Shih Tzu Lion cut is among the most popular haircuts of Shih Tzus.
As the name signifies, lion cut gives your puppy the appearance of a tiny lion which is more adorable than wild.
A Shih Tzu is said to have a lion cut if it has all its body hairs/Coat trimmed short to an inch with facial hairs left untrimmed. Facial hairs are grown until they resemble a lion’s face.
Lion cut for Shih Tzu is greatly recommended for summers and warmer climatic conditions. The lion cut is suitable for dogs with all coat sizes. So, the lion cut is distinguished by a fur of 1.5-2 Inches in length at the body coat.
The lion cut style is very popular, and is delighted with the use of hair clippers above the Shih Tzu head. And, the lion cut requires less maintenance with highly glamorous looks; that’s why most Shih Tzu owners love it.
Want to know which Shih Tzu can have a lion cut? What advantages of lion cut and ways to do grooming of a lion cut at home? Then stick with us until the end; we will share complete owner guides in this regard. So, with no further due, let’s jump in.
Lion Cut for Shih Tzu?
For many of the Shih Tzus having done a lion, cutting is a good experience. But a few of the Shih Tzu who, due to their stubborn nature, won’t like grooming, brushing, and getting ready.
For such cases, we recommend starting with small steps, like one day doing a bit of brushing. In the next session, take them to a shower and bathe after brushing. Try to spend as much time as possible with your Shih Tzu; it will strengthen the bond.
When they start getting familiar with the brushes try to introduce them to different tools. Make it comfortable with the process as much as you can. Let it sniff and lick the tools; it will make them comfortable with them. You must be consistent and stay motivated during the lion cut for better results.
Benefits Of Lion Cut For Shih Tzu
The lion cut makes this Shih Tzu look more adorable and beautiful. The lion cut of a Shih Tzu is very popular because of its several benefits and advantages over other Shih Tzu hairstyles.
The most important benefits of the Shih Tzu lion cut over the others are mentioned below.
Requires Less Maintenance:
For pet owners who don’t have much time to fulfill their Shih Tzu’s grooming needs, we recommend having a Shih Tzu with a lion cut.
As the cut compromises every low-sized cut coat, the pet needs much less grooming and eventually saves a lot of time and effort for the owners compared to the other dogs.
Covers Up the Bulkiness For OverWeighted Shih Tzu:
Shih Tzu is a small lapdog with a compact body prone to bulk and obesity problems. The bulkiness, to some extent, adds a charm to their friendly nature, but if it is over the size, it will add an unwelcoming gesture. So, Shih Tzu with bulky bodies doesn’t look good overall.
If Bulked Shih Tzu is given a lion, cut their bulkiness hides behind its cuteness, and as a result, people notice more of their lion facials than their overweighted tummies. So, if you or someone around your circle owns a bulky Shih Tzu, do recommend lion cut him.
Helps Eliminate Parasites Like Fleas and Ticks:
The lion cut is based on trimming the Coat to 1.5 an Inch, which is very small compared to coat hair sizes of other hairstyles. Large hairs serve as a shelter for welcoming the parasites which are harmful to your Shih Tzu’s health.
These parasitize can be eliminated by lion cut. Small hairs of lion cut don’t provide the desired parasite environment and as a result, most of them are eliminated.
Snarling And Prevents Tangling Hairs:
Larger hairs have larger problems, one of which is hair matting and tangling, which can be painful and doesn’t look good. Tangled hairs indicate that the owner doesn’t pay much attention to the pet, and the pet lives in the dirt and isn’t groomed up to his needs.
Lion cut of Shih Tzu reduces the coat hair length to a few centimeters decreasing the chances of the formation of tangles in hairs. These tangles are hard to remove and require stell tooth combs and, at the same time, cause a lot of pain to the Shih Tzu too.
So, if you want to avoid all the hustle of proper grooming and brushing, then you can choose a lion cut.
Relief Of Body Heat In Warm Conditions:
Coat hairs and fur on the animal skin serve as an insulator that protects the body in harsh weather conditions and maintains an optimum body temperature.
In cold regions, people usually don’t cut out the hairs of their pets as they keep the body warm. Similarly, in warmer regions of the world, these hairs are trimmed to small sizes: to relieve the heat.
For reliving the heat of Shih Tzu, the best haircut in the summer is a lion cut. As the coat hair size is as small as a few inches, they feel less heat and remain cool under warm conditions too.
Helps Track Coat Oddity:
Small, well-groomed hairs can also serve as a pre-tracker to skin infections. If your pup has a small coat size, then you can easily monitor the lumps and bumps of its skin.
You can easily identify any upcoming disease priorly and cure it early. Periodic grooming and on-time investigation can save your pup from severe health issues. So, for prior disease tracking, the best haircut is the lion cut for Shih Tzu.
Suitable For Most The Coat Types:
There are several limitations to different Shih Tzu hairstyles. Only a specific hairstyle is recommended with a specific coat type. Like a puppy, a cut is recommended with a plain coat type.
But the lion cut is very diverse and can be easily done on all available coat types. It is suitable for most of the available common and rears Shih Tzu coat types.
How To Groom Shih Tzu Lion Cut At Home?
Grooming a Shih Tzu lion cut at home would require you to have all the necessary grooming tools, so confirm their availability first. Dog home grooming kits come up with a variety of different equipment; below, we have mentioned some must-have tools. Later, if you loved the grooming at home, then you can expand your kit by adding more and more equipment to it.
- A slicker brush and a metal comb (Di Spacing).
- Hair clippers with lubricating oil, coolant, and blade cleaners
- clipper blades, scissors, and chunkers.
- A steel tooth De shedding brush
- Slip leash for stubborn dogs.
Once you have all the necessary tools and equipment gathered, the next step is to get started with the haircut. Below we have shared a step-by-step guide for grooming a Shih Tzu lion cut at home.
Whole Body Brushing and Bathe:
You must first thoroughly brush out all the body hairs of your Shih Tzu. A prior brushing will help remove all tangles and mates of hairs.
For this, you can also use a slicker brush and a di teeth spaced comb. Slick dirt will target and remove all the dirt and mats, and the comb will develop uniformity in between the hairs.
Once you are done with freeing up all the hairs from tangles then it’s time to take your Shih Tzu for a bath. Here you can use vet-recommended shampoo and hair cleansers.
Later, you can dry out the hair using a dryer and avoid rubbing it with a towel. Afterward, again give a final brush which will make its hair already for grooming.
Before Grooming:
Designate a comfortable place that could be any table or comfy couch that will correspond to your Shih Tzu temperament. Maybe if he is stubborn, you might need to recruit a helper and use a slip leash to stick him to the place during the process. A comfortable, safe environment will prevent accidents and make the job more accurate.
Beginning The Lion Cut:
After placing your Shih Tzu in a comfortable grooming position, it’s time to start the lion cut. Use ten guard-size clipper guards with detachable clippers for whole-boy shaving.
This clipper guard size will leave behind 1.5 Inches long hairs across the body. Start shaving from the top of the body, that is, his back area, then moves towards the chest, top, legs, and tails. Leaving behind the facial hairs will then give your Shih Tzu a lion look.
Doing Some Sanitary Grooming of Lion Cut:
Sanitary grooming compromises grooming against the stomach, groin, and tail area. These are some delicate areas, so one must ensure safety and has to be careful. Some of the very essential safety tips that, if followed, can prevent any sort of unpleasant incident are as under:
- Evaluating the Coat first means if the hairs are overgrown you can start with scissors first. Later, when the length is decreased, you can move towards using the clippers.
- For clippers, make sure to use them on a low intensity, which will ensure they would radiate slow work and less heat from the machine.
- Prevent sudden nicks, as they can be painful for the Shih Tzus. Always move the clipper in an upward motion in these regions.
To start sanitary grooming, start from the tail by standing just at the back of your Shih Tzu. When the tail is done, lift it up and carefully trim out the buttocks region.
Then lay down your Shih Tzu on the table and lift his one leg; start shaving from the ankle of the leg towards the hip all up to the groin. Do the same for the other leg too. Later, apply the same procedure for the front to legs which will end up with the shedding undercarriage.
Grooming The Facial and Maintaining The Mane:
Using chunkers, shape out the facial and neck hairs. Start with combing the hair and brushing them, then chunker to reverse the teardrop shape of the lion’s face.
These hairs will keep growing and will transform your Shih Tzu investigate the look of a lion. Don’t start with big scissors, as a little change in the hair size can change the entire look.
During the facial and neck grooming, you also must leave behind some hairs on the head. Later, these hairs are styled out and look beautiful. Leaving the facial and head hairs will surely make them look like a lion.
Facial grooming is undone if you haven’t treated the hairs around the eyes, nose, and ears. They are to be trimmed, leaving behind other facial hairs around the cheeks, chin, and jaws.
Key Take Aways Lion Cut for Shih Tzu
- Small, trimmed body hairs with grown facial hairs are referred to as Lion Cuts.
- The lion cut is a less maintenance haircut for all coat types
- Make your Shih Tzu comfortable
- Set Mini Goals, Take Baby Steps
- Safety is first for sanitary grooming
- Be Consistent and Patient Throughout the Process
- Keep it Positive and Rewarding, Don’t Forget to Treat Your Shih Tzu at the end.
Final Words
Shih Tzu is known for having extraordinary coat colors and, therefore, has many haircut styles and options. If you are not fond of paying much time and attention to grooming, then one of the best haircut styles to go for is the lion cut.
As the bread sheds less and has low maintenance and grooming needs, these haircuts benefit their charming looks. Lion cut serves as a tracker for upcoming skin diseases. Relief heats from the body in warm weather conditions.
If you are trying to groom a lion-cut Shih Tzu at home, our guide will hopefully help you with it. That was all from us on lion cut for Shih Tzu and how to groom a lion-cut Shih Tzu at home.
If you still have any queries left regarding the lion cut for Shih Tzu, you can reach out; we would love to hear from you.