If you're a Shih Tzu owner, you will naturally want to make sure that your pet lives as long and happy a life as possible. To make this happen, you need to know the right Shih Tzu care techniques to make sure that your pet is getting enough exercise, eating the right amount of nutritious food, is groomed properly, and is properly stimulated and socialized through lots of fun play. You can add a great deal to the life of your dog simply by providing the right kind of Shih Tzu care.

When you bring home a puppy, you should continue his or her diet with the same food that was used by the breeder or dog rescue from which you made the adoption. After a while, you can gradually make a change to any preferred food that you choose, as long as you don't do things too quickly as you risk upsetting your dog's stomach. As your puppy becomes a dog, you will need to make a second change to a premium dog food specially designed for smaller dogs, as this will provide the right kind of nutritional Shih Tzu care.

Effective Shih Tzu care also includes a certain level of grooming. This means that you will need to regularly inspect your dog's eyes, ears, mouth, coat, and feet to ensure that there aren't any problems.

You should check your dog's eyes to make sure that there isn't any excessive redness or watering. A special element of Shih Tzu care includes keeping the hair out of your dog's eyes. This means either trimming or tying the hair up away from the eyes to prevent irritation. This is why the Shih Tzu top knot, tied with a ribbon, has become so important not only to the appearance, but also the ocular health of your pet.

Cleaning your companion's ears are as simply as dipping a cotton ball in a cleaning solution specially meant for that purpose (which can be purchased from a veterinarian or some specialty pet stores). Should you find any redness or blood (fresh or dried), you should tell your veterinarian.

Another important part of Shih Tzu care is grooming. The coat needs to be brushed regularly to keep the hair free of mats and dirt. Nails and feet should also be trimmed to keep them clean and healthy.