posted 01-02-2004 02:37 PM         

I have two shih-poos, so I may be able to help you out. I have found that I HAVE to brush my two shih-poos almost every other day to keep their coats nice looking. One of them, Mickey, has a little more of a curly coat, so his hair is a little harder to deal with. Since I do brush them just about every other day, I have yet to find any matts (thank goodness ). I also bring them to my groomer's home every six weeks for a trim around the face, in the ears, "rear end," and their underside. Right now they have the long hair/coat, but next time they go to my groomer I am going to have her take about and inch, or maybe a little more, off their coat. That will make the brushing and upkeep MUCH easier for me! Their long coat is just too much to keep up with when it comes to brushing! I have seen several shih-poss with short haircuts, and they are VERY cute!!!

For you I would definitely recommend buying a dog specific de-tangler. I know a couple of people who use them on their dogs and they say it works wonderfully. If the matts are becoming a problem I would most assuredly go to a groomer soon so they do not become an even bigger problem. Matts in a dog's coat have the potential to become a significant problem, sometimes leading to a dog needing to be shaved.

For the dryness, I would use an oatmeal and aloe shampoo & conditioner every time you bathe your dog. And be sure not to bathe your dog too often or to use a "human hairdryer" on him, as they both lead to further drying of the skin.

Hope this helped,
Kristi

[This message has been edited by MyBabyShihPoo (edited 01-02-2004).]

posted 01-05-2004 01:48 PM         

I want to see!!!! I want to see how others are keeping their Shihpoos groomed. Daearly, I'd especially love to see your 4 month old Shihpoo!

I have a 3 month old Shihpoo. I don't have many options at this point. I'd love to have her long and flowing with the little bow on the top of the head like the typical ShihTzu. My sons are completely against this. (lol) They think we should keep her short and sassy. I brush her several times a day (it's part of our cuddle time). I bath her once a week with Johnson's baby shampoo. This is what she was being washed with by her "breeder" (termed loosely). She has the most beautiful shinny black coat. (If I do say so myself) But she does scratch a lot. I think I will give the oatmeal/aloe shampoo a try. I do use a human blow dryer on her as well. I've been adamant about getting her completely dry. I guess this is bad for the dry skin? =/ (Oopsie) I didn't know this. But, I do know that it was extremely important to keep her from getting a chill when she was very young. (I've had her since she was 3 almost 4 weeks old) Is it still as important to keep them from a chill at 3 months? How can I get her completely dry? Also, the hair around her eyes is getting so long I can't see her eyes anymore but, it is not long enough to draw back onto her head and out of her eyes. Any suggestions or advice?

posted 01-05-2004 02:17 PM         

As for the matting problem..I've found that leaving a little bit of conditioner in a dogs hair will keep this from occuring.
My mother has a great pyraneses, and he is an all outdoor giant. So this problem arises all the time.

posted 01-05-2004 05:02 PM         

NOT THAT THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS TOPIC BUT:
I feel I need to defend/explain myself here. I got my dog from a relative of a neighbor who is so, NOT a breeder. Don't know any other term to use when trying to keep it short in a post, so I used the most common, known term "Breeder" and put in the disclaimer. I would have NEVER taken Precious a day before 8 weeks. I too was appalled! This was NOT the original plan, but what could I do? I was told to take her or leave her. If I had not taken her she would have been sold to someone/anyone else. I also took in Precious's brother for 5 weeks to keep the young pups together until they were 8 weeks old. For 4 weeks I got up every 3 hours and hand feed two puppies. I went through great lengths to give them all the love, patients and care they required. It was not easy! I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS! But this was a task I gladly took on under the circumstance. And, I am not completely sure that there are no health problems. She has been to our vet 3 times and so far she has a clean bill of health but she is only 3 months old and she does have this little snort that we are keeping our eyes on.

I'm very sorry to get off topic like this guys! I hope you understand? I also hope that there is no further need to defend myself.

I'd still love to see pictures!

posted 01-05-2004 06:09 PM         

4) For the trimming around the eyes. I would suggest finding a good groomer and making an appt. If you look under her paws, you will probably notice hair growing between the pads of her feet, that should be trimmed down. Her nails should be trimmed. Some dogs (my shih-poos do) have hair in their ears that need to be cut. Around the face should be trimmed. There are a couple of other areas that should also be trimmed down as well. So, you may want to do some research and find a good groomer and talk with them about it, they should be able to help you out a lot and trim all the areas that need trimming.

Best of Luck with it all!!!

daearly~

The oatmeal & aloe shampoo is made specifically for dogs, and it really works well! The brand I use is Earthbath oatmeal & aloe shampoo and conditioner. It can be found at most pet supply stores. My groomer HIGHLY recommended that brand and kind, so I gave it a try and am very happy with it!

For drying, towel dry your pup as best as you possibly can, then I would suggest using a dog hairdryer on him/her for the rest of the drying.

Best of luck to you as well!!!

*As puttin510 said: Brushing a dog before the bath, and after the bath when wet (using a conditioner is REALLY helps) is great advice!!! And yes, brushing is VERY important to prevent matting problems!!!

Sincerely,
Kristi

posted 01-06-2004 08:44 AM         

There are circumstanses that this does have to happen, and the pups are lucky someonelike you cared enough to take on the grouling task of caring for them at such a young age.

I'm sorry if I offended you.
As for another post, I constantly see people wanting to breed their dogs, "for the fun of it" or "too see what they would look like".

Its not the greatest idea. I would never breed one of my dogs unless, all pups have a permanant and confirmed home before the breeding takes place. My dogs are workers, they bring in cattle, sheep, police dogs, and drug dogs. One or two go for family dogs that won't make the cut for a work dog.

It conserns me that people do all this breeding, becaus I have at least 10 dogs dumped at my front yard monthly.
I take them all in, have them vet checked, and feed them until they are healthy, medicate, whatever I have todo, then find them homes.
It saddens me that people do this. But I'm also content that they know they can leave them with me, instead of dumping them in a harmful or dangerous place.

Everyone is intitled to their own oppinions, i just voiced mine. I'm sorry if it offended you. I'm just a concerned animal lover, that wants everyone to know the pro's and con's of puppy hood, life, and everything else.

Your puppy is gorgeous. And definately fits her name Precious.

I too would love to see phtos of everyones "fur kids"

posted 01-06-2004 01:28 PM         

You are more than welcome for the info. Hopefully the oatmeal & aloe shampoo and conditioner will help to alleviate some of Brodie's dry skin. Some dogs' dry skin though is more of a serious issue that requires "special" shampoos and conditioners from your vet. For most dogs, an oatmeal & aloe shampoo found in pet stores usually does the trick if the dry skin is not a serious issue. I (along with my groomer) use Earthbath and have been really happy with it and the results that it brings after use!

Let me know how you (and Brodie ) like the oatmeal & aloe shampoo & conditioner!

Kristi

posted 01-07-2004 09:58 AM         

Do you possibly have any pics. of you shih-poo with the haircut? I will be bringing my two shih-poos in soon to have their coat cut back (it is currently long & un-cut), and I am interested in seeing what this cut looks like on other shih-poos! I have seen a few shih-poos with the a short haircut, but not that many, so I am always looking for pictures to give me a better idea of what it might look like.

posted 01-10-2004 07:14 PM         

WELCOME to this board!!! Feel free to come back whenever you please, and add any comments or questions you may have. I hope that you too will find this board as helpful as I, and many others here, have found it too be. (It is also rather addicting, lol, so beware!)

I too have a shih-poo (2 actually), and just love them to pieces. I can definitely relate to you about the grooming. Fortunately though, I have had no problem with matting when it comes to my two shih-poos (Phew)! But, I do brush them every other day, and sometimes every day depending on how they look. For the brushing I do use the slicker brushes which I personally have found to work best on Mickey & Tigger (the shih-poos). Their actual coat has never been cut besides just the "usual trimming" (i.e. paws, face, underside, rear end, etc.) Therefore they still have the long coat. Although, next time I bring them in for their usual 6-8 wk. grooming appointment, I am going to have my groomer trim down their coat to give them a shorter haircut.

*It is also very important to REALLY brush the dog. Sometimes people just do a quick brush, not really getting down to the base of the coat and brushing it all out. That of course leads to matting problems. Most people who do that, just don't know any better, and they are confused as to why the matting occurs, so I always make sure that people are thoroughly brushing their dog. This probably isn't the case for you, but I just thought I would mention it anyway.

In regards to the Earthbath. It is great to hear that you too have found the brand to work WONDERFULLY! (For Mickey and Tigger I use Earthbath Oatmeal & Aloe) My groomer actually uses it on all the dogs that she sees (including her own), and she recommended to me that I give a try. Well, I did, and I couln't be happier with it. So, EVERY dog owner that I know, or meet, I always recommend Earthbath to them. Everyone who I know that uses it, absolutely LOVES it!!!

Again, welcome to you (& your monster of a shih-poo, Bailey )!!!

posted 01-15-2004 09:59 PM         

This pic is a couple of months old when he was five months-ish but it's one of our favorites.

okay... it didn't work...? any suggestions gang?? and i triple ckd the URL is right. Does it have to go thru an approval process first before it posts?