How to Clip a Shih Tzu? | Home Grooming Steps

A clean Shih Tzu is a pleasure to clip. The secret to a smooth home groom is starting with a bath, thorough drying, and a fully detangled coat. Trying to clip over dirt or mats ruins the blades and makes the trim uneven. For most pet owners, a manageable “pet trim” every six to eight weeks keeps your dog comfortable and looking great without the maintenance of a show coat.

What You Need to Clip a Shih Tzu

A professional-grade A5 clipper with the right blades and good scissors are the core of the kit. The wrong tools make the job harder and risk hurting the dog. The table below lists the essential gear.

Preparing Your Shih Tzu for the Clip

The coat must be clean, completely dry, and mat-free before a single blade touches it. A dirty coat will pull and clog the clipper, and wet hair clogs the blade mechanism. Use line brushing: part the hair with one hand, brush from the skin outward in a straight line, then repeat in layers. This technique reaches every tangled hair at the skin level. If you find a small mat, tease it apart with your fingers or a de-matting comb — never use scissors to cut out a mat, because the dog’s loose skin can easily slip into the blade path. For stubborn mats, cut through them carefully with rounded-tip grooming scissors, going parallel to the skin.

How to Clip the Body: The Step Order

Work in sections, starting from the feet and moving up the body. Hold the clippers at a 45-degree angle and clip in the direction of hair growth — from neck toward the back. Stretch the skin slightly (especially in the armpits and neck) so you don’t nick the loose folds. Apply clipper oil to the blades every few minutes; hot blades burn the skin and can cause a lifetime of fear of the clippers.

How Do You Get a Smooth “Puppy Cut”?

The “puppy cut” is a uniform short trim all over, which is by far the most common home-grooming look. Use a Number 10 blade for the body, and trim the leg hair slightly shorter than the body hair to stop the notoriously feathery Shih Tzu legs from flaring out like bell-bottoms. For the classic round face, switch to a 13mm guard comb on the clipper and work carefully around the head’s contours.

Many first-time clippers find that our recommended clippers for Shih Tzus make the transition to home grooming much smoother, with the right power and blade options for the job.

Face, Eyes, and Tail: The Precision Work

Switch to bull-nose scissors for the face. Never use sharp-pointed scissors near the dog’s eyes — an accidental sneeze or head turn can cause serious injury. Hold the chin fluff, trim the corner of the eye with the blunt tip facing the eye, and soften all edges with thinning shears. This creates the signature rounded Shih Tzu face without harsh choppy lines. For the tail, hold the tail end level, comb the hair straight down, and trim with curved scissors into a slight U-shape. One to two inches is a common length.

Paws and Topknot

Clip the hair on the bottom of the paw pads level with the pads using a Number 30 or 40 blade — this is the only place those fine blades are used on bare skin. Then trim around the foot shape with curved scissors for a neat, rounded look. If you are keeping the classic topknot, gather the hair on top of the head, twist it gently, and secure with a rubber band. Never pull the band tight; a too-tight topknot can hurt the dog and damage the hair over time.

Common Clipping Mistakes to Avoid

Clipping a dirty or wet coat is the fastest way to ruin both the coat and the blades — always start clean and dry. Jerky clipper movements create uneven patches; keep smooth, steady strokes. Clipping against the grain (in reverse direction to hair growth) will sometimes produce a smoother finish, but it also increases the risk of irritation and ingrown hairs, so stick to the direction of hair growth unless you are very experienced. Never rush the face; slow, deliberate scissor work prevents injury and gives a better shape.