It takes skill to create a Shih Tzu (properly pronounced SHEED-zoo) bowtie, and since the Shih Tzu is a mainstream breed (according to the parent club), it’s important to get it right. That being said, as with any breed with fur, one must examine the head with one’s hands to properly assess what is really going on under the Shih Tzu’s «bubble» (a bowknot on top that gives the head a round and wide appearance). Writer, Jo Ann White, says the Shih Tzu’s head is «a complex collection of recessives,» but hairspray, teasing, and rubber bands can create illusions, making a practical exam even more difficult. important.
Over the years, there have been varying degrees of presentation in the Shih Tzu, and the bows have reflected different trends in shapes and styles. Fifty years ago, a Shih Tzu’s head wrap was simply held up with a single elastic band, and in the late ’70s, a modest bow was added to draw attention to a beautiful, large, round head. However, falling into the trap of «more is better» thinking, some groomers went to the «umpteenth» degree, with chignons becoming so exaggerated that they distracted from, rather than enhanced, the breed’s lovely round head. Backcombing, increasingly intricate ties, more banding, more teasing, more of everything, sometimes made the dog look like a contestant in a grooming show, and not a dog evaluated on conformation of him.
Steps to tie a single bun
- Gather the hair from the outer corner of the eye to the crown of the head and comb gently. From a bird’s eye view, it forms a triangle with rounded corners on the crown. For puppies or dogs with shorter hair on the crown, you should gather some of the hair over their eyes (usually one-half to three-quarters of an inch from each side of the parting, about 1 to 1.5 inches wide of hair gathered). In this case, it forms a rectangular shape instead of a triangular one.
- Gently comb back up-do hair to add volume. It depends on the length of the hair, if it is more than six inches long, comb it back to the middle of its length.
- Again, it depends on how much puff you want to create, usually 1.5-2 inches from the top of the eyes, secure the bow with a latex band.
- Alternatively, you can use a permanent paper wrapped around the gathered hair before it is folded and tie the bun with a latex band. This is commonly used in Maltese head bows as the paper blends into the coat color and also creates a small knot over the bow. This is great for those who are afraid of breaking their hair too often. You have to pre-cut the wrapper to about 1″ by 1.5″ in size.
- If the rest of the hair bothers one side of your dog’s eye, you have to do it again by gathering more hair from the crown of the head and tying the knot further back.
- If there is a lot of length to play with, you may want to comb back a few inches of the latex band, fold it over, and secure with another latex band. This is a very beautiful classic look from the 50’s, it almost looks like a hair extension.
- Smooth the slicked-back area with the wide-tooth comb so it appears smooth, but still has the shape and volume of a glamorous chignon.
- Tie a bow or any decorative hair clip around the latex band.
Similar to a single bow, the two differences are:
Shih Tzu Dog Breeds Magazine
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