Best Brushes for Shih Tzus (2026)
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Shih Tzus have hair rather than fur in every way that matters to grooming: it grows continuously, it does not shed out onto your furniture, and it is fine and silky enough that rough handling snaps it. The consequences are predictable. Coat that comes loose stays woven in the coat, friction points felt up quietly under the surface, and the owner who brushes only the top layer has a dog who looks immaculate and mats to the skin. The tools below are the ones that fit this coat, split by whether you are keeping it long or sensibly keeping it short.
At a glance
Our Top Picks
Best daily brush for a Shih Tzu in full coat
Chris Christensen Original Series Pin Brush, Best for Long Coats
Long coat people buy this brush and then stop buying brushes. The pins are polished stainless with rounded ends set in a flexible cushion, and they pass through fine silky hair without the snagging and snapping that fine wire slickers cause on this coat. On a Shih Tzu kept long, breakage is the enemy: a coat that keeps breaking never reaches full length and always looks thin at the ends. The price is high for a brush, low for the difference it makes over years of daily use. Pair it with a mist of leave in conditioner.
Check price on Amazon →Essential second tool for every Shih Tzu
Andis 7.5 Inch Steel Comb, The Verification Tool
The comb is what turns brushing from a hopeful activity into a finished job. Coarse teeth for the body, fine teeth for the face, topknot and the delicate hair around the eyes. Run it from the skin outward: if it passes cleanly, the section is genuinely done, and if it stops, there is a mat under a brushed surface. On a small dog this comb is also the practical tool for the areas a brush struggles with, like under the ear leather and between the front legs.
Check price on Amazon →Best slicker for a Shih Tzu kept short
Chris Christensen Big K Slicker, Best for Puppy Cuts
In a puppy cut there is not enough length for a pin brush to do much, and a slicker becomes the efficient choice. The Big K uses fine, soft, retractable pins on a cushioned pad, which means it separates tangles without the harshness that makes cheap slickers scratch a small dog’s skin. Its size suits a Shih Tzu’s body far better than a large slicker built for doodles. Use it flat with light flicking strokes, and follow with the comb.
Check price on Amazon →Best cheap brush for everyday touch ups
Hertzko Self Cleaning Slicker, Best Budget
The Hertzko is a fair first brush and an excellent second one. Pressing the button retracts the pins so the collected hair lifts straight off, which is genuinely useful on a coat that sheds into itself the way this one does. On a short puppy cut it does most of the daily work perfectly well. On a long coat it is too short in the pin and too fine in the wire, so it will smooth the top and miss what is underneath. Buy it in the small size and buy a comb with it.
Check price on Amazon →Best tool for tangles that have already formed
GoPets Dematting Comb, Best for Problem Spots
Every Shih Tzu owner eventually finds a mat under an ear or in an armpit. The GoPets dematting comb has curved stainless blades sharpened on the inner edge, so it cuts through the mat as you draw it out rather than tearing hair from the skin, with rounded tips to protect the dog underneath. Work from the outside of a mat inward, in small pieces, never in one determined pull. If a mat is flat and tight against the skin, stop and book a groomer: skin lifts into those and no comb is safe there.
Check price on Amazon →Where a Shih Tzu mats first
- Behind and under the ears. Constant friction between ear leather and neck. Comb under each ear daily.
- Armpits and inner thighs. Skin on skin movement, hidden from view, and the place harnesses rub. Lay the dog on their side and check.
- Collar and harness line. Anything the dog wears creates a mat under it. Remove the collar for brushing and check that band of coat every time.
- Around the rear. A hygiene issue as much as a coat issue. Most owners are happier with this area kept short year round.
- The face and topknot. Tear staining and food make the hair sticky, and sticky hair mats. A fine comb and a damp cloth daily keeps it manageable, and a topknot or a short face trim keeps hair out of the eyes.
Grooming the breed, not just the coat
Shih Tzus are brachycephalic, which means the flat face brings real considerations beyond brushing: facial folds need wiping and drying, eyes are prominent and easily irritated by hair, and heat and stress are handled poorly. A good groomer works quickly around the face, keeps the dog cool, and never uses forced air straight at the nose. Our guides to grooming a Shih Tzu and Shih Tzu haircuts cover the full routine and the trim options.
Keeping the schedule that keeps the coat
A Shih Tzu needs a professional groom every four to six weeks, and home brushing between. Miss the appointments and the daily brushing stops being enough; skip the brushing and the appointment turns into a shave down. Salons on GroomBoard rebook clients before they walk out and text the reminder, which is why their Shih Tzu clients arrive with coats rather than problems.