There's no doubt that the Shih Tzu breed has long and majestic manes that make one think of royalty. But when the sunny days come by, your puppy's long coat may not feel so pleasant. Luckily, constant and proper grooming, along with a good haircut, can make your Shih Tzu feel and look amazing even during the hot summer months.
Here in this article, we will discuss some of the popular summer cutting styles of the Shih Tzu, the advantages of trimming your Shih Tzu during hot seasons, and good grooming practices that will keep your Shih Tzu in good condition all year round.
Why Do Shih Tzu Need Summer Haircuts
In winter, they have a warm, soft layer under them that helps them survive cold weather. Now their coats are beautiful; their coat system is a shit property in hot weather. In summer, Shih Tzus are more at risk of experiencing heat exhaustion, and that is why grooming includes brushing, cutting, and trimming hairs on a special and scheduled plan.
Benefits of a Summer Haircut for Shih Tzus:
- Prevents Overheating: If you clip the hair of the Shih Tzu then it will also mean an improvement of body regulation. Cuts with shorter lengths help the shih tzu keep cooler since they allow currents into direct contact with the skin.
- Reduces Matting: Long, thick fur is prone to matting, especially if your dog stays outside a lot. When you opt for shorter haircuts, you minimize the chances of matting and tangling, hence making grooming less burdensome for you and your dog.
- Promotes Skin Health: Having a hot day? In that case, you can shorten your Shih Tzu's fur accessories – they won't look so great. As it is self-evident, it will become handy in lowering the chance of skin infections/ hot spots or other troubles appearing in summer.
- Keeps Your Dog Comfortable: A big and thick fur coat on a hot or sunny day makes your Shih Tzu bored and low on energy. Having a shorter and less dense coat of fur lightens the load of Shih Tzus and makes them more active outdoors, even during the summer months.
Most Common Summer Pet Grooming Ideas for Dogs
Many stylish yet functional summer haircut options can keep your Shih Tzu cool during the scorching summer heat. For low-maintenance styles on the dog, there are those that would put every head at praise; they will fit the necessity of any canine personality. In this review, let us look into the most common Shih Tzu summer haircuts.
The Puppy Cut
The puppy cut is one of the most popular and best-recommended summer cuts for the Shih Tzu. This is a uniform, short, simple trim, especially around the face, to create the boyish look usually ranges from 1/2 to 1 inch long and makes the pup look fresh and younger than his age. Puppies also require lower maintenance grooming; brush them less often and shave during this period when the weather is hot.
- Why It's Great for Summer: Air circulation is thus maximum, hence less risk of overheating as there is no long hair covering the body.
- How to Maintain It: However, a little bit of brushing is needed to keep minor tangles at bay, and in addition to that, the hairs are periodically trimmed every 4 to 5 weeks to keep the look sharp and the hair in order.
The Teddy Bear Cut
Like the puppy style, the teddy bear cut gives your Shih Tzu also a soft and round shape as if it is a teddy bear that can be hugged. This is a style in which the body is clipped short (about an inch), yet the hair around the face and head are cut inwards and rounded out a little to give your dog an unusual and fluffy look.
- Why It's Great for Summer: Like the puppy cut, this style helps to keep the body cool. However, the fluffier face adds use and cuteness without the risks of your dog being still yet quite hot.
- How to Maintain It: Keep the facial hair neat using the clippers and trim regularly to prevent the longer hair on the face from being overgrown and becoming dog hair knots.
The Summer Shave
As for patients who need the most care and the owners are so busy they don't want to bother with days and days of pet hair care, summer shave is where even a few millimeters of a coat is what remains as it is buzzed down extremely short. This haircut is perfect for dogs who have tendencies to mat or become very hot and for owners who do not wish to carry out too much grooming.
- Why It's Great for Summer: The short shave ensures that your dog remains as cool as possible, and the coat is not going to be brushed or detangled for some time to come.
- How to Maintain It: This cut has a low maintenance level except for an occasional bath and application of moisturizer to the skin to prevent the skin from drying. Nevertheless, you have to be careful of sunbathing; dogs with very short hair can easily suffer from sunburn, so direct sunlight should be avoided, or color should be applied to the dog.
The Top Knot Trim
For those who adore the Shih Tzu coat and want to give their pets a summer haircut, the top-knot trim is ideal. In this style, all the body hair is clipped close, but some on the head remain long and are styled up in a top knot. This also helps the dogs feel cooler without disturbing their usual appearance as a Shih Tzu.
- Why It's Great for Summer: The body is not overheated; everyone else even sees your Shih Tzu's hair, mess-free long hair arranged into a cute top bun.
- How to Maintain It: The long hair remaining on the head will need to be brusqued regularly to avoid tangles. You also are likely going to fit small bows or bands to the top knot and prevent it from covering your dog's eyes.
The Lion Cut
If you're feeling a prettier and wilder personality than usual, try going in with a Lion Cut style. In this cut, the body coat of the Shih Tzu is cut down, while the hairs around its head and neck are left in it semi-long to give it the look of a lion. A pom-pom on the end of a Sushi king nagana is often shaped to add extra excitement.
- How It's Great for Summer: This type of design helps to keep the body cool but still enables the dog to get noticed with a bold "mane."
- How to Maintain It: Advertisement The longer mane will require combing so as to prevent the mane from tangling, and for the shape, it will require occasional trims.
The Modified Puppy Cut
In case you wish to snip off some extra hair scratches for your dog but want to retain some more body fur on its ears, the modified puppy cut can be the best for you. In this case, the body hair is revealed to be about an inch to an inch and a half, and the facial hair is left short and easy to manage.
- Why It's Great for Summer: This cut provides more coverage for dogs that are prone to getting sunburned while still allowing them to be cool enough during the hot summer season.
- How to Maintain It: Particularly if the dog is very active outdoors, regular grooming is necessary to prevent the coat from getting matted. Having touch-up traces done every 4 to 8 weeks is ideal.
Summer Tips for Grooming Your Shih Tzu
Besides trimming your Shih Tzu's hair for the hot season, there is a lot of work to do in terms of grooming in the summer, too. The following are some tips that you can use to help you deal with your dog's coat and avoid it from being hostile during the summer months.
Do Not Skip The Brush
No matter how short your Shih Tzu's hairstyle is, there is no skipping regular brushings. Especially when it is hot out, so many particles get lodged into the coat of your dog or get absorbed by the coat. Hence coming up with a brushing regime will help keep at bay such particles.
- Recommended Tools: Begin by gently combing through the mat with a slicker brush or a pin brush to loosen the dead hair. A face and ear comb may also be used for the more sensitive areas.
Bathe Frequently (But Not Too Often)
During summertime, Shih Tzus are likely to receive more baths than normal. This is common especially if they play outside. Be careful to avoid giving the dog too many baths since this would get rid of all the natural oils in the dog's skin and fur, causing dryness.
- Tip: Opt for a gentle, hypoallergenic shampoo created especially for dogs. Following the bath, completely dry your Shih Tzu to avoid excess moisture that can cause skin infection.
Look for Mats and Tangles
Even after a summer cut, a Shih Tzu may still develop clumps, especially on the areas relative to the dry coat around the ears, neck as well as legs. These areas need regular inspection for hair tangles and mats and the need to comb these areas with care to avoid worsening the conditions.
- Tip: In case you find a mat that won't budge, you might want to try using a detangling spray before you attempt to comb it out.
Avoid the Risks Of Getting Sunburns.
Shih Tzus who cut their hair too closely, like a summer shave, tend to suffer from sunburns easily due to very little hair to shield them from the sun. Animals also easily suffer from sunburns when the coat fur is very light in color or when the skin is pink. Always protect your Shih Tzu from sunburns by restricting them from excessive sun exposure, especially during the stiller hours of the day, or use dog sunscreen on light patches of the dog's skin or fur.
- Tip: Always apply sunscreen to pets with pet products because human sunscreen products are dangerous if a dog licks them.
Maintain Clean and Dry Ears
Shih Tzus might have adorable features, but they are also given a flopped ear, one that catches dirt and moisture, which can lead to ear infections, especially in summer. They've been known to suffer without much of a reason from ear inflammation. Earways should be routinely cleaned using ear cleaning solutions as suggested by veterinary professionals to limit the occurrence of infections.
- Tip: Remember to wipe off the moisture content from your dog's ears properly after swimming or bathing the dog.
How to make a summer haircut for Shih Tzu There are a lot of summer haircuts for dogs, particularly Shih Tzu, that are very easy to do. Summer is considered a tough sweeping season for dogs who have fur coats and require a haircut. So, in order to keep them comfortable, it is best to give them this kind of hairdo. So, although it is best to say that low maintenance and cute puppy cut hairstyle is fun for all fur parents, they ought to be reminded about proper hair care and grooming.
You can also brush, bathe, and cleanse the ears of your friendly dog, and your fluffy pooch will stay nice and well taken care of. And if you are trying to figure out how to approach giving it a cut that would look good or how to go about its care after that, it is ideal to go for a groomer.