Shorkie Tzu Grooming

Whether your Shorkie Tzu is difficult to groom is entirely up to you. A puppy cut will be on the easy end of the grooming spectrum whereas a Shorkie with top-knots and floor-length hair that makes them look as if they are a drapery-dragging parade float will require a lot of daily brushing and frequent bathing — among other activity — to keep their coat from being tangled, matted and full of debris.

Although neither of the parent breeds of the Shorkie Tzu tends to shed, they have very different coats and can produce a coat in their Shorkie puppies that require a variety of grooming measures. That difference is that Yorkshire Terriers have single coats of silky hair whereas Shih Tzus have double coats with a dense outer hair and a soft, silky inner hair. In any case, Shorkie grooming will require moderate to high effort, and if you elect to let your cute little Shorkie have floor-length hair, you will need to set aside a lot of time for daily brushing, frequent bathing and heavy grooming. Most people, however, tend toward the puppy cut — a style that keeps the hair short, easily managed and relatively free of debris.

The puppy cut (essentially short all over) can be done at home with a bit of patience. If it is your first time attempting a simple cut, however, you may want to watch an online video on how to groom a Shorkie. As for bathing, it need not be done except every 2-3 months at the most.

The Shorkie Tzu is a cute little dog whose parent breeds — the Yorkshire Terrier and Shih Tzu — have different style coats. Yorkshires have a single, silky coat and Shih Tzus have double coats that are dense on top and soft underneath. If your Shorkie ends up with a double coat, at-home styling must be done with care; if the undercoat is exposed or trimmed down, it can play havoc with your dog's health. Be sure to know if your Shorkie has a double- or single-hair coat, and how to trim that coat. While the puppy cut tends to be the most popular as well as the easiest to maintain, it must be done properly depending on the coat style.

There is no fashion standard for the Shorkie Tzu, so feel free to experiment with Shorkie haircuts and styles! From floor-length (and high-maintenance) styles, to short-body and long-faced, to puffy Poodle (with the feet, tail tip and head being long and fluffed out but the body being shaved close — which is only recommended for single-coat Shorkie Tzus — to resemble a dog-show Poodle), there is no end of styles you might conceive for your cuddly little Shorkie!