One of the biggest and most annoying problems any Shih Tzu owner faces is tangles in their dog’s hair. It looks unsightly and can cause irritation and even ulcers on your dog’s skin if left untreated.
One of the best ways to avoid matting is to comb your dog’s hair frequently. This is especially true when your Shih Tzu is blowing his coat. When this happens, typically by the time your Shih Tzu is around nine months old, the hair on the bottom coat becomes loose and gets stuck in the top coat. During this period, you should comb the dead hair up to three times a day.
How to remove tangles
If rugs form, remove them as follows:
o Divide the hair lengthwise into a smaller piece. Use a thin, sharp object for work and be careful not to injure the dog. There are special tools on the market to help remove the mats, but be sure to buy one with replacement blades, as the blades must be sharp. You will find that smaller strands of hair are much easier to work with and this is one of the secrets to removing a mat.
o Your next task is to loosen the hair. Get a V-shaped comb and use a gathering action to part the hair. Think inside out, inside out.
o After chopping, loosen more hair with your fingers. This will make styling much easier.
o Next, use a thick comb and comb the hair, but make sure not to pull the dog’s hair. I recommend that you grab the dog’s hair as close to the skin as possible (at the hair root) with one hand and use the other to comb. This will eliminate hair pulling 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 some products on the market that make the removal of the mats easy.
The first range of products is called detanglers. The job of a detangler is to smooth your hair and eliminate static electricity so that tangles don’t occur so easily. Cowboy Magic is one of those products that works well.
Another range of products are silicone based and work the same way as detanglers, just remember to let it dry completely before working on the coat.
You can also use conditioner. For larger areas, use undiluted conditioner, while diluted conditioner should work well for smaller areas.
If you’ve neglected your dog for too long (what a shame) and the mats are too large to remove, your best option may be to take your dog to the groomer for a good haircut and start over.