Step 1 Preparation

Items That You Need

Before you groom your dog, you need to have the right tools required. Here is the list of items which you would need. You can easily find them at your local pet shop or online. I added links to my top picks for each of the items on amazon.

• Dog brush
• Dog nail trimmer, I prefer this electric dog nail trimmer. Go for what works best for you.
• Dog Shampoo, There are so many different brands you can go for. But this is my favorite. Also, some shampoos are made specifically for puppies.

Choosing The Right Space

Grooming is sometimes scary to dogs. It might seem to be a fun and enjoyable experience for you but is actually frightening to dogs. So choosing the right space for this is very important. You want to use an enclosed space where the dog cannot escape from. I use my bathroom and I’ve never had any problems. However, I recommend doing the grooming outside. It’s not much of a mess and hassle to clean up afterward. It is important to know that you should avoid grooming outside when it is too hot or too cold.

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Mentally Prepare Your Dog

Since grooming is scary to dogs, especially for newbies. Firstly, You want to take time to calm your Shih Tzu. Petting it and making feel like it is in a safe space.

Brushing Your Shih Tzu

Gently brush your dog from its skin to the edges of its hair. You also want to work out the tangles. You can easily do so by brushing from the bottom of the matted hair. Do so gradually till you can run the brush smoothly. Brush your Shih Tzu’s face focusing on the muzzle as food particles tend to get stuck there when it eats. Also, the best option would be to prevent tangles entirely. This can be done by brushing your Shih Tzu regularly. It is advisable to brush your Shih Tzu a minimum of 3 times throughout the week.

Step 2 Washing Your Dog – Groom Your Shih Tzu At Home

Start by wetting your dog. Make sure you use Lukewarm water. Ensure that the water is not too hot or too cold. Placing a nonslip mat which will prevent your dog from slipping in the bathtub. If you do not have a bathtub, you can buy this pet bathtub from amazon. it even has a drain and you would not need to worry about danger of the dog slipping. Use the dog shampoo to wash your dog until it is clean.

Work into a lather gently massaging the shampoo into the dogs fur. After you have rinsed out the all the foam. Use clean water to rinse out the mucus from the dogs eyes. Do not let shampoo get into your dog’s eyes. This will hurt the dog, which is why when washing your dogs face, you must stay clear from it’s eyes.

Once all that is done, to dry your dog, take it out of its bath tub and wrap it with a thick cotton towel to absorb all the excess water. You can air dry or use a hairdryer. Keep in mind that the sound sometimes scares dogs. So, it is advisable to introduce the sound gradually. Also, make sure to use the lowest setting and not to take the hairdryer too close to the dog. It will burn your dog’s skin.

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Step 3, Grooming

This is the part most of you have been waiting for. I am pretty sure you now understand that there are more steps involved in grooming a dog than you would expect. Now that you have properly prepared your dog for grooming. Let’s talk on how to groom your dog. If you don’t feel well prepared to groom your shih tzu at home. I would recommend taking your dog to a professional and watch every step they take keenly. Learn by observation.

Firstly, you want to properly comb your dog’s hair. This is especially important as it helps prevent tangles. Once its fur is about to dry, use a soft brush to comb its hair. if there was any matted fur that wasn’t properly attended to in the preparation phase. Now is the best time to fix that. The ideal way to comb your dog’s hair would be to start at the base of the hair and comb all the way up the edges.

Trimming your dog’s nails

This is pretty basic but it is important to follow these safety rules.

• Only trim the white part of your dog’s nails. the pink part has live tissue and your dog will bleed if you trim too deep.
• If you accidentally make your dog bleed. Applying corn starch would help clot blood and stop the bleeding.

It is best to stay as far away from the danger zone (pink part) as possible. Don’t try to get too close. Most dogs hate nail clipping and would give you a hard time. If after a few tries you are unable to clip your dog’s nails. Simply skip this part and get help from the vet.

Cutting Your Dog’s Hair

It is advisable to use a number 10 blade to cut your dogs hair. The number 10 blade is long enough to prevent you from hurting your dog. Cut the hair on your dog’s body and face. You can purchase the number 10 blade from Amazon.

Clean your dog’s ears using alcohol-based solution intended to be used specifically on dog’s ears. Simply add a few drops to a cotton ball and rub it on the skin and fur in the dog’s ears. Then, fold the dog’s ear and gently massage it all the way to ensure an even spread. After that, use a clean cotton ball to wipe off all remaining moisture. Ensure that you do not take the cotton balls too deep into the dog’s ear cavity. Furthermore, check your dog’s ears right after a walk to ensure no grass or twigs got stuck in your dog’s ears. If not removed can make its way deep into your dog’s ears. If you feel this is too complex for you. Leave it for the professionals.

Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

You can use a double-sided dog toothbrush and toothpaste to clean your dog’s teeth. This can be done daily to maintain good oral hygiene.

I hope this information was helpful. Check out this post on shih Tzu puppies for sale. It has everything you need to know regarding buying a Shih Tzu. These are the 3 simple steps to groom your shih tzu at home. Thank you for reading.

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Signs of Depression In Dogs

The following paragraphs talk about the common signs to look out for depression in dogs.

Loss of Appetite

Loss of appetite is a common sign of depression. Dogs who generally have a huge appetite tend to lose their appetite when depressed. Sometimes, the loss of appetite might be due to medications or underlying health issues. So, if you notice that your dog won’t eat its food. It is best to seek medical attention immediately. ” Fill out the puppy match form to find a Shih Tzu puppy”

Lack of Interest In Activities

If your dog all of a sudden lacks interest in going out with you on walks or playing fetch. It is a clear sign your little friend is mentally disturbed. One might wonder, what goes on in the minds of gods that they are even able to express some human emotions. Well, it is just the way they are. You can only love them and care for them to the best of your ability.

Destructive Behaviour

Sometimes, dogs do not know how to process their emotions. While some portray signs of depression by withdrawing or becoming more inactive. Others tend to be destructive, chewing things they shouldn’t and generally being very headstrong and hard to deal with. When you notice this, it is a call for attention.

Extra Needy

Generally, most dogs love attention. But, if your dog becomes extra needy and craves so much of your attention. Couples with some other signs. Your dog is most likely suffering from depression. Your dog might lay next to you inactive. But, when you wake up to step out of the room. They follow you, trying to stay as close to you as possible. They are just being extra needy and need more of your attention.

Loss of Potty Training

Although this is a very strange way for a well-trained dog, it actually does happen. Sometimes, depressed dogs just get so overwhelmed with their emotions that they lose their potty training. This can be especially difficult to deal with if it is your first time dealing with a depressed dog or have never had to personally potty train a dog.

Common Causes of Depression In Dogs

These are the common causes of depression in dogs. We have discussed the signs that a dog might be going through depression. So, in the following paragraphs, we will discuss the common causes and how to fix them.

Life Changes

Some major changes in a dog’s life such as environmental changes can in some cases lead to depression. So, if you own a dog, whenever you move, it is important to remember that upon settling. You should take time to help your dog adapt to its new environment.

Loss Of Owner or Companion

It is common for people to grieve when they lose a loved one. Especially if they had a very close relationship with them. Did you know dogs also go through a grieving phase if they lose their owner or pet companion? If your dog expresses some of the signs mentioned above right after the passing of their owner or pet companion. They are most likely depressed. You might want to consider getting them a new playmate or showing them extra care and attention.

Underlying Health Condition

When a dog is in chronic pain, it may show signs of depression. So, whenever you notice an abnormal behavior in your before rushing to the assumption your dog is depressed. It is first of all important to rule out any underlying health condition.

Isolation

Just like humans, dogs might get depressed if they are isolated. The feeling of not being wanted really gets to them. So, it is essential to create time for your dog so they do not feel lonely. Cats on the other hand don’t mind being isolated. As long as they have food, water, and a clean litter box. They are doing just fine. It all adds up to one of the reasons why dogs make great pets. Especially for people looking for a more social connection with their pets.

Check out this post on shih tzu puppies for sale

Inadequate Physical and Mental Stimulation

You should not buy a dog if you plan on just letting It by itself all day without interaction. You need to do more than give your dog food or take it out to potty. They need physical and mental stimulation such as playtime, going on walks, or any outdoor or indoor activities that get them moving. This is very true, especially for dog breeds that are genetically wired to be active dogs or working dogs. “Searching for shih tzu puppies for sale? Click here to check out this post.”

Treating Depression In Dogs

If there is a significant event that recently occurred such as environmental changes, or loss of owner or companion. You can simply give your dog more attention and spend extra time with them. It should help them go through that state and regain their normal mental state.

However, if you are unsure about the cause of depression, seek advice from your vet. You can read more about depression in dogs from the official AKC website. I also find that this post from Sandy Eckstein about depression in dogs is an amazing read.

Thank you for reading, and remember we are always glad to welcome guest posts. Send us an email with your content and it will be edited and posted on our website.

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Chocolate

Although enjoying a bar of chocolate can be satisfying for you. It may cause minor to severe health issues to your dog especially if fed regularly. In most cultures around the world, Chocolate is often associated with signs of love. Well of course it does! Chocolate bar sales go way up during valentines. Do you love chocolate? what is your favorite brand?

As tasty as chocolates are to you they can be deadly to your dogs. This is because chocolate contains a toxic substance called methylxanthines. Even in small amounts can be very harmful as it can stop a dog’s metabolic process, and cause vomiting and diarrhea. When fed in large amounts may even lead to seizures, irregular heart function, and sometimes death. So, with that in mind, you want to keep the chocolate pack as far away from your Shih Tzu as possible. I have a diet plan for my dogs I can share with you for free.

Salt

What you need to understand is, that not everything you eat is okay for your dog too. This is why it is important to have a strict no-feeding policy for your shih tzu dog when guests come over. Some people are fond of packing leftover chicken wings for their dogs or adding too much salt when making their dog’s food. You need to know that even if something isn’t healthy for your dog, that won’t stop them from eating it if you feed it to them.

A little bit of salt is fine but too much salt can lead to dehydration and even cause sodium ion poisoning. So you want to be watchful of how much salt you feed your dog. Maintaining a healthy diet enables your dog to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. It’s ironic because goats on the other hand love salt! can’t get enough of it. They crave salt found in human sweat and urine. So you do not want to be tied up in a hot room next to a goat!

Onions and Garlic

The sweet aroma of chopped or minced garlic in the oven marinating into chicken or shrimp can be savory. However, these veggies are very harmful to dogs and you should never incorporate it into their recipe. It is known to cause anemia in your dog by killing its red blood cells. This brings us back to letting guests feed your dog or just letting your dog eat randomly. Tasty grilled or baked chicken marinated with garlic or onions might be enjoyable to you. But you do not want to let your dog have this.

Refined Sugar and Drinks

When humans consume too much sugar regularly, it leads to diabetes, obesity/weight gain, and tooth decay. Things like cookies, cake, biscuits, and sodas. The same thing will happen to your dog if you let it consume so much sugar. With a proper diet, you lessen the chances of your dog falling sick. It’s very important to take the time to properly plan your dog’s diet so your beloved friend can also enjoy a long beautiful and healthy life.

Avocados

To humans, avocado is a super fruit. Packed with vitamins and nutrients essential for the proper functioning of the body. You do not want to let your dog eat this. Reason being, it contains a strain of fatty acid called persin which is toxic to your dog in large quantities.

Here are more foods that are harmful to your dog. Thank you for reading. Fill out the puppy match form if you are looking for shih tzu puppies for sale. These are the top 5 foods to never feed your Shih Tzu dog with. It applies to every other dog.

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