With 4 Shih Tzus in our home, we prefer to do our own grooming including haircuts. We have tried a few different grooming kits and offer our top picks for the best Shih Tzu grooming kit that will provide great results.
If you would like to do your own grooming as well, then decide what type of kit or type of grooming you would be comfortable performing for your Shih Tzu.
Pet grooming kits are available from basic to complete. A complete kit will include an electric dog clipper, clipper adapters to control cut lengths, brushes, combs, and scissors. Other kits may include a wash kit, nail trimming, and a vacuum or hair blow dryer.
We use and recommend dog clippers that a professional would use. These will cost more, but they offer the best quality and long life. Parts are also available should you need to repair the clippers. Here are some of the best professional dog clippers for Shih Tzus.
Oster Turbo A5
The Oster Turbo A5 is our clipper of choice. It is built to last as we’ve had it for about 5 years now, and it is still going strong. The on-off switch broke when they fell on the floor once, but a local repair shop had the switch and it was an easy fix.
Blades are available in various cut lengths, and comb attachments can be added. We prefer the close-cut 0 blades as it cuts better than some other blades. And it is easy enough to add an attachment to control cutting length.
The two-speed feature is nice, but we mostly just run it at a higher speed. It gets a bit warmer in this setting but cuts very well, providing a faster hair trim for our Shih Tzus.
To try to reduce costs for replacement blades, we have tried sharpening blades ourselves but that was a bust. A local repair shop has sharpened blades for us a couple of times as well, but find they don’t last as long as buying a new blade,
When I recently purchased a new blade, I was surprised to find what looked like a plastic section. It is actually ceramic and to my surprise, this blade cut extremely well, so I can’t really complain about that. The ceramic blade helps keep it cool which is great if your dog has thick hair and requires a longer grooming session.
The cord on the Oster A5 is extra long at 10 feet making it more convenient to use if the wall outlet is further away. It also makes it easier to maneuver the clippers to different angles while trimming.
They can get warm sometimes but overall, we are delighted with the performance of the Oster A5 turbo. Sometimes we wish it were cordless, but that’s not a deal breaker for us given the long extension cord.
Check it out at Amazon here…
Andis AGC2
Another high-quality model is the Andis AGC2 which competes well with the Oster A5. We initially had a hard time deciding between this or the Oster as they are both in the same league and provide quite similar performance.
From reading reviews that other users have posted, the Andis is highly rated and usually gets higher ratings than the Oster A5. That is because the Oster has a longer cord at 14 feet, but mainly because it runs quieter, which might allow for a calmer dog during its haircut.
The Andis AGC2 is also heavy-duty, but weighs more so may be more tiring to handle than the Oster A5.
The blades can get hotter more quickly when running on the high-speed setting so the Oster is a better choice for staying cooler,
You can’t go wrong if you choose this model. See it here at Amazon.
Holdog Rechargeable Dog Grooming Kit
The Holdog is a very popular low-cost grooming clipper on Amazon with overall very good ratings.
It is described as a professional-grade clipper and after trying it out myself, I consider it a low-cost option for home use. The Holdog offers a cordless rechargeable design that provides good flexibility in the location of use. The battery charge is very good, but for longer sessions, you might want to stay with a corded model. Cordless is convenient, but a corded model like the Oster A5 will never run short on power.
This Holdog cuts coarser hair well, but for fine thick hair or fur such as on a poodle or Shih Tzu, the blades will have a tougher time.
The downside to these Holdog clippers is that standard off-the-shelf blades don’t fit so you are more limited in getting replacement blades so that clippers always cut cleanly. Blades are available but cost more than general Andis AND Oster fitting blades.
These feature 3 speeds and have many positive reviews on Amazon.
In a direct comparison I would rate the cut of the Holdog as fair, and the professional Oster A5 as excellent.
But the Holdog is bargain-priced, and includes a number of trimming attachments. For coarse hair, these will work fine, but for thick or furry dogs the combs have a hard time gliding through the thick coat unless the dog is well brushed.
For the price, they offer a nice alternative to spending more on dog-trimming clippers and are definitely worth the money.
These are three of the better choices for dog clippers. You can’t go wrong with any of them and our personal preference is the Oster A5 Turbo.