Shih Tzu
MICHELLE WEBER
ALFIE
Alfie the Shih Tzu is a cheeky soul. Michelle has groomed him since he was a puppy, when getting anywhere near his eyes was a major negotiation. These days he’s come a very long way, and this groom is as much about that relationship as it is about his haircut. Michelle shows how she changes her holds, swaps tools and sometimes simply waits for Alfie to settle rather than turning every wriggle into an argument. Alfie has had his basics and bath done prior to filming.
Part 1 | Taking off the fluff
Michelle starts Alfie’s body with a dark blue attachment comb, a length she likes for leaving some fluff while still creating a manageable pet groom.
She clips away the bulk, back-brushing as she goes to even the finish and set up the shorter body before moving onto the much more interesting business of Alfie’s face.
Part 2 | Grooming the face Alfie used to say NO to
This is really Alfie’s chapter. Michelle explains that she once had to hand scissor his face because he wouldn’t tolerate clippers, and you can see how much trust they’ve built over repeated visits.
Rather than locking his chin into one hold, she finds the positions Alfie prefers, often simply letting him lean into her hand. Around his eyes she uses rubbing, little scissor sounds and short bursts of work, backing off when he flinches and returning when he relaxes. His eyelashes stay, his short Shih Tzu muzzle is opened up and the whole head gradually becomes a neat little circle.
It isn't necessarily the sequence Michelle would use on every Shih Tzu head. It's the sequence that works for Alfie, and that's rather the point.
Part 3 | Feet, legs & working where he’s comfortable
Alfie would quite like to sit down, thanks very much. So whenever the job allows it, Michelle lets him.
She shapes his feet into neat half-moons, connects them into the legs and works around his body with plenty of combing and scissoring. There’s particular attention to handling the front legs gently, another area Shih Tzus can be sensitive about, before his tail and final stray hairs get their tidy.
