Shih Poo non shed? or low shed? shampoo/brush

Hello. I just got a Shih-poo Monday 7/17 and we named her Molly. She turned 13 weeks Wednesday. I have some questions for all those Shih poo experts out there. I gave her a bath MOnday when we got home (she had dried mud on her feet and smelled...I don't know if she had ever had a bath...also what is the BEST shampoo and should I use conditioner?) I didn't have any and used my Biologe from the salon) then I noticed some shedding Thrusday on my husbands black shirt from holding her and some around the house...on the stove ect...then I took her to the vet and when I brought her home again I washed her with doggie shampoo and got some dried poo off her behind that wouldn't seem to come off any other way. We have been brushing her but the brush is a cheap one from the dollar store we picked up quickly. What is a good brush for Shih poos? I have never had a dog in the house before even as a child so I don't know if the shedding is normal. It isn't tuffs or clumps of hair but it is alot more than I expected. It covers dark shirt very noticably. NOT that that matters so much now that she is becoming like part of the family but I would like to know if it is normal. Did I do something wrong by shampooing her with my shampoo (we drove 8 hours and it was late by the time we got home but maybe I should have waited) it seems worse now after the vet (and her 2nd set of shots) and shampooing her with the walmart puppy shampoo. Or did I do it by shampooing her twice in one week? Or do I need a better brush? This brush has black brissels on one side and the other side it has sparse metal looking ones. I appeciate you sharing your knowledge to this new owner! She is a wonderful and sweet puppy that already loves to curl up in our laps.

 

First I would like to say congrats on your new pup.

Second.....all dogs shed hair to some degree unless they have no hair (all dogs, including hairless ones will shed dander).....some shampoos will cause more hair loss and its reccommended that you dont use human shampoos as theyre too strong (baby shampoo should be okay, personally I like a mild oatmeal shampoo for my dogs).....another thing is stress can cause excessive shedding.....my moms dog was classic for this, whenever she went to the vets for a nail trim I swear you could use the hair she shed to fill a cushion...and she was a short haired Boston Terrier mix.....anywhere else she went she was fine....and if she went to the vets for just shots or an exam she was fine....but the nail trim got her so stressed out.

 

Oh yes, stress definately will cause some shedding. Changing from puppy coat to adult coat will, too.

Skip the brush. Get a comb. A fine/medium tooth comb will probably be best. Lift the coat in sections, and comb a layer at a time to be sure you're getting completely to the skin.

When you shampoo, be sure you comb everything out while she's drying, or you're going to get mats. If you're going to go to the trouble of shampooing at home, get good dog shampoo, not the cheap-o stuff. A hypoallergenic shampoo would be a good one if you're shampooing often. And be sure to rinse, rinse rinse. Then rinse again. Shampoo residue will cause itching, and scratching will pull hair out/break it off.

I'd suggest that you use a light, leave in conditioning spray, and use it sparingly. The heavier cream rinses and pack conditioners will be too heavy and could make her coat look oily.

Have your puppy professionally groomed soon. She's at the perfect age for her first trip to the beauty parlor. The groomer can trim the hair on her bum (called a sanitary trim) so she doesn't get poo stuck back there, and will trim her nails, check and clean her ears, and tidy up anything that needs to be tidied.

If she gets matted DON'T try to cut the mats out yourself. Let a groomer do it. We have ways of removing mats without cutting chuncks out and leaving your dog looking like the moths have been eating on her. And we know how to do it with less risk of cutting your dog.

 

Some sugestions for you

I dont have a Shi-Poo but I do have a Shorkie (yorkie/shitzu) and I use puppy shampoo and a brush, but a wire brush. no bristles or anything because that will cause breakage. Just something to keep them from matting and shiny! I usually give Austin a bath once a week to once every other week. He gets into a lot of stuff and people touching him all the time sometimes makes his hair look greasy, but he loves the water so we're lucky! Anyway... hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the reply...

Thank you for all your replys. I will toss that brush because it is probably breaking the hair because most hair that ends up on our shirt is short (1/2 inch) and her hair is pretty long (an inch or 1 1/2 inches). Her hair doesn't seem to matt though. It is not real thick.

I like the idea of getting her groomed especially around the bum! The vet already trimmed her nails when we were there Friday. I'm sure all that made her nervous. I will look for a better shampoo (oatmeal sounds good).

I do have another question but I do not know if I should post a new post or not. At first Molly barked/whinned at night and I was getting up almost on the hour. Then we moved her in next to me and she is doing very well. It is just that I don't know if I should wake her up or let her sleep. Like last night I woke her up in 3 hours and then in 4 hours. I don't know how much longer she would go if I left her alone nor do I know if she would let me know if she had to go. I'm afraid that she will go and then I will have to clean her and everything else in the middle of the night. What do you suggest? If I wake her up will this cause a pattern? Or if I don't will it cause an accident? Or should I increase the time slowly as she grows?

Also two of the three accidents have been right after drinking water. I don't want to deprive her of water but I am only giving her some a few times a day and then we have to watch her like a hawk! She will just go right in the floor and very quickly!! So we have to take her out every little bit for up to an hour and a half to try and make sure that doesn't happen after she drinks. Is this common? Is there a solution?

She knows when we go outside that I want her to go. I say Potty and stand her up when she tries to lay down and soon she is sniffing and then goes and waits for the praise and treat. She's usually pretty fast if she has to go at all but she doesn't realize yet that the point is for her to go outside! I suppose this will come in time. I am home most of the time so we are crate training. Again this is my first dog inside the house...my first training experience so I am sure glad to find this forum!

Thanks again for the help!

 

Puppies, especially small ones, can only hold it for 1.5 to 2 hours. Puppies also don't have full control of their bladder until the are about 6 months old, so accidents will happen.

If you are crate training, be sure that you take your puppy out every 1-2 hours. Your puppy should ALWAYS have a supply of water, but schedule your feedings so you'll have a better idea of her pooping schedule.

When your puppy isn't in her crate, keep her on a leash and with you all the time so she can't sneek away and piddle when you aren't looking.

I paper trained my puppy initially, which only took 4 weeks before we didn't have any accidents. The problem is, she is now 6 months old, and I'm having a hard time transitioning her to go potty outside.

 

Hi and Welcome!
Congrats on having a shihpoo puppy... I'm a little biased, of course, but am sure you will be so happy with your shihpoo.
i have two shihpoos and asked all the same questions you did.

First off.... as far as shampoo, I have always recommended a brand called EARTHBATH. It's a non-soap (so very gentle) shampoo that is awesome!! It comes in a PUPPY FORMULA which smells great. If you see it in your local store... buy it! you won't be sorry, i promise! also, bathing frequency? You should bathe them no sooner than once a week. If you can go longer, then do so... i, for one, don't like that since the babies sleep in bed with us. I don't have problems bathing them once a week since the Earthbath doesn't have the soap, so it doesn't dry out the skin.
I have battled the "what to brush him" with dilemma for years. I've tried them all... and honestly, it will just come down to your and your dog's preference. I use a cheap brush for Baxter (the puppy, who is curlier) and a regular dog brush that has the metal bristles on one side and a brush on the other for the older dog, with the shorter hair.

oh a little hint.... brush your dog PRIOR to the bath. That saves tangles every time

If you want to see pics of my shihpoos, just hollah!

 

Thanks for the replies

I would like to see pictures of your Shipoos. How old are they? Did you get them when they were puppies?

 

I know we've already PM'd about this and I sent you the website for their dogster pages. I also noticed.... some pics of the Bailey (the older one) is in my avatar....

 

We are small dog people too. Pomeranians. For housetraining, plan on every hour or so until 6 months old, they just don't have the capacity for longer periods before then. Will be frustrating for both of you to expect it prematurely. Yes, wake the pup up during the night.......we do just before bed, midnight, 3am, and i get up at 6am, and we wake the pups up each time. Oftener when they are really tiny. We don't do crates.........everyone sleeps in the bed with us, so during the 'special' period......we put a plastic table clothe on the bed. The crinkle crinkle of little feet wakes you up in a hurry, and they ALWAYS go to the foot of the bed if they are caught short.....if you are slow, the cheap table clothe is a snap to clean. :mrgreen: