppy cuts. Havanese dogs also look great once they’ve been styled.
