The Shih Tzu coat varies with each dog, even with full siblings in the same litter. They are double coated and often their roots are lighter in color than their tips. Some Shih Tzu band, which means they get lighter but grow out darker again. Banding is more rare but happens most often with reds, but sometimes other colors band too. More often than not, the Shih Tzu adult coat tends to be lighter than their puppy coat. The Shih Tzu coat will thicken at approximately a year old, as their adult coat comes in. Sometimes the thickening is barely noticeable and slight, but sometimes it can be significant from puppyhood to adulthood. The Shih Tzu can have a variety of coat textures, density and thickness. It is a great habit to brush the Shih Tzu daily, as some coats tend to knot or get matted more easily, regardless of thickness, but more so in regards to their coat texture. Either way, getting puppies used to being brushed once daily is an important part of owning this breed. This breed needs grooming a minimum of once per month. Not only does their hair grow quickly, but it is crucial to keep it out of their eyes, with either trimming or a topknot. Their ear hair may be pulled when they are groomed, or their ears cleaned out when their groomed. Either way, the ears need monitoring once weekly to check for infections. Yeast infections are common in the Shih Tzu due to their ear hair and ear flaps being downward. It is recommended to have ear flush and drops that kill yeast handy, so if there is a slight smell, you can remedy it quickly. Please visit your veterinarian for an ear cytology if you notice your baby is not improving from the flush or ear drops, if they are still scratching their ears often, so they can help remedy it quickly with the proper treatment.
Each dog has a different conformation. Most often they take after one of their parents, but like with coats and color, their grandparents, great grandparents and even farther back in their bloodlines, can also influence their body type. A proportioned length of the back and legs is the most correct in the Shih Tzu breed, as in top show quality Shih Tzu, but we are aware that some customers like a stocky or cobby body, with shorter legs, shorter backs or both. While we strive to be consistent with straight top lines, beautifully curled tail sets and exceptional gates, there is no perfect dog. We always strive for all the above and most often with much success, although we cannot control what the combination of each pairing produces. If a customer requests more of a "show body or cobby body", there are certainly pairings that will more likely produce those specific traits, but there is still no guarantee. We have bred two parents with a show type conformation and they produced cobby bodies and in turn, we have bred two parents with cobby bodies that have produced more of the show type conformation. Many litters have a variety of both body types. Again, like with people, sometimes the grandparents, great grand parents or even farther back in the bloodlines will influence something unexpected.
Copyright © 2024 Shih Tzu Station - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder