# ShihTzu Groom - HELP!? (I'm new!)



## Lab Tzu

Hi first of all, I am new - Glad to be here! Looks like a busy place! 

We have 2 dogs, a Lab and a Shihtzu, the Tzu is my first time owning a "small" breed, and a long hair breed! So, I had some issues with knowing how to properly care for the hair, and before I knew it, she was getting matted up.  Not horribly so, but a little bit (look at before picture). 

SO - I thought - OK, I'll do the right thing and take her to a professional groomer who is bound to know more than I. I dropped her off looking cute, and I picked her up, and knew I did a double or triple take, at first I thought that ISNT my dog! 

I gladly took the bouncing hairless wonder, and promptly recieved kisses and knew then it was my dog - but oh man..... I'm almost in tears.

Please tell me this will grow back. She was tan w/ white and some black hairs going through - now she is white (except the little bit of hair they left on her ears, and tail). They didnt even remove tear stains, heck I do a better job getting those off when I bathe her myself! 

I feel so upset by this. I cant wait until husband gets home and see's this.... his precious hairy puppy is no longer hairy. 


I'm going to try to upload/download the pictures here. Her name is Holly

OK It didn't work, Im going to post this and try something else.


----------



## Lab Tzu

Okay I can't figure out how to post a picture  Any advice? I went to the paperclip, went through the various steps on adding a picture, and then it says "Upload Failed". 

If you click on this link, it will take you to the 2 pictures I was going to post, it's a safe thing, it's Shutterfly Website I made real quick.

Thanks!

Any help or encouragement welcome!

http://hollyandcooper.shutterfly.com/26?size=50&startIndex=0


----------



## Binkalette

lol.. yes.. it will grow back.. it always grows back  You'll need to be VERY specific about what you want if you bring her to a professional groomer again.. It looks like they did the normal "pet cut" for a shih tzu, but you can specify that you want it to be left a little longer. 

I didn't want to have to deal with having someone else try to figure out what I wanted with my dogs, so I bought an Andis AGC 2 speed clipper and started doing it myself.. My first couple of attempts weren't excellent, but they weren't too bad either.. And best of all, I did it EXACTLY like I wanted. In the winter I clip her hair to an inch and a half when I clip, but in the summer, she likes to go to the lake and get dirty, so I clip it to 1/2 inch. It's not hard to groom a dog at home.. it just takes a little time to get used to it.

But yes.. don't worry.. It will grow back, just like it was before. Shih Tzu's and Lhasa's are great like that.


----------



## Lab Tzu

Hi Bink, 

I'm glad to hear it grows back, and you sound confident about that, so I am a little less horrified.

What is funny is, I was specific, I'm anal like that. I had a picture of how I wanted her to be clipped (of other shih tzu trims) and I specifically said to PLEASE leave the hair on her face go - you can trim up the eye stain area and maybe the longish hair going over her eyes but take off VERY LITTLE if anything on the face (I kept her face trim for the most part myself). Then I asked them to leave her tail, and her feet/legs go........ 

I showed the after picture to my husband he said, that's a good picture compared to how she looks in real life. lol 

It's obvious I was completely ignored on how I wanted her done. I paid and went on my way, with a "How long until this grows back?" Which they couldnt even answer. I tip well, I didn't tip her. I feel bad about that, but I totally didn't get what I asked for, she should consider herself lucky she was paid at all (She owns the shop). 


I'm thinking about trying it myself next time, or letting my cousin do it, who owns Tzus', and she clips her own dogs. lol

What has me the most baffled is - the color change. She was primarily reddish tan, now she is white looking. Will the reddish tan come back? 

Well thanks for listening to a newbie vent! lol 




Binkalette said:


> lol.. yes.. it will grow back.. it always grows back  You'll need to be VERY specific about what you want if you bring her to a professional groomer again.. It looks like they did the normal "pet cut" for a shih tzu, but you can specify that you want it to be left a little longer.
> 
> I didn't want to have to deal with having someone else try to figure out what I wanted with my dogs, so I bought an Andis AGC 2 speed clipper and started doing it myself.. My first couple of attempts weren't excellent, but they weren't too bad either.. And best of all, I did it EXACTLY like I wanted. In the winter I clip her hair to an inch and a half when I clip, but in the summer, she likes to go to the lake and get dirty, so I clip it to 1/2 inch. It's not hard to groom a dog at home.. it just takes a little time to get used to it.
> 
> But yes.. don't worry.. It will grow back, just like it was before. Shih Tzu's and Lhasa's are great like that.


----------



## Graco22

I'm sorry, but when your dog is matted, as groomers, our hands are tied. The dog MUST be cut short, or tortured by dematting, and a professional hopefully will refuse to do that. However, they should have let you know when you dropped your dog off, what kind of haircuts were options. Had they left her head as you requested, she would have looked like she were going to tip over, because she would have been WAY out of proportion (if her cheeks, etc. weren't matted and it was even possible anyway)..but again, they should have explained all that to you. The biggest issue with clients unhappy with haircuts is because they don't take the time to talk with and explain things to the owners. Owners think we can wave a magic wand and whala, matting is gone and their pup is the cute fluffy baby. It just doesn't happen that way. Her hair will grow back. In a matter of 3 months, she is going to look just as shaggy as she did in the before pic. No worries. She has a lifetime of regular haircuts coming, so you will have plenty of time to do your homework and find a good groomer that will take the time to discuss your dog with you and give you the haircuts you ask for when possible, or explain why its not possible. I hope they at least showed you how to correctly brush and comb to prevent this problem again?


----------



## Binkalette

Wow! It sounds like you were VERY specific! I would find a new groomer.. I would like to think if a good groomer found out that you didn't get what you specifically asked for, and were un-happy with the groom they would have tried to set it right.. maybe by offering your money back, or half off on your next cut or something..

Her color may or may not come back.. that's a thing about lhasas and shih tzus (the shih tzu breed was actually created by crossing a lhasa with a pekinese, so they're pretty closely related) Their hair tends to change color as it grows out.. This is nothing the groomer did wrong here.. Her hair would have changed color either way.. usually they will change color a LOT during their first year.. but some dogs keep on changing their whole life. My mother in law's lhasa Sugar keeps changing from yellow to gray  

Here is a picture of Zoey before I gave her her first hair cut:









She was black when we got her.. and then started turning tan at the roots... 

Here she is now:









Only her face stayed dark  the rest of her all lightened up. When we let her hair grow out again, the tips will begin to turn black.. Don't ask me how it does that.. I always thought that hair got it's pigment at the root, but apparently not.


----------



## comix

Depending on how bad the matted fur is, the groomer may have no option but to clip off the hair.


Dematting fur properly can be done, but it is very very time consuming. Many groomers simply can't afford the time necessary for the job and will rather take off all the hair.

The groomers should have explained to you that they would be unable to provide the requested haircut, and should have returned the dog to you untouched.


Incidentally - once I went to a groomer with a 5 page, step by step instruction on how to get the haircut I wanted.

When I got the dog back, I found that the tail had been clipped, when the very first instruction was "do not clip the tail" - the groomer had the gall to tell me that she "didn't read the instructions". She only looked at the picture on the first page. She couldn't provide an answer when I asked her why I took the trouble of providing five pages of instructions if they were not going to be read.

The good news is that this forced me to learn how to cut my dogs hair. So I ended up with a new hobby!


----------



## 0hmyd0g

About your dog changing color... If your dog was tan with black tips on the hair and is now white, it will never grow back like that because that was her puppy coat. Many shih Tzus that are born brown and black loose thier colouring, mine did and now she is white. 

Also tear stains are near impossible to remove in one day. There is a thread in this forum on tear stains and how some people remove them but it's a lot of work. I wipe my dogs eyes twice a day and still there is some staining. 

Don't blame the groomer too much. The hair will grow very quickly, too soon actually. You will NEED to bring her in every 4 to 8 weeks to be properly brushed if you want her to be fluffy again and not short. If you wait too long thinking that you're growing it out, what ever groomer you go to will only shave her short again (because of matting) and it sounds like you don't want that. Unless you get a comb and brush and do a very good job of brushing her at least once a week, even now while she is short. 

Here's some pictures of my shih tzu before and after I gave her the first hair cut. you can see the color change!


----------



## Binkalette

Some dogs actually -do- have their color come back. Like I said.. when Zoey's hair grows out, the tips will turn black again. Don't ask me why it happens.. but it does. At 1/2 inch, she is mostly gray.. at about an inch, the tips of her hair start to turn reddish tan, and if I let it go past two inches, the tips will turn black again. My mother in laws lhasa does the same thing only between yellow and gray. Your dog may stay white, or it might change again.. it's part of the fun I think, of owning a long haired dog.


----------



## GroovyGroomer777

Consider yourself lucky.

You used a groomer who would rather piss off a client than torture a dog.

Now when it grows back you can maintain it and keep your dog healthy, clean, and comfortable. No need for tears, your dog is feeling much better now.


----------



## tunisianswife

when I got my tzu from the shelter, he was completely matted to the point he could not extend his arms and legs, turn his head side to side, hair overgrown the eyes. boy, do I wish I had a before picture but I whipped him off to the groomer the next morning. She shaved him completely, left an adorable head. It was the best thing that could have happened because when his hair did grow back it was a slightly different texture. not so coarse.

I have to agree that the color can come back. He is usually buff/white with darker ear tips but when his hair starts to get long, he gets these orange spots back. when I got him, he was completely apricot and black.

I happen to think your little tzu looks adorable with her cut. at least it is even. LOL and comfortable for the remainder of the summer. 

in the scheme of things, it is only hair and will grow back. great idea to get pictures to take to your next grooming session. will leave nothing to the imagination.


----------



## luvntzus

I think the after pic looks cute and the hair grows back quicker than you'd think.  I don't know how to say it..... but, I really don't think your dog is a purebred Shih Tzu. She looks like she may be mixed with Maltese or Havanese. Honestly, Binkalette and Ohmydog your dogs could pass for purebred Lhasas. Personally I would want to know if I was sold a dog that was not the breed it was supposed to be.


----------



## 0hmyd0g

Mine is a Shih Tzu Cross. I think she's beautifully mixed.


----------



## luvntzus

0hmyd0g said:


> Mine is a Shih Tzu Cross. I think she's beautifully mixed.


Exactly! A lot of times though a person is told the puppy is purebred, when it's actually a mix. Either way they are just as cute and loveable, the difference is whether the person is misled or not.


----------



## Binkalette

Mine are Lhasas  And they darn better be purebred.. Mom looked like a lhasa and dad looked like a lhasa.. hmm :-/ Zoey looks like her dad.


----------



## picking.paisleys

I have a quick question to you, as a groomer. I like my dogs ears to be cut in the natural shape of their ear, kind of more triangle at the bottom rather than square. In addition to that, I like their ears to be "layered", so that not all of the fur ends at the same length, but so there is lots of texture in the ears. Do people ask for this ever or am I just being picky? My groomer seems to have a really hard time understanding what I want, so I was wonder how you would describe that cut? I usually end up getting home and re-cutting my dogs ears, and giving them some layers...


----------



## BubbaMoose

picking.paisleys said:


> I have a quick question to you, as a groomer. I like my dogs ears to be cut in the natural shape of their ear, kind of more triangle at the bottom rather than square. In addition to that, I like their ears to be "layered", so that not all of the fur ends at the same length, but so there is lots of texture in the ears. Do people ask for this ever or am I just being picky? My groomer seems to have a really hard time understanding what I want, so I was wonder how you would describe that cut? I usually end up getting home and re-cutting my dogs ears, and giving them some layers...


This thread is three years old, and the OP hasn't been back since. You'll have more luck if you create a new post of your own about the issues that you're having. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## picking.paisleys

BubbaMoose said:


> This thread is three years old, and the OP hasn't been back since. You'll have more luck if you create a new post of your own about the issues that you're having.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App



Thanks, sorry. I have never used a forum before.. Don't know how it all works or how to see when the OP has been where.


----------



## BubbaMoose

picking.paisleys said:


> Thanks, sorry. I have never used a forum before.. Don't know how it all works or how to see when the OP has been where.


No need to apologize, we've all been new here at one point!  I'd happily explain how to find that information, but I access this forum on my phone through an app, which is much different from the website.


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## picking.paisleys

BubbaMoose said:


> No need to apologize, we've all been new here at one point!  I'd happily explain how to find that information, but I access this forum on my phone through an app, which is much different from the website.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Thanks!! I figured it out though


----------



## NessBosh

Lab Tzu said:


> Hi first of all, I am new - Glad to be here! Looks like a busy place!
> 
> We have 2 dogs, a Lab and a Shihtzu, the Tzu is my first time owning a "small" breed, and a long hair breed! So, I had some issues with knowing how to properly care for the hair, and before I knew it, she was getting matted up.  Not horribly so, but a little bit (look at before picture).
> 
> SO - I thought - OK, I'll do the right thing and take her to a professional groomer who is bound to know more than I. I dropped her off looking cute, and I picked her up, and knew I did a double or triple take, at first I thought that ISNT my dog!
> 
> I gladly took the bouncing hairless wonder, and promptly recieved kisses and knew then it was my dog - but oh man..... I'm almost in tears.
> 
> Please tell me this will grow back. She was tan w/ white and some black hairs going through - now she is white (except the little bit of hair they left on her ears, and tail). They didnt even remove tear stains, heck I do a better job getting those off when I bathe her myself!
> 
> I feel so upset by this. I cant wait until husband gets home and see's this.... his precious hairy puppy is no longer hairy.
> 
> 
> I'm going to try to upload/download the pictures here. Her name is Holly
> 
> OK It didn't work, Im going to post this and try something else.


Normally when we drop our shihtzu off if they are matter then the groomer will call and say sorry they are too matted to have a teddy bear and need to be cut short I wpuod be fuming if my groomer just shaved tjem
Without asking!!! We also ask for a teddy bear cut - in the summer we ask for a summer teddy bear x


----------



## LeoRose

This thread is eleven years old. 

I've groomed dogs. A matted dog needs to be stripped. Even when you tell the owner their dog will have _no hair left_ when they'll pick it up, they will still get mad at the groomer for doing what needs to be done, instead of themselves for not properly maintaining their dog's coat.


----------



## RonE

11-year-old thread.


----------

