It is important to make bathing as pleasant an experience as possible, and this takes time to plan the procedure and to keep stress to a minimum. If you have never given your new Shih Tzu puppy a bath before, be prepared for a squirmy little jumping bean as the first bath is usually something they do not like. But, a clean coat is 10 times easier to keep mat free than a dirty one so bath time for a Shih Tzu puppy in my house is an essential part of grooming as I am fond of that fluffy look and "Baby Dog" smell.

Although it does not take a long time to bath a Shih Tzu puppy, there is some planning that goes into it before you start the process. Make sure the dog has been thoroughly brushed and combed with no snarls or tangles before shampooing. The first thing that I do is gather all of my supplies so that I will not have to leave the squirmy puppy during the bath to get anything. I like to wash my puppy in the kitchen sink. They are small enough to do this easily up to about 6 months old. I have a spray head which helps with the process, and I always put a little rubber mat in the bottom of the sink so they do not slip around. Gather your supplies and have everything handy before you start. Note: As your Shih Tzu gets older you may want to set up and gather supplies for the bath out of view of your Shih Tzu otherwise you may find your self coaxing him out from under the bed! Here are a few of the necessary items you will need during and after the bath:

Place a cotton ball into each ear to keep them dry and water out during the bath. Wet or damp ears are a breeding ground for yeast and other ear infections.

Make sure you place some kind of mat or towel in the sink so the puppy will not be slipping around in the sink during the bath. Your puppy may be frightened and fidgety during a bath and the mat will keep him from slipping and sliding.  You want them to feel secure during the bath.

Always check the temperature of the bath water and make sure that it is not too hot for your puppy! Place your puppy in the sink with warm water and wet him down thoroughly without getting water into his nose or mouth. Get your puppy used to the water by wetting his back and shoulders. I like to use a plastic cup to pour the warm water over him especially if this is a first bath as the spray nozzle may frighten them at first. After the coat is wet start at your dog's head and work your way toward the tail.  Apply a small amount of diluted shampoo to the facial area with a applicator bottle for control. Work the tearless dog shampoo into the facial hair with your fingers, again being careful not to get soap in the nose or eyes. You can use a toothbrush with a tiny bit of soap on it to clean the facial hair also giving you more control of where the soap is going.

Before shampooing the body, I thoroughly rinse the shampoo from the head and face with the spray nozzle on gentle or a cup pouring warm water. If your puppy is a wiggle worm, you can hold the head steady for rinsing by grabbing some of the hair under the chin to steady the head. Again, avoid getting water into the puppies nose or ears as you are rinsing his head and face.

Continue to shampoo down the body by gently working the shampoo into the coat from the shoulders down to the rump. You do not have to scrub the Shih Tzu coat, avoid rubbing the shampoo in circular motions or scrubbing the soap in with your fingernails. This is not necessary, the shampoo will lift the soil without friction and you do not want to create snarls in the coat. After you have applied shampoo to the main body and legs, and you have gently worked the shampoo into the coat, start using your plastic cup to pour soapy water from the sink back over the puppy coat. I do this with the dilute soapy water to allow the shampoo to lift the soil from the coat and you will notice the bath water becomes dirty looking if your puppy's coat was soiled. It is very important to keep the water in the sink warm while you are doing this, and pay attention to whether your puppy is becoming chilled. When I have completely soaped the puppy all over with shampoo and cupped soapy water on him repeatedly, I let the water drain from the sink as I am rinsing his body with clean warm water from the spray nozzle. Rinse the soap from his coat thoroughly. You do not want to leave any soap residue in the coat as it will cause irritation and scratching.

Follow the shampoo with a conditioner or crème rinse. A puppy does not need a heavy conditioner, a light dilute condition or crème rinse is fine for a puppy coat. Follow the same procedure as for shampooing. Again I fill the sink with warm water and cup the warm water over the conditioned coat rinsing lightly this time until the water runs clear.

Drain the sink and gently squeeze excess water from the coat with your hands. Wrap the puppy in a thick towel while you hold and talk to him telling him what a good baby he was. I usually hold my puppies in a snug towel for about 15 minutes minutes to calm them down and usually they fall asleep while I am doing this. Holding them for awhile all snug in a towel will make the coat damp and ready to blow dry while you brush the coat. You can remove the cotton balls from his ears at this time so puppy can hear all the kind words coming from you as you hold him.

When you are ready to blow dry the puppy, place him on another towel on your grooming surface. If you will be using  a "people" hand held dryer to blow the coat dry, be careful that the dryer is not too hot or you can burn the puppy's skin. I recommend a dog dryer to blow the coat dry if you can afford one as they are made especially for dogs and the temperature control on them is safer. Dog dryers are designed to use less heat and more air volume so they quickly and safely dry a dog without damaging the coat or burning the skin. Blow the coat as you brush  constantly with a pin brush section by section. It does not take long to dry a puppy coat, but make sure that you get him nice and dry allover; you do not want him to chill from a damp coat. I dry and brush my puppy on a grooming table with a dog stand dryer which frees up my hands. I put towels bunched up on the table to snuggle the puppy into as I brush and dry him. After the coat is completely dried, use a comb to go over the entire coat to ensure there are no tangles remaining.

Now is a good time to trim your puppy's nails with a clipper as a regular part of grooming. The nails are softer after the bath. After bathing I also like to clean the ears with a quality otic cleaner to keep them clean and smell free. Ear cleaning is discussed on my grooming page. Use your cotton balls for this cleaning and never "stick" anything down into the puppy's ear canal not even a Q-tip.

Eventually your Shih Tzu puppy will outgrow your kitchen sink and can be washed in a bathtub using a shower spray attachment like shower massage. An easier way to shampoo your older Shih Tzu is in  a small  utility tub on legs that can be set into your bathtub or shower when you are wanting to bathe your Shih Tzu.
	I have one that I purchased at a Home Depot that is all plastic with snap on plastic legs, and it is a back saver for me. The plastic utility tub has a hole in the bottom with a drain plug that allows you to bath your Shih Tzu much like you did as a puppy in the kitchen sink! Besides being a back saver, it allows you to have both hands free to bath your Shih Tzu because the sides are high enough that they cannot jump out. I have out fitted my standing utility tub with a square Rubbermaid sink anti-slip mat that is easily lifted during the bath to access the plug while bathing. When not in use, I store mine in my walk in closet as it takes up very little space and is lightweight and portable. To the left, is a picture of my plastic utility tub to help you locate one at your local large hardware center. If the utility tub that you purchase has metal snap in legs, you will need to protect your shower floor from rust spots from the legs.
Bath time training ideally begins in puppy hood and is a vital part of the grooming process for a Shih Tzu coat. A beautiful Shih Tzu coat is cultivated by bathing and grooming on a regular basis. Take the time to learn to groom your Shih Tzu puppy well and you will have a beautiful, healthy, happy, cooperative Shih Tzu .

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