| Shih Tzu Haircuts |
| The one thing I love about the Shih Tzu breed is their long flowing coats. The one thing I don't like about the Shih Tzu breed is their long flowing coats. I know that's an oxymoron. Let me explain, first of all I think there is nothing lovelier than a Shih Tzu in full coat, and hair pulled up on the top of their heads in a topknot, that being said, for me, it is not always practical since I own more than one. I know a lot of Shih Tzu owners who feel the same way. It takes a considerable amount of time to brush one out, bathe , blow dry, brush them out again, put in the top knot, clean their eyes, cut their nails, etc. So for practical reasons I chose to minimize the grooming time by having their hair cut in a cute shorter style. I set out to find haircut styles that would expediate their grooming routine, would be pleasing to look at, and at the same time reflect their own individual personalities. I discovered that there was not a specific web site you could go to to see what options were available. This page is an effort to provide such information. As well as providing links and pictures of my own dogs, in different cuts and looks, I am In the process of developing a more comprehensive resource page for Shih Tzu haircuts. I am currently accepting submissions from Shih Tzu breeders/owners, for our upcoming "Shih Tzu Makeover" picture collection. If you think your Shih Tzu has a look that would be appreciated by other Shih Tzu lovers, and you would like to share, then I invite you to submit your picture for consideration. If you are interested in participating, see the "Shih Tzu Makeover Gallery Submission Guidelines" |
| Clipart Page Created By Rhonda Fox |
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| We decided to go with the "Fu Manchu " look where his body hair was cut very short, but his tail, beard, and ears were left very long. Sometimes this cut is called the "Lion cut" |
| A little more length on the top, ears long, beard shorter. |
| Rascal with his ears cut shorter |
| Rascal with his beard short |
| Rascal, short top, body and beard |
| The following, are links I have found helpful, in providing a variety of pictures of different cuts and styles and options: |
| Owner :Melody McKinney Newport, Oregon. Name : Lily Rescued from a puppy mill "She nuzzles her head against your chest, and wraps her arms around your neck, almost like she was a child" |
| Owner: Kelley Thomas Stevenson Ranch Name: Sofie Sofie is sporting braids |
| Shih Tzu Haircut Submissions The beginning of what we hope will be many submissions |
| The Many Looks of Rascal |
| The following, are pictures of my dogs, or dogs I have owned with various haircuts Zoey's Different Looks |
| Full Coat |
| Body shaved down works best when she has had a litter, or in summer |
| Crystal Blue's Different Looks |
| Full Coat |
| Trimmed down |
| Beany's Different Looks |
| No top knot , trimmed around eyes and nose |
| Trimmed down |
| Owner: Bob and Linda Bakersfield Name: Misty Lynn Misty's first haircut.Take a look where her topknot would be, She has sort of a little mohawk going on there.. |
| Owner:Julia D.B. Fellas Fort St. John Name: Oreo "I call this one the cowboy clip" |
| Full Coat |
| Below The following pictures were submitted by: |
| Debbie Melone Bark Bath and Beyond Boutique 1090 US Hwy 68 Benton, Ky. 42025 |
| barkbathandbeyondboutique.com 270 703 0060 Debbie is a groomer as well as a fellow Shih Tzu lover |
| Debbie's Shih Tzu "Cassie" |
| "Sassy" Debbie refers to this look as "My Pretty Pony" |
| Debbie's "Angel". She says, some people refer to this cut as the pantaloon trim, or cowboy, but she refers to it as bellbottoms |
| As a groomer, Debbie says there are no standardized names for certain trims, different groomers call trims by different names. So if you were to take your Tzu in to a grooming shop and ask for, say, a cowboy trim, they may very well not know what you are referring to , because they might know it as a pantaloon trim.That is why one picture is worth a thousand words. |
| "Aspen" With the Geisha Look |
| "Chopper" Kennel Cut |
| Variations of "Teddy Bear "faces |
| shaved ears and rounded beard |
| Before and After |
| Bandit |
| Owner : Marty & Janis Lebanon, Or. Name : Mario Mario is a joy to be with, he is such a happy little guy! He loves playing with his 'cousins' Max and Pixie |
| "For this cut, I searched the web and printed several pictures of Shih tzu's, drew circles around what I liked about each picture and gave it to our groomer.She did an amazing job and deserves credit...Affordable Grooming, Lebanon, Or" Sincerely Janis |
| Owner :Jennifer Fite Lancaster, Ca. Name :Oscar "Ocar loves his squeeky. He carries it all over the house, even upstairs to bed!" |
| Zoey with a "Teddy Bear" cut |
| This page has so many pictures, it takes a little time to load, thank you for your patience. |
| Owner: Patti Baker London Ontario, Canada Name: Shelby Extremely friendly and wonderful personality |
| Owner : Tara Cendrowski Defiance, Ohio Name : Dexter " He was raised w/3 cats and although he growls and barks at them he seems to be taking on a cat-like personality. He can jump up on the couch and often lays in the window or on the back of a couch" |
| Owner :Stephanie Price Pekin, Indianna Name :Abby 6 months old and weighs only 2.8 lbs. She is cuddly and loves to play. As active as she is it is hard to keep her groomed so I tried the shaved look. I don't think I'll try it again but as usual she looks adorable! |
| The video titled "How I Keep my Shih Tzus Face Trimmed Between Groomers Visits" has been moved. For this and other DIY grooming videos please click here. |
| Owner :Gabbie Chapa Riverside, Ca. Name :Lucky Lucky is sweet, lovable,smart and unique, he is a very special member of our family. |
Note from Cindy: Checkout his unique face trim in second pic, chin beard cut short, moustache left long. Kind of reminds me of "Yosemite Sam". I love it! I especially like this face trim for a male or if your Shih Tzu's beard is prone to staining. |
| Owner : Stephanie Stewart Birmingham Alabama Name Cookie Monster "She loves to take her dog cookies or treats and hide them in my purse. She has a spunky personality that sets her apart from any other Shih Tzu. I am so glad to have her and I hope her puppies will have her personality. Looks like "Cookie Monster's" body is cut short with a little more length left on the legs. This is a first haircut for both the puppy and the owner/ groomer.. |
| Longer ears |
| For his first haircut, we just had the top knot cut off, and kept his beard and body coat long. |
| Owner : Lisa Reed Winter Springs, Fl Name : Hannah Hannah is an exceptional doggie. She is so precious, sweet and cuddly that I find it difficult to not constantly hug and kiss on her! She loves her schnauzer brother and they love to watch for squirrels running along the top of the backyard fence while they run and bark at them. The squirrels sometimes peer over the fence to tease them on purpose I think. |
| Owner :Phillip Williams Nova Scotia Name :Gizzy Gizzy is very quiet and affectionate. Loves his runs in the park with other dogs. He loves being cradled like a baby and rocked to sleep. |
| Owner :Julian Ohio Name :Bandit Bandit loves ice cream! |
| Owner: Cindy Bakersfield, Ca Name: JuBee JuBee has two top knots |
| Owner :Leanne Adams Cranbrook, BC Canada. Name :Bella This is the sweetest, most affectionate dog ever!! With her sweet cuddly nature and unique coloring, I have to let her have one litter to share the joy she brings us |
| Body cut down . Hair on legs left longer |
| Body hair a little longer. Head more rounded. Ears shorter |
| Body and legs shaved down. Ears shorter |
| Rocky's Different Looks |
| Shaved down everything except ears and tail |
| Same dog different haircut |
| Tashi |
| Owner :Cindy Bakersfield Ca. Name :Papi Pronounced Paaw Pee My little Papi has an awesome amount of hair. But alas it has proven too much for me to manage. The worst part is he manages to get urine on himself., causing this adorable little guy to stink. So he will be going in for his first trim. The after pictures are on the right. ( same dog different color depending on the lighting) |
| I asked my groomer to shave his body down. (She used a #7 blade) but to leave his legs natural and to leave his head full and leave the top knot. I am extremely pleased with the results. Thank you Terry at Bowser Boutique.I am hoping that this cut will rectify the urine problem. I was not quite ready to let go of all his long hair yet. Essentially he looks the same from the front and the back (only neater). It is just a different look from the side. And I don't have to hassle with all that body hair, making his grooming much more manageable. I have seen this cut before and have used variations of it on my other dogs. For me it works quite well.. Animal Planet's Beverly Hills Groomer, Artist Knox uses a variation of this cut on his own Shih Tzu "Bumpy Johnson" and it is becoming very popular. Variations of this cut would be no topknot, head cut down, shorter length on the legs, cutting down the chest, variations I might one day try. |
| The links below will take you to a groomers forum, I have included them primarily for the wealth of pictures they have to offer. There is also a lot of conversation on grooming which may or may not be of benefit to you |
The one thing I have learned in researching for this page about Shih Tzu haircuts is that there is no universal name for cuts, or styles for the Shih Tzu. Unlike us, where we can refer to a cut or style we want by a name such as bob, shag, flip etc.( Even then there are variants) The only exception might be a puppy cut which indicates about 1 inch- 2 inch length all over, and some kind of variation of a teddy bear face which indicates a rounded head. Your best bet is to find a picture of a Shih Tzu that is appealing to you and you think would compliment your Shih Tzu personality , and ask your groomer to duplicate it. Or, if you want to be more creative,you can create your own custom look for your dog by taking different variants and combining them together. Some variants you might want to consider is length of ears, rounded beard or squared off beard. top knot?, fullness of the legs, how short on the body etc. Another thing to consider is quality of coat, not all Shih Tzus are created equal. When you put all these different variants together you will be coming up with a unique custom look for your dog. And hey if you are not totally pleased with the outcome this time, remember it's only hair and it will grow back. and you can try something different next time. Pretty soon you will find a look that is your Shih Tzu. Cindy |
Sweet, Cute and Cuddly Pups
Sweet, Cute and Cuddly Pups
Sweet, Cute and Cuddly Pups
Sweet, Cute and Cuddly Pups
Sweet, Cute and Cuddly Pups
| Our Rascal is getting on in age, but there is nothing like a fresh groom to revitalize him and put a spring in his step. He not only looks better but you can tell he feels better. |
| This is Artist Knox and his Shih Tzu "Bumpy Johnson" If you click on to his video link below , you can see this Shih Tzu cut a lot better. |
| Owner: Dawn Metzdorf Cadott, Wisconsin Name :Rascel Rascel is a friendly , loving dog, and loves to play ball. |
| Available: "Free" A Video demonstrating"How to DIY", complete Shih Tzu Haircut. Will be posted on our "Blog" |