# How often do Shih- Tzus need to be bathed?



## tinkermiss (Oct 15, 2011)

His fur gets so gross feeling that he needs bathing quite often. What's the average for the breed?


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

I say bathe as needed. For a while one of my dogs was getting a bath once a week because we'd go to the beach and I had to wash off the salt and sand. Now it's closer to once a month. My in-laws have a labradoodle with weird fur that is wiry and tends to get greasy, and he also has allergies, so he gets a bath about once a week to help his skin.

The type of food you feed can really make a difference their fur and skin. What are you feeding?


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

I bathe mine once a month, her face and feet more often though. But I keep mine in a short puppy cut. I'm not brave enough for the long show coat.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

I have a lhasa apso and a lhasa/bichon. Both of them get bathed about once a week. The last two weeks however we have been busy and they didn't get their weekly bath. Apparently I have engrained it into them through regular bathing that they don't want to be stinky or dirty. We came back from our walk today and Zoey hopped into the tub all on her own (this is fairly normal for her though) so I decided to go ahead and do their baths there and then. As soon as Zoe got out of the tub, Maggie hopped in all on HER own, and Maggie NEVER gets in the tub on her own. She usually curls up behind the end table next to the couch (her favorite spot) and waits for me to come and get her. 

I give them hair cuts every 6 weeks.

My girls


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## mom24doggies (Mar 25, 2011)

I bathe my Lhasa and poodle once a week too. I would say that as long as you are using a gentle shampoo, and maybe even a conditioner, you are fine bathing your dog fairly often.  I wouldn't do it more often than once a week though.


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## tinkermiss (Oct 15, 2011)

Sibe said:


> I say bathe as needed. For a while one of my dogs was getting a bath once a week because we'd go to the beach and I had to wash off the salt and sand. Now it's closer to once a month. My in-laws have a labradoodle with weird fur that is wiry and tends to get greasy, and he also has allergies, so he gets a bath about once a week to help his skin.
> 
> The type of food you feed can really make a difference their fur and skin. What are you feeding?


Oscar is bathed once a week with a gentle shampoo and conditioner. 

As for his food he is fed Blue Buffalo dry and a holistic wet food.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I know some people that have Shih Tzus and don't want to bath so often will give them a puppy cut, so the fur is quite short and not easy to get dirty. Then you can bathe every month or so as well as getting the dog groomed (clipped) every 4-8 weeks depending on how long you want it to grow before clipping it again.


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## stacey101 (Sep 20, 2010)

Because they don't shed they feel and smell funky after a week or so. Mine gets a bath every week - week and a half, its really clear how good he feels after the bath


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

tinkermiss said:


> Oscar is bathed once a week with a gentle shampoo and conditioner.
> 
> As for his food he is fed Blue Buffalo dry and a holistic wet food.


Make sure you're rinsing every single trace of conditioner out of him before you call the bath good. My rule is (with conditioners especially) to rinse until you think you have it all, then rinse another 10 minutes or so. You should feel a definite "squeak" to the coat if and when it's clean


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