The most popular shih tzu haircut is the teddy bear cut, where the coat is trimmed to a soft, even length with a rounded face and gently shaped ears. Of the 305 style-tagged shih tzu photos on Groomably, the teddy bear cut accounts for 107 of them, 35% and more than any other cut. The famous floor-length show coat, the one on the breed posters, barely appears at all. The other styles worth knowing are the puppy cut, the long coat with a top knot, the summer cut, and the round or “panda” face. Which one suits your dog comes down to how much daily coat work you’re honestly prepared to do.
There’s one more number that tells you a lot about this breed. Bath-and-dry appointments make up 119 of those 305 tagged photos, 39%, which is a polite way of saying shih tzu owners are back at the salon between haircuts just to keep the coat washed, dried and brushed out. That’s not owners being precious. It’s the coat.
The shih tzu coat, briefly
Shih tzus have a double coat that grows continuously, more like human hair than typical dog fur. It doesn’t shed out seasonally and then stop, it just keeps going, which is why an untrimmed shih tzu ends up dragging its coat along the floor. That continuous growth is what makes the show coat possible, and it’s also what makes every style on this list a recurring appointment rather than a one-off.
Three things come up at nearly every shih tzu groom regardless of style. The eyes: hair grows straight into them, so the surrounding area needs regular careful trimming. Tear staining: those big shallow-set eyes water, and the wet hair beneath them stains rusty-brown, especially on light coats — daily wiping and short hair under the eyes manages it, but no haircut cures it. And the ears: long, hairy and dropped, they trap moisture, so a good groomer cleans them and tidies the hair around the canal every visit.
If you want to see how these styles look on real dogs rather than show-ring photos, the shih tzu breed page pulls together photos from salons around Australia, and the wider grooming gallery is good for browsing.
The show coat truth
Let’s deal with the stereotype first. The floor-length coat with the bow on top is the look most people picture when they hear “shih tzu”, and almost nobody who lives with one keeps it.
Here’s what maintaining one actually involves. Daily line brushing, section by section, down to the skin. The coat is usually kept in wraps — small bundles of hair folded into paper and banded — taken down, brushed out and re-wrapped regularly so the ends don’t break. Add conditioning products, careful bathing, and keeping the dog away from anything that tangles, which is to say away from being a dog. Show exhibitors treat it as the hobby it is.
For a pet, it’s not practical, and groomers will tell you so. A long coat that isn’t maintained at that level matts, and a matted shih tzu ends up shaved short for its own comfort — not as a style choice, but as the only humane option left. That’s the real reason the practical cuts below won. They keep the breed’s charm without the second job.
1. The teddy bear cut
The winner by a clear margin. The body is trimmed to a plush, even length, the face is scissored round and soft, and the ears are shaped to blend into the head. It keeps everything people love about the shih tzu — the big eyes, the sweet expression — at a length you can actually maintain.
What to ask the groomer: “A teddy bear cut, medium length on the body, round face, keep the hair short around the eyes.” Bring a photo, because “teddy bear” covers a range of lengths and face shapes. If tear staining bothers you, say so — the groomer can take the under-eye area shorter.
Maintenance: Brushing several times a week, right to the skin, especially behind the ears, under the collar and in the armpits. Regular grooms to hold the shape, and many owners book a bath-and-dry in between — that’s a big part of why bath-and-dry is our single most-tagged shih tzu service.
Suits which coat: Nearly all shih tzu coats. Softer, cottony coats matt faster at this length, so if yours is one of those, keep it on the shorter end of teddy bear.
Photo: Pawfect Work Pet Studio Cammeray, Cammeray NSW — via Groomably
You can see more real examples on the shih tzu teddy bear cut page, and our teddy bear cut guide covers the style across all breeds if you want the full picture.
The shih tzu teddy bear cut, in detail
It’s the cut most shih tzu owners walk out with, so here’s the longer version: what 107 real examples from Australian salons say about getting it right.
Everyone does it. Those 107 shih tzu teddy bear cuts come from 96 different salons, which makes it about as close to a national standard as grooming gets. Among the 22 dog breeds with at least 30 style-tagged photos on Groomably, the shih tzu ranks 9th for teddy bear share at 35%. That’s a long way behind the bichon frise (84%) and poodle (73%), and level with the yorkie (34%). The gap has nothing to do with popularity. A shih tzu coat is long, heavy and drapes. It’s built to hang, not to stand up into a round outline. So a shih tzu teddy bear cut always looks a bit softer and more tousled than the same cut on a curly breed, and a good groomer shapes it for that instead of fighting it.
It usually comes as part of a full groom. In our data, 33 of the 107 shih tzu teddy bear photos (31%) are also tagged as a full groom: bath, blow-dry, nails, ears, sanitary trim, then the cut. That’s the highest pairing of any style on this breed. Owners tend to book the teddy bear cut as the complete package rather than a quick trim. That’s sensible, because the cut only holds if the coat underneath is clean and fully brushed out first.
Length. “Medium” is the usual brief: long enough to stay soft and fluffy, short enough that you can brush right to the skin in one sitting. If your dog matts behind the ears or in the armpits between grooms, go shorter next time rather than putting up with tangles. A matted coat usually ends in a shave-down anyway.
The face is the whole point. The shih tzu teddy bear face is scissored round and full, with the hair between the eyes taken short so it can’t poke into them. That’s a real comfort issue on a breed with prominent eyes. The moustache and beard are shortened and rounded, and the ears are trimmed to blend into the head. If tear staining bothers you, ask for the hair under the eyes kept especially short. Some owners also ask for the topknot kept long enough to tie up. That’s a hybrid, but a common one.
A classic round-faced shih tzu teddy bear cut. Photo: Alphapet Port Melbourne, Port Melbourne VIC — via Groomably
The finishing touch. A bow or bow tie appears in 18 of our 107 shih tzu teddy bear photos (17%) and a bandana in 4. The bow is usually the salon’s finishing flourish, not something you need to ask for.
How often. Every four to six weeks keeps the shape crisp, because shih tzu hair grows fast and the face goes shaggy first. Owners who stretch to eight weeks usually book a face-and-feet tidy or a bath-and-dry in between. Bath-and-dry is the single most common tag on shih tzu photos in our library (119 of 305).
Fresh off the table: even body, rounded head. Photo: Blown Away Dog Grooming, Baldivis WA — via Groomably
2. The puppy cut
The puppy cut is the teddy bear’s easier-going cousin: short and even all over, including the face, with less sculpting. The dog looks fresh, fuzzy and young, and the coat is short enough that brushing becomes quick rather than a project.
What to ask the groomer: “A puppy cut, short and even all over, easy to manage.” If you struggle to keep up with brushing, be upfront — the groomer will pick a length that gives you breathing room before matts form.
Maintenance: The most forgiving option here. A couple of brushes a week keeps it in order, though the eyes and ears still need the same regular attention as always.
Suits which coat: Every shih tzu coat type. It’s the default recommendation for busy owners, older dogs who don’t tolerate long grooming sessions, and first grooms — if yours is a pup, our puppy’s first groom guide is worth a read before you book.
Photo: The Pet Parlour, Raymond Terrace NSW — via Groomably
3. The long coat with a top knot
This is the middle path between the show coat and the practical cuts: the coat is kept long, though not floor-length, and the hair on the crown is tied up into the classic top knot to keep it out of the eyes. It’s the closest most pet owners get to the traditional look.
What to ask the groomer: “Keep the length, tidy the ends, trim the feet and sanitary areas, and put the top knot up.” Ask them to show you how to re-tie the top knot at home, because it won’t survive a week untouched.
Maintenance: Honest answer: daily. Line brushing every day, the top knot redone regularly so it doesn’t pull or tangle, and frequent baths because a long coat picks up everything the footpath offers. This is the highest-maintenance style on this list by a distance. If you skip days, it will matt, and you’ll be back to a short clip whether you like it or not.
Suits which coat: Silkier, straighter coats carry length best. Cottony coats matt too fast at this length for most households.
4. The summer cut
A short all-over clip, done for practicality rather than looks — though shih tzus wear it well. Australian summers are hard work under a continuously growing double coat, and a short clip keeps the dog cooler, cleaner and easier to bath after beach and park runs.
What to ask the groomer: “A summer cut, short all over, a bit of softness left on the face so she still looks like a shih tzu.” That last part matters — clipped too uniformly, the breed’s expression disappears.
Maintenance: The lowest of the lot. A weekly brush is usually plenty. Two cautions: a very short coat means more sun on the skin, so shade matters, and clipping doesn’t make the eye and ear care go away.
Suits which coat: All of them. Particularly sensible for coats that matt easily and dogs that live outdoors-adjacent lives.
A shorter body with the face left soft — the practical end of the range. Photo: Williamstown Dog Grooming, Williamstown VIC — via Groomably
Bath and blow-dry first, always. A shih tzu clipped on a dirty coat never finishes cleanly. Photo: Sams Dog Grooming, Baldivis WA — via Groomably
5. The round or “panda” face
Less a full haircut than a face style you add to any of the above. The cheeks, chin and crown are scissored into a circle, the ears rounded into it, and the finished head looks — there’s no better word — like a panda. It’s an Asian-fusion trend that suits the shih tzu’s flat face better than almost any other breed, and it photographs ridiculously well. Creative grooms like this account for 33 of our style-tagged shih tzu photos, about 11% — a minority taste, but a growing one.
What to ask the groomer: “A panda face” or “a round Asian-style face” — and definitely bring a photo. Not every groomer offers Asian-fusion styling, so ask when you book rather than on the table.
Maintenance: The round face needs regular scissoring to stay round, so expect more frequent tidy-ups than a standard face. The body maintenance depends on whichever cut you pair it with.
Suits which coat: Any coat with a dense, full face. The rounder and fuller the natural head coat, the better the panda.
Quick comparison
| Style | Length | Brushing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teddy bear | Medium, plush | Several times a week | The classic pet look, most coats |
| Puppy cut | Short, even | 2x/week | Busy owners, first grooms, older dogs |
| Long coat + top knot | Long | Daily, no exceptions | Committed owners, silky coats |
| Summer cut | Very short | Weekly | Hot months, easy-matting coats |
| Panda face | Face styling | Frequent face tidy-ups | Owners who want the photos |
How to choose, honestly
The shih tzu coat doesn’t reward wishful thinking. Pick the style that matches the brushing you’ll actually do, and remember the numbers at the top of this page: more shih tzu salon visits are for a wash, dry and brush-out than for any single haircut. Budget for the in-between visits, not just the cuts — our dog grooming cost guide covers what to expect, and this guide to grooming frequency will help you set a realistic schedule.
And if you love the show coat, love it in photos. Your dog will be happier in a teddy bear cut, and honestly, so will you.
