At first I received my beautiful shih tzu when she was about 6 months old. I received it from my friend, who was supposed to part with his dog, because recently she moved to a condominium, and the dogs were not allowed there. I still remember the day when I first received my Sasha. The door opened wide, and this big ball of fur came happily to me. I was somewhat surprised. As if this big ball of hair has known me for years. At six months, her black and white hair was long and thick. I really looked at her. Shih Tzu has two layers (top and undercoat). Thigh cover is long, silky hair that reaches the floor. The undercoat is the layers of short hair under the chin. I used to have dogs as pets, but I never liked Sasha. Sasha had some personality! It was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Once she was happy and playful, and the next she was arrogant and proud. From time to time I called her, and she came to me to me, but sometimes she gave me an attitude. I felt that I had to be treated in my hand so that she would come to me, at least that is what her face told me. I guess this is related to the Shih Tzu lineage. Shih Tzu means "lion dog" in Chinese. It makes sense. Long hair, which is usually short on a dog, is rather long on this particular breed. Believe it or not, when they are given to the Chinese royal family as a gift and dog sledding companions. Wow, who thought I had a dog that was once considered a royal family? Sasha still acted like a princess. For 5 years, when I owned Sasha, she licked me twice, and it was on my foot. This is not normal for a dog. Dogs love to lick, especially their owners. Oh yes, Sasha licked me a couple of times more, but only when I had food in my hand.
Caring for her was not an easy task for me. Fortunately, her previous owner was caring her well. When you care for this particular breed, you should keep a close eye on the ears, behind the fronts (armpits), chest, stomach and groin. Shih Tzu need daily care to avoid mats and tangle. This is especially important if your dog has more than two inches of hair. I usually take care of it with a brush, brush and torn spray. I tried to use a metal comb, but she did not like it. It was hard for me when I used a metal comb. I am very careful with caring for her, so I made sure that I was well versed in the comb, but something about the scallop scared her. Maybe she does not like the metal or maybe she just Sasha? Being the first time owner of this particular breed, I had no idea that she was often cared for. I would only scratch her hair three times a week, less if I was tired of all the work and choirs that I did daily. My fiance and daughter could not help with the grooming, since Sasha only allowed me to clean her. God forbid if they even stroked her hair! This caused the appearance of a tangle and mats. I took her to a famous groomer in my area, and I was embarrassed. I felt like the worst dog owner in the world. Sasha had to completely shave. She looked hysterical. I could see that she has a long body. Her hair made her look as if she weighed a ton, when in fact she was only 10 1/2 pounds, which is a good weight for Shih Tzu. They usually weigh 9-16 pounds as an adult. Strange tears that accumulated under her eyes when they disappeared. I was told to keep hair out of sight. It also helps to comb the hair in the pony tail or spray the hair around the eyes.
The great thing about Shih tzu is long hair that does not wake up, although it can shed a little when the hair is short. since she has not spilled because of her long hair, I allow her to lie on our bed from time to time. Although I am really paranoid over dirty sheets, I often try to wash the blanket, especially when Sasha is laying down on a blanket. Fortunately, duvet covers are easy to clean! These past 5 years have been quite interesting when around Sasha, but I love her. They are even more for Sasha, but then this article will turn into a long story. She may have her drawbacks, but she also has a good side. She can be a playful, funny, sweet and great companion. I would not trade it for anything in the world.
