Guide to Bathing your Shih Tzu

Dogs are definitely not like people, and a daily shower or bath is a no-no for your Shih Tzu. Some how-to guides mention the option of using the kitchen sink, but we prefer to use the bathtub.

The rule of thumb is to bathe your dog about once a month. Unless you’ve just returned from a spring walk through puddles or a muddy backyard, then you might want to give a light bath to the dirty areas.

Get Bath Supplies Ready

First, we want to get our supplies ready in preparation for bathing the dog. Get your choice of shampoo ready, along with a conditioner if you are also using that.

Have the following ready

  • Shampoo and conditioner if used
  • Good sized hair or bath towel to dry off your Shih Tzu
  • Ensure you use a bath matt in the tub so your dog has some grip and feels safer

Pre Bath Checklist

Close the bathroom door. ( Our Shih Tzu Maisey does not like baths, and as she is a good jumper has on occasion jumped out of the tub and made a run for it) But hey, not all dogs like to have baths.

Use a hand wand attached to the showerhead as it makes rinsing your pet so much easier.

Get the weather to a nice warm temp, not too cool or too hot. I generally keep it slightly cooler than you would use for your own shower.

Good Shih Tzu Washing Technique

Start by applying water over the entire dog being sure to avoid spraying into their face or ears.

Then apply enough shampoo to to get a good lather. Ally to your hand then transfer tot he back, lower back, hind areas, underbody, legs and feet and tail. I also apply shampoo to the top of the head and under the chin. Avoid lathering the face as it can irritate their eyes or mouth. Then a light spray to keep it all wet and lathered.

Set the showerhead to the side, and let it keep running to maintain the desired water temperature. Using your hands apply a massaging motion to the entire body. 

When doing the face, l cover the eyes and apply to the snout and only to the outside of the ears.

Then a good rinse of the entire body starting with the top of the head to remove any shampoo off the face first. I will hold one hand over their eyes and sp0ray over the face quickly several short bursts.

Finishing Off

Rinse the rest of the body starting with the top and then the underside.

Squeeze their body to remove excess water off their body and along their leg and tail. That helps reduce the water needed to absorb into the towel.

Wrap the towel over the dog and cradle them out of the tub onto a floor mat. Then rub the towel over the entire dog to dry the pet.

Optionally, if your Shih Tzu has long hair or gets the chills after a bath, you may want to use a hairdryer. Use the medium or cool setting and brush periodically while blow dying to prevent tangles.

Then…. Let them loose. Our Shih Tzus love to run around and rub the carpets and furniture to finish drying as we don’t blow dry. We generally wait a few minutes and when they are partially dry will run the brush over them to ensure they are combed and tangle-free.

Choosing a good shampoo isn’t really very complicated. Decide if you want a natural PH balanced shampoo, a 2 in one, or a separate conditioner. Shampoos aren’t very expensive so try a couple of brands to see what agrees with your pup and provides a scent you both like. One of the shampoos mentioned in our shampoo recommendations should work well for your pet.