gentle shih tzu grooming moments

We did some dog grooming on the shih tzus today. No clippers since we are letting their fur grow. Plus, John prefers hand trimming their faces, private parts and paw pads. I am amazed at how good Flower was, compared to the old days. She even lay down while we did her paws! I doubt if she was very relaxed, but for some reason, she did it.

Dottie was the worst; she fought everything we tried to do. Nigel was better. John worked on him by himself while I was working. I know Lia at the Gentle Groomer says dogs get nervous when more than one pair of hands hold them, and that we shouldn’t let the shih tzus touch us, because that is a reward, but, as John says, whatever works. We could probably be more stern with them, but we are additionally using the grooming as an opportunity to pet the shih tzus, massage them and have some togetherness. That is especially important for John, since they are so standoffish with him.

We made sure they got a treat afterwards, to try to get them to associate grooming with good things!

fun shih tzu moment

Nigel can be so funny. This afternoon, I heard paws scurrying and looked up. He came from the kitchen running as fast as he could, crossed the living room floor to his dog bed, and darted back towards the kitchen. I asked John if he knew what he was doing. He said the back door was open and he was probably smuggling stolen dog bones outside.