I've booked my 17wk old puppy into be groomed next week as he can hardly see out at the moment.  The hair at the top of his nose is sprouting in front of his eyes and his fringe is attacking from above, so all-in-all i think it needs doing!  But i was wondering if this will hurt him? Do they pluck the hair out, it can't be very pleasant.  How do other people manage this?  He is a shih-tzu.

Shih Tzu is not a breed that really should be professionally groomed. They cannot be hand stripped, that only works for certain types of coat like wire haired terrier breeds as an example (and it does not hurt when the coat is correct), and they're not meant to be clipped either. Normally the hair is tied back to keep it out of the eyes and I'd imagine the puppy stage is a difficult one as you need to wait for it to grow long enough for that to be possible. :) Of course, a lot of people do keep them clipped but I've always wondered what the point is in getting a long coated breed and then clipping it short? I found this article on grooming on the breed club's website which may be of some help:
http://www.theshihtzuclub.co.uk/care.htm

I would respectfully disagree - I do a lot of Shih Tzus and Lhasas, and the ones where the owners are keeping them in medium length coats definitely need professional attention to prevent the knots developing under arms, between legs etc. And it doesn't matter how often I show the owner how to brush thoroughly to the skin, they never catch every single knot. I always try to dissuade people from having them clipped really short though - I like to either thin to an inch / inch and a half length, or clip with a 5/8 blade for people having trouble with the brushing - I agree that I don't see the point in getting a long coated breed if you're not going to put in the time for brushing. And when I do the pet trim on the head, I leave that short but fluffy on top rather than with a top knot, and thin the hair out from under the eyes, something that a lot of pet owners seem to be too nervous to do themselves. From the sound of the puppy, I would just do the hair under the eyes, trim the fringe, bath if the owner wants that, and nails. I would also check under the feet, a lot of my clients have matted mud in the gaps between the pads, particularly on front feet.

and the ones where the owners are keeping them in medium length coats definitely need professional attention to prevent the knots developing under arms, between legs etc. And it doesn't matter how often I show the owner how to brush thoroughly to the skin, they never catch every single knot.

Don't you think that's bad though? Buying a longcoated breed and not managing the basics? I can honestly tell you I did not see one single Shih Tzu when I worked a a groomer -granted it was 20 odd years ago, but even so. :)

> he can hardly see out at the moment.

We used to have OES and we always tied their fringes up in little topknots so they could see out. If you use a covered type of band it doesn't pull the hair although you do have to put it back in quite often when it slips down. Our dogs always had a good weekly grooming which would take a couple of hours each once they had a full coat. Just occasionally I used to clip one right off as her skin was not good and she had to be bathed pretty often. Otherwise we kept them in full coat as we always liked them to look the way they are supposed to.

Mind you, as time goes by the spirit might be willing but the flesh grows weaker :-( But we really enjoy the lovely smooth dogs we have these days :-)

well i think (being a groomer myself) that it is always nice to see a dog in full coat how it is intended to be but however now days everything is mostly about quick and easy.mc donalds now not only is it fast food but you can drive through not even get outta ya car,microwave ovens tumble dryers and the clippers to clip off your dogs coat so you dont HAVE  to spend the time grooming!.its naughty but the options are there so people will use it.i do actually have a lhasa who come to me (TEDDY) once a week to be groomed and have his coat maintained he's so lovely but even once a week isnt enough he leaves me all comfy and happy but comes back needing a good going over.thing is when i say to claire come on claire you have to give him the once over once a day she says thats what i pay you for,and at the end of the day at least she does bring him to me and he does get groomed  but i sometimes think he'd be more comfy being clipped off.
she doesnt show him so i tae out the armpits ;-) it makes things a bit nicer for him.
i dont think its laziness just conveience thats all.lazy people never groom theyre dogs!!!

sorry replying to OP now totally forgot forgive me long day lol.....a decent groomer will imo will sit on the grooming table with him play with him and the slicker brush and comb so he knows its not something to dread,she/he will get him brushed and looking tidy and your puppy will have enjoyied it.i spend a lot of time with first time pups i think its importantant to let a dog/pup know its not going to hurt you will be fine but this has to be done.same with lead training really they come to accept it in the end.
im sure your puppy will be fine.x.x.x

> Don't you think that's bad though? Buying a longcoated breed and not managing the basics? I can honestly tell you I did not see one single Shih Tzu when I worked a a groomer -granted it was 20 odd years ago, but even so

I can't help wondering if many new owners of long coated breeds even know they are long coated?  so many TTs Shih Tzu's and Lhasa's etc are clipped these days and many people just see a dog and think "I want one" :( :(

Re not combing/grooming through their own dogs, do these same people not comb their own hair?  or their childrens' ? 

> i dont think its laziness just conveience thats all.lazy people never groom theyre dogs!!!

I'm a lazy person! but my dog gets a daily brushing and he's not got a long or thick coat. He gets extra brushing at the ends of his ears to get out all the food, that wiping him after eating doesn't remove (he's such a messey eater, he gets food everywhere!!).
Brushing a dog, as regularily as it needs, is surely basic dog-care and should be upheld by all dog owners, weather they are lazy or not?

> i dont think its laziness just conveience thats all

> once a week to be groomed and have his coat maintained he's so lovely but even once a week isnt enough he leaves me all comfy and happy but comes back needing a good going over.thing is when i say to claire come on claire you have to give him the once over once a day she says thats what i pay you for

sounds like laziness to me...

> I'm a lazy person! but my dog gets a daily brushing and he's not got a long or thick coat.

i'm tremendously lazy and i brush tio at least every second day, usually more than once a day though because he loves it. he's smooth coated so doesn't need it as such (won't mat at least) but he enjoys it and it makes him more comfortable, especially now as he's shedding.

I'll also sit and look at his ears and feet and clean out his wrinkles so he's all clean but mainly just for being together. do these people not pat their dogs even? i find half the grooming i do is just an extension of spending time stroking him.

This is to me a very inportant part of owning a dog its that special one to one time.
If you start this grooming and touching and a very special trust will develop between dog and owner.

Even if they are'nt too keen keep on with it they will see it as part of their routine and adapt.
It builds such a bond of trust and theres nothing quiet like it...in my opinun.

They after all ...look to you for most things why not this bit.

> i find half the grooming i do is just an extension of spending time stroking him.

Yes, same here :) I've just finished spending 30 mins giving Buster a brush & wipe over (only for him to go into the garden, lay on a bald patch of lawn, eat the mud and get muddy slobber all over his face & legs!), he loves it, mostly because he associates grooming, ear/teeth/feet inspections with treats!, and I get to fuss over him with the excuse that I'm grooming him :-D

> i find half the grooming i do is just an extension of spending time stroking him

I'm with Astarte on this one.  And that extension builds a so much better bond.

Oh yes I think it's awful - I show them and tell them time and time again how to be sure they are brushing and combing right to the skin, and yet they still come back with knots all over. Even my hubby gets George in an awful state when he takes him up to the Lakes, and I believe him when he says he brushes him, he just doesn't do it thoroughly in spite of being shown.

>Don't you think that's bad though? Buying a longcoated breed and not managing the basics? I can honestly tell you I did not see one single Shih Tzu when I worked a a groomer -granted it was 20 odd years ago, but even so. :-)