Shih Tzu owners! How do you have your dog groomed?

I don't have a shih tzu, but I adore the breed and have thought about showing them someday.  They look so beautiful in long coats- give it a shot!  Other shih tzu owners use hair gel to keep the hair smoothed back away from the eyes.  PetSilk makes a topknot gel.
For maintenance, all you really need is a line of products that won't build up/ clog hair follicles (try Coat Handler or Eqyss)
Bath every two weeks or so, and line brush every single day (or twice a day), using a detangling spray.
Every time I see an adorable shih tzu clipped into a short coat, I think it's such an incredible shame and I wonder why the owners got a dog known for its beautiful long hair...

Hi firestorm, I have my tzu Leo in a puppy clip as a groomer I find this look the cutest for my little guy I like him to look like a fuzzy teddy bear he has a beautiful coat and I find this the best way for him to look. He is shorter on his body about 1/2 inch and an inch on his legs I like the fluffier legs because it makes him look like hes wearing pants. (silly I know) I give Leo a bath once a week and brush him about 4 times a week his face is round and his ears are even with his chin I shave by his eyes to keep it clean. I find this type of clip is most versatile for myself and my clients Leo is VERY active and this looks keeps him looking decent between baths and from matting up.  Also shih tzus having a short muzzle and nose are very sensitive to the heat and having them a little shorter in the summer really helps. I love the look of a show dog or full coated shih tzu but this is just too time consuming and difficult to keep up most of the show dogs never get to run in the grass and play like normal dogs because of all that hair. If you need instructions for your gromer let me know. Good luck I will try to find a picture of Leo to post sometime in the near future.

Harley had is coat really short when I got him and seemed REALLY itchy with it that way.   Right now his body hair is about an inch long and his head hair is about 1-1/2 inches long.  I am just trying to figure out if I should clip him or if I should let it grow out more, atleast on his head.

I cut Zoes hair myself .  I cut her hair very short on her body and legs, her ears are longer and cut blunt, one length.  Her fur around her nose/mouth is shaped like a small moustache.  Her fur is silky soft when it is cut this short.  It is very easy for me to maintain as I have FM.  I bathe her once per week.  I keep the fur between her eyes nice a short so it doesn't go into them.
   I didn't get a  Shih Tzu for their coat.  I got a Shih Tzu for their disposition and for their love of being loved and cuddled.  She is a big comfort to me.[]

I didn't get my Shih Tzu's for their looks either, although I prefer the look of the shorter coats myself. I got them because of their wonderful personality.
 
Mine are more comfortable in puppy cuts as they love to play outside and having the long hair was too tough on them and me to properly care for.
During the winter, I groom them myself and in the summer, I have them groomed professionally.

Since I'm a groomer, I'll tell you exactly what Daisy gets (because the term "puppy cut" can have 100 different meanings to different people). Daisy gets a #5 all over (or a #3 in reverse) and a scissored teddy-bear head.  My co-worker usually grooms her. I won't let a certian person in the shop do her because I don't like it when the top of her head is shaved. I think she looks like a pekegnese
 
Here she is with her head shaved: (I DO NOT like it like this)

 

We tried growing it out long durring the winter, but her allergies got so bad. She'd lick and lick her hind end for hours on end and the hair wouldn't dry so she wound up with a skin infection because it was so moist.
 
You can see in my signature Daisy's topknot is about 2 inches and we put it up in the hair bow. Notice her face/beard/chin is very rounded. I like that look    I think it looks cute like that
 
 

My niece has a Shih Tzu which I kept for her for a year because her mother was being difficult. He has a wooly coat so I always kept his hair short. My new next door neighbors breeds Shih Tzu's and she also grooms dogs so she keeps her's all with a short coat. Here is my niece's Shih Tzu before he started getting his hair cut short...

I am thinking about keeping Harley's body hair short and leaving his head alone.  I would like to see him with a Fu Manchu and ponytail on his head. []

Firestorm how do you plan to keep Harley's face hair cut? I know that with my niece's Shih Tzu, they keep it cut short as they feed him canned and dry food and his face hair if not kept short would get really stinky and nasty. Better hygiene for the doggie...

I wanted to keep Gingerbread in full coat, but his fur is cottony and mats very easily, so I eventually did some trimming. I used to work in a grooming shop as a bather and learned some grooming, so I kind of know what I'm doing. I have Andis clippers and I used an attachment to take some length off Gingerbread's coat. I scissored everything to make it mostly even.

I really like Shih Tzu with a topknot. So, I'm always going to leave enough hair to do that. So basically, about twice a year I use an attachment to take some length off his coat, and scissor the ears, head and legs not as short, but enough to keep it proportionate. He's never shaved to the skin. I like it because it's like a modified full coat.

The pic in my avatar is before I groomed him. I wish I had a recent pic, it sucks not having a digital camera... (note to self, get disposable camera and take pictures)
 
Right now his hair is a little shorter than in the picture and his topknot is entirely white- as opposed to the darker liver color in the picture. He also only has the dark chocolate color on the very ends of his ears now. With the next haircut that color will probably be gone. It's so weird how Shih Tzus can change colors because of the way their hair grows. [&:]

Hmm...well, I want it a bit longer.  Maybe I could ponytail the bottom.  Have to wait and see.  I can always cut it.  Harley gets bathed a minium of once a week and sometimes twice a week.  It is necessary to bathe him often or he gets really itchy.  Harley only eats dry kibble, he hates canned food!