Just like ligo (bath), I am not a fan of getting groomed. The very first time that Mum had me groomed (I think I wasn’t a year old then), I became sad the whole day.
Of course, this had Mum worried. However, she read somewhere that it’s normal for us to be down in the dumps after being groomed (especially if it’s our first time).
Well, who wouldn’t be? We get bathed, dried, shaved and cut by strangers; worse, even left on our own when our furparents leave us in the grooming salon to do other errands. (How dare you, furparents!)
But don’t worry, despite my reluctance, I still obey Mum and behave at the groomers because I understand it’s for my own benefit.
Why we need to get groomed
- For good hygiene: Most, if not all, shih tzus can grow their hair very, very long. While this makes us extra cute, it also makes us extra prone to having dirt and germs stick to us. Eew. And since it’s not advisable for us to take a bath every day, those dirt and germs stick to us unless you clean us with pet wipes or dry shampoo.
- Helps prevent tangles and mats: If you’ve read my blog, ‘My ligo (bath) essentials‘, you’ll know that Mum made a rookie, shih tzu-Mum mistake of letting my hair grow so long without regularly brushing it, which resulted to my hair getting tangled and matted, to the point that when she took me to the groomer, they had no choice but to shave all of my hair.
- Promotes good skin health: Related to benefit number 2, if our fur/hair is free of tangles and mats, our skin is able to ‘breathe’, and we don’t get too susceptible to skin irritation.
- Reduces shedding: One of Mum’s tell-tale signs that it’s time for me to get groomed is when she starts seeing increased shedding of my fur. She believes my hair is ready for new growth, that’s why it’s shedding the old one (There’s no scientific basis on this, okay? It’s just one of my Mum’s wild imaginations).
- Easier management: I’m sure we have different kinds of furparents, but if yours are like my Mum, who has a full-time job and the only one who takes care of me and my sister, Pepsi, it’s challenging to juggle work, household chores and pet care in 24 hours. Sometimes, she doesn’t have enough time to rest or take care of herself (Sorry, Mum ✌). So, she doesn’t always get to brush my hair, and check for tangles and mats. Hence, me having short hair is preferable, as she doesn’t need to brush me as much. Subsequently, she doesn’t get too paranoid if my hair has tangles or mats already.
When is the best time to have dogs groomed
- Start us young. We can be groomed as early as our puppy stage, provided we have already completed our first round of vaccines. Additionally, one of my vets had advised Mum that it’s important to get us dogs accustomed to being groomed at a young age, so that when get older, it bothers us less and less.
- Groom us regularly. “How regular is regular?”, you ask? In my case, it depends on the season. For example, if dry season (AKA summer) is about to start, Mum would have the groomer give me the summer cut (semi-kalbo [almost bald], as some call it). This is so that I avoid getting heat stroke. When summer ends and my hair has grown back, my next groomer appointment would depend on, like I said earlier, how much my fur has shed.
By the way, the photo on the left is me showing off my newly trimmed hair (puppy cut) to my Dad. See? The trip to the salon was worth it!
Where to have your dogs groomed
- Find a trusted grooming salon near you: We advise you to do a little research, and check feedback and reviews posted by customers. You can also do an ocular visit first, so that you can see the salon’s set-up and what bath products and tools they use; and observe how they treat their customers’ pets. A green flag would be if they ask you to fill out a form that requires both your and your furbabies’ details, especially your contact number. If you live near Fairview or Novaliches like me, I highly recommend My Sassy Puppy pet hotel and grooming salon.
- At home: That is, if you’re confident with your shaving and hair-cutting skills. But yes, there are furparents who have learned and mastered the art of home-grooming for their furbabies. Mum is admittedly not one of them, but what she can do is trim around my eyes if she feels that the rest of my body doesn’t need a full groom yet. Mum has a whole set of pet grooming scissors, which has all kinds of scissors that even groomers use.
Have I convinced you to get groomed regularly? If not, and you want more proof, you can watch my Tiktok.
Or if you have pet grooming tips or questions, leave a comment below. Looking forward to hearing from you!
