The Price of Beauty

Grooming is the price of beauty. This rings true for imperial dog Shih Tzu. The long, shiny flowing hair that sways with the dog’s jaunty trot is a product of hours of brushing, bathing and blow drying. This ancient dog is meant for the appreciation of the imperial family, assisted by court attendants to the dogs. The modern shih tzu is not for everyone – it deserves only those who have the time and resources to groom the dog.

The shih tzu is the fastest mover in the lucrative pet trade. People easily fall for the furry coat, big eyes, and nice color patterns. Buyers rarely realize that these cute furballs double or triple in size, grow floor length hair, and love to wet and smudge their long facial hair. Some owners don’t even realize that they have to brush the dog!

A shih tzu owner and grooming client texted me earlier that his dog hates and itches from its new skinhead cut. This former client went to a commercial groomer after I regretfully told him that I am lying low on grooming on account of new and expected puppy litters. Over short message service (SMS), I proceeded to explain to him that hair is vital protection against dirt, heat, cold, dryness, pests and other evils in the world. I then advised him to bathe the itching dog with moisturizing shampoo and keep him indoors until the coat grows back. I was taken aback when he asked me what brush to use. This was a multi-visit client who even watched the whole grooming process in at least 2 occasions. Throughout the process I was explaining not only the whats and hows of grooming, but more importantly the whys.

I lament the forgetfulness or unawareness, if not the lack of will and responsibility to study the grooming and care requirements of the breed. I feel I was facing a generation of new owners of long-coated, purebred dogs – owners who grew up with smooth-coated native dogs capable of fending for themselves. I am glad that they have discovered and joined the purebred dog fancy, but I hope they put more time in selecting and studying breeds, and that there are more resources for them to learn proper care.

I lament the practice of shaving down a matted dog. I have been in Tiendesitas often enough to see scores of shih tzus, poodles, terriers and even Pomeranians shaved down. The shih tzu is supposed to be painstakingly de-matted, pet poodles trimmed, terriers stripped and Pomeranians simply brushed. Shaving dogs bald robs them of protection and leave them vulnerable. Dog coat is normally comprised of the thicker, shinier guard hairs and the soft, cottony undercoat. In double coats, the distinction is pronounced; in single-coats, the hair types are almost indistinguishable. For both coat types, shaving down has been observed to inhibit the re-growth of the protective guard hairs and the profusion of cottony and tangle-happy undercoat. The theory is that shaving changes the skin temperature and kills some of the hair follicles. Shaving exacerbates what it is supposed to address – matting. Once a long-coat owner decides to shave his dog, he subjects himself to the hapless cycle of matting and shaving. Once a prospective client asked me to shave down his shih tzu. I explained that it is not advisable and he asked me “what if the clients want it that way?” I responded that as a matter of principle, I would have to decline.

Shaving is the last resort to a heavily matted dog – a condition which should not have happened in the first place. Shaving is also the refuge of the lazy and the time-strapped. It takes minutes to blade away matted coat, but hours to de-matt strand by strand. Faced with stiff competition and depressed service price, the commercial groomer is enticed to groom as many dogs in less possible time.

For pet shih tzu, I actually advise keeping the hair long – the long guard hairs keeps the undercoat safely down under. The owner just has to brush down into the undercoat – something many shih tzu owners often forget. Done properly, the effort involved in maintaining long hair is less compared to maintaining puppy coats where undercoats are exposed. Puppy cuts require frequent trips to the groomer. Besides, puppy cuts look good only on short-backed, plump shih tzus, but look horrible and dachshund-like on short-legged, long-bodied specimens. More importantly, if you cannot maintain a long coat, why choose one in the first place? If you think floor-length hair is too much to handle, you may trim the hair an inch or two, but please do not cut so much that the undercoat is exposed. Another pet style I like for shih tzu is what I call the cocker cut – long coat on body, chest and legs, trimmed muzzle, long ears, and trimmed or beribboned head.

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