Shih Tzu Grooming & Coat: An Ottawa Guide

It depends on the coat length you choose, but a Shih Tzu is always a high-maintenance grooming breed. If you keep the traditional long coat, expect to brush thoroughly every day (the fine, dense hair mats extremely fast) plus professional grooming every four to six weeks. Most pet owners instead keep their Shih Tzu in a short "puppy cut," which is far more practical: it still needs brushing a few times a week and professional grooming every six to eight weeks (roughly $60 to $100 a session in Ottawa), but it dramatically reduces the matting and daily work. Either way, the Shih Tzu’s coat is a genuine ongoing commitment, low-shedding but high-effort, for the dog’s entire life. Budget the grooming honestly before adopting, because underestimating it is one of the reasons the breed lands in rescue with a badly matted coat.

Because the Shih Tzu has a long, fine, dense, double coat that is low-shedding, which sounds appealing but is exactly the kind of coat that tangles and mats readily. Low-shedding means the loose hairs the dog does drop stay caught in the coat instead of falling out, and they tangle with the growing hair to form mats that tighten over time. The friction areas mat first, behind and around the ears, in the armpits and groin, under a collar or harness, on the belly, and around the rear, and the fine facial hair around the eyes and mouth tangles and collects debris and eye discharge. Moisture accelerates it, so a damp Ottawa winter coat mats faster. The only real prevention is frequent, thorough brushing right down to the skin (a quick surface brush misses the mats forming underneath) plus regular professional grooming. Once a coat is matted to the skin, it usually has to be shaved off, which is uncomfortable for the dog.

A "puppy cut" (or "teddy bear cut") is a short, even trim, typically leaving the coat an inch or two long all over, and it is the practical choice most pet Shih Tzu owners make. Compared with the flowing show coat, a puppy cut dramatically reduces matting and the amount of daily brushing needed, keeps the dog cleaner (less coat to collect food, dirt, and debris), and is far easier to maintain, while still looking adorable. The trade-off is simply the loss of the long, dramatic coat, which for a pet is no loss at all. Many owners also keep the face in a rounded "puppy face" trim and the hair short around the eyes to protect them. You will still need brushing a few times a week and professional grooming every six to eight weeks, but a puppy cut turns an intensive grooming commitment into a very manageable one. For a first-time Shih Tzu owner in Ottawa, it is almost always the sensible choice.

This is a genuinely important grooming task, not just cosmetic, because the Shih Tzu’s prominent eyes are vulnerable and the facial hair sits right against them. Keep the hair around the eyes trimmed short (a groomer can do this, or you can carefully with blunt-tipped scissors) so it does not grow into or scratch the eyes, which can cause irritation or ulcers. Many owners keep a short "puppy face." Gently wipe the eye area daily with a damp cloth or a vet-approved eye wipe to remove discharge and prevent tear staining and matting in the corners, and check the eyes at the same time for any redness or problem. Keep the hair over the muzzle and mouth clean too, as it collects food and moisture. This daily facial care protects the eyes (the breed’s most vulnerable area, covered in our health guide), keeps the dog comfortable, and catches any developing eye issue early. It takes only a minute or two and matters more than the rest of the coat.

A focused kit keeps a Shih Tzu coat between professional grooms. A slicker brush works through the coat and tangles, a metal greyhound comb checks you have reached the skin (if the comb snags, there is a mat the brush missed) and is essential for the fine facial and ear hair, a detangling spray eases brushing, and blunt-tipped scissors let you carefully trim around the eyes and paws. Line-brush in sections, lifting the coat and brushing from the skin outward, rather than skimming the surface, and pay special attention to the mat-prone friction zones. For a rescue dog who may not be used to handling, introduce the routine gently with treats so grooming becomes tolerable rather than a fight. You do not need clippers if a professional does the trims. Your main home job is preventing mats through consistent brushing and keeping the eye area clean and short, the professional handles the actual cut every six to eight weeks.

Winter brings a few specific coat considerations for a small dog in the cold and snow. If your Shih Tzu is in a puppy cut, the shorter coat offers less insulation, so a well-fitted sweater or coat helps on cold walks, and booties protect the paws from salt and ice while also keeping snow from balling up in the foot hair. If your dog is in a longer coat, snow and ice can collect and mat in the belly and leg hair, and road salt dries and irritates the skin and coat, so rinse or wipe the legs, belly, and paws after walks and dry the coat thoroughly, because a damp coat mats fastest. Keep brushing frequent through the cold months. Many Ottawa owners keep a shorter, easy-care winter trim precisely to reduce the snow-and-salt matting. As always, the eye area needs its daily wipe year-round, and keep cold-day outings short for this small, flat-faced breed.

Shih Tzus are low-shedding and often described as a good choice for allergy sufferers, but, as with all breeds, no dog is truly hypoallergenic. Their long, low-shedding double coat releases relatively little loose hair (which is why it mats rather than sheds onto your furniture), and many people with mild dog allergies tolerate the breed better than a heavy shedder, but reactions vary from person to person, and dander (not just hair) triggers allergies, so a Shih Tzu can still provoke a sensitive person. If allergies are your reason for choosing the breed, spend real time with the specific dog before committing rather than assuming "hypoallergenic" guarantees no reaction. The low-shedding coat is genuinely tidier around the house than a shedding breed, but remember it trades that tidiness for high grooming maintenance, the loose hair stays in the coat and must be brushed out rather than vacuumed off the floor, so low-shedding is not low-effort.