One of the biggest and most annoying problems any Shih Tzu owner faces is tangles in their dog's hair. It looks ugly and can cause irritation and even ulcers on your dog's skin if left untreated.
One of the best ways to prevent matting is to comb your dog's hair frequently. This is especially true when your Shih Tzu is blowing his coat. When this happens, normally when your Shih Tzu is around nine months of age, the hair of the bottom coat loosens and gets stuck in the top coat. During this period you should comb out the dead hair as many as three times a day.
How to remove tangles
If mats do form remove them as follows:
o Split the hair lengthwise into smaller piece. Use a sharp thin object for the job and be careful not to hurt the dog. There are special tools on the market to help remove mats, but make sure you buy one with replacement blades as the blades need to be sharp. You will find that it is much easier to work on smaller chunks of hair and this is one of the secrets to remove a mat.
o Your next task is to loosen the hair. Get a V shaped comb and use a picking action to separate the hair. Think in out, in out.
o After picking, loosen the hair further with your fingers. This will make combing much easier.
o Next use a coarse comb and comb through the hair, but make sure you do not pull the dog's hair. I recommend that you grab the dog's hair as close as possible to the skin (at the root of the hair) with one hand and use the other hand to do the combing. That will eliminate pulling of the hair and will be more comfortable for your dog. Comb from the side of the hair rather than from the front or center.
Products that help with tangles
There are a few products on the market that make it easier to remove mats.
The first range of products is called detanglers. The job of a detangler is to make the hair slick and to remove static electricity so that matting does not occur so easily. Cowboy Magic is one such a product that works well.
Another range of products have a silicon base and they work on the same basis as the detanglers - just remember to let it dry completely before you work on the coat.
You can also use conditioner. For bigger areas use undiluted conditioner while diluted conditioner should works just fine for smaller areas.
If you have neglected your dog for too long (shame on you) and the mats are too big to remove, your best option may be to take your dog to the groomer for a good haircut and to start over.
There are of course way more to Shih Tzu Care than sorting out tangles. To learn more about Shih Tzu Grooming and to sign up for a ten day mini course visit http://www.shihtzuparadise.com
