Brush beyond the surface
PDSA recommends daily brushing. Work gently through the coat, especially behind ears and around legs. Ask a groomer about tight mats rather than pulling them out.
← All dog breeds
Shih Tzu: traits and everyday care
Shih Tzu care: daily coat maintenance, eye comfort, gentle exploration and activity adjusted for breathing and heat.
- Size
- Small
- Adult weight
- 4.5–7.5 kg, guide only
Adult-weight ranges are broad reference points, not a target for an individual dog. Age, sex, build, activity and veterinary advice matter.
Quick breed facts
A quick reference for broad breed traits. Your dog’s individual history and needs always come first.
- Origin
- Tibet / China
- Coat
- Long double coat
- Typical lifespan
- Over 10 years, guide only
Sources: PDSA · Shih Tzu ↗ · PDSA: eye ulcers ↗
Everyday care to consider
A breed is context, not a prescription. Use these ideas to make care easier to notice and discuss.
Keep eyes and the face comfortable
Check for trapped food and damp facial hair. A red, painful, cloudy or closed eye needs prompt veterinary advice; do not use leftover eye drops.
Adapt walks to breathing and weather
Use cool conditions and allow sniffing and breaks. Short-faced dogs may struggle with heat: stop for difficult breathing, and seek urgent care for severe distress or collapse.
Shih Tzu · Adapt walks to breathing and weather
For a healthy adult that tolerates it, the 20 + 15 + 25 minute example combines gentle movement and exploration. The breed reference is not a quota; shorten or stop if breathing or recovery becomes uncomfortable.
Small size does not remove the need for exploration and learning. Use secure walking equipment and short reward-based games. Schedule rest between outings; puppies and dogs with airway or mobility problems need individual advice before using adult durations.
Shih Tzu · Brush beyond the surface
PDSA recommends daily brushing. Work gently through the coat, especially behind ears and around legs. Ask a groomer about tight mats rather than pulling them out.
If the coat is clipped, PDSA suggests professional grooming about every 6–8 weeks, adjusted to coat length and growth. Keep facial hair out of the eyes with professional help. Eye ulcers can worsen quickly: call the clinic when you notice squinting, redness or pain, rather than waiting for grooming day.
Shih Tzu: Plan walks, meals and medication
Use the breed’s care notes above as context. Adapt the schedule to age, current weight and body condition, size, fitness, health, mobility, temperament, weather and your household. Sex alone does not determine a routine; neutering, heat, pregnancy and nursing also matter. Review changes with your vet.
When to change this timetable
Newborn: the first 2 weeks
No walks or adult meal schedule. If the mother is present, check that each puppy nurses effectively; do not replace successful nursing with a bottle timetable.
- If orphaned or not nursing, contact the vet promptly for a canine milk-replacer plan and a demonstration. In the first week, orphaned puppies commonly need feeding every 2–4 hours, including overnight. Only if 3-hour feeds are agreed: 00:00, 03:00, 06:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00. The volume depends on weight and the product.
- Keep the nest warm, dry and free from draughts, with space away from the heat source. Ask for an age-appropriate temperature; avoid direct heat and burns. A cold or weak puppy needs urgent veterinary guidance before feeding; do not force milk or use a syringe or tube without training.
- Weigh each puppy in grams daily during these first 2 weeks, at the same time and at a similar point relative to feeding, for example 08:00. Keep individual records, not just a litter average; ask promptly about weight loss or failure to gain.
- The mother normally helps with toileting. For an orphan, ask the vet to show gentle stimulation with warm, damp cotton after feeding and record urine and stools.
- Share the overnight rota: who gave each feed, when, how much of the prescribed formula was taken, weight and any change. Arrange the next check before handing over.
Seek urgent veterinary advice for failure to suckle, coldness, marked weakness, persistent crying, diarrhoea or breathing trouble. Do not wait for the next scheduled feed.
Sources: VCA ↗ · Merck Veterinary Manual ↗
Puppy
Do not use the adult exercise minutes. Plan gentle outings around waking, meals and play, with rest between activities. Ask about growth and safe exposure before public walks; a fixed “5 minutes per month” rule is not supported by scientific evidence.
PDSA ↗Senior or reduced mobility
Split the dog’s tolerated activity into easier outings. Note stiffness, limping or slower recovery and ask the vet to set durations if these appear. Age alone does not require switching food or dropping all exercise.
Very senior or frail: comfort comes first
There is no single birthday that defines frailty. Difficulty rising, exhaustion, appetite changes or disrupted sleep matter more than applying the breed’s adult exercise minutes.
- Offer toilet opportunities around waking and meals and before bed. Example check-in times: 07:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 22:00, with extra outings as needed. Ask the vet to set tolerated walk lengths; if even a short outing is difficult, agree assistance rather than pushing on.
- At 08:00 and 20:00, note comfort, food actually eaten, drinking changes, toileting, ease of rising, sleep and interest in favourite activities. These are example observation times, not a limit on checking or care.
- Use non-slip paths, an accessible supportive bed and easy access to water and food. Keep routes familiar; ask about a fitted support harness if help standing is needed.
- Record both portions offered and eaten and report weight or muscle loss. Do not automatically reduce food or protein because of age, force-feed or change a prescribed diet. Review all medicines and supplements with the vet; log each actual dose.
- Agree a plan for pain control, night care and reassessment. If comfortable rest or enjoyable activities are disappearing, discuss quality of life and palliative support with the clinic.
Collapse, breathing difficulty, sudden inability to stand, severe pain or inability to pass urine need immediate veterinary attention. New confusion, appetite loss or repeated falls also deserve prompt assessment, not dismissal as “old age”.
Sex and reproductive status
During heat, choose quiet routes and prevent unwanted mating. After neutering, review weight and portions rather than automatically changing walk minutes. Pregnancy and nursing need an individual nutrition and activity plan; male and female dogs do not need different clocks solely because of sex.
Schedule dog walks
For a healthy adult that tolerates it, the 20 + 15 + 25 minute example combines gentle movement and exploration. The breed reference is not a quota; shorten or stop if breathing or recovery becomes uncomfortable.
Published daily exercise referenceAt least 60 min/dayPDSA ↗
This is a broad breed reference, not an individual target. Exercise includes suitable walks and play, not continuous running. The session lengths below are an editorial example for a healthy adult already comfortable with this activity. Adjust for fitness, weather and veterinary advice; never push the dog to finish the clock.
Example day with times and durations
Move these hours to fit your household. Allow quiet recovery before meals; ask your vet about meal–exercise spacing for this dog. Add toilet outings whenever needed. Medication follows its own prescription, not this timetable.
| Time | Care | Duration / amount |
|---|---|---|
| Walk / suitable activity | 20 min | |
| Meal | ½ of the agreed daily meal ration | |
| Walk / suitable activity | 15 min | |
| Walk / suitable activity | 25 min | |
| Meal | ½ of the agreed daily meal ration | |
| Last toilet outing | As needed |
Sleep and rest schedule
PDSA gives a reference of 14–16 hours or more of sleep in 24 hours, with individual variation. Count daytime naps as well as night sleep; quiet rest is not always sleep.
Example rest windows for a healthy adult
| Time window | Opportunity to rest |
|---|---|
| – | Quiet night period |
| – | Undisturbed daytime rest |
| – | Undisturbed daytime rest |
| – | Undisturbed daytime rest |
These windows offer 14 h 45 min of quiet time, not guaranteed sleep or a confinement plan. Let the dog sleep outside them too and provide toilet breaks whenever needed. Use a comfortable, accessible bed, a calm location, daylight by day and dim light at night; keep water available.
Puppy
For weaned puppies, AKC describes around 18–20 hours of sleep per day, with naps often lasting 30–120 minutes. Offer quiet time after short activity and a toilet opportunity when they wake. Night toilet breaks may still be needed; do not use the adult timetable or keep a puppy awake to meet it.
Newborn: the first 2 weeks
For a newborn, sleep fits around nursing, warmth and the agreed checks. Orphan feeding continues overnight as prescribed; an adult night block must never delay a feed or a veterinary assessment.
Very senior or frail: comfort comes first
For a very old or frail dog, protect comfortable rest without setting a universal hourly target. Provide an easy-to-reach bed and assistance with toileting. New night pacing, confusion, panting or repeated waking merit a veterinary review of pain, health and sleep-wake changes; do not give sleep medicines yourself.
Share when the dog settled, estimated sleep, awakenings, toilet needs and who helped. Compare with this dog’s usual pattern rather than treating time spent in bed as time asleep.
Consult for a persistent or sudden change in sleep, difficulty settling or daytime lethargy. Difficulty waking, collapse or breathing trouble need urgent veterinary attention.
Schedule dog food and meals
Use a kitchen scale for small portions and agree one shared treat allowance. Record unfinished meals as well as extra food; a “small” snack is hard to judge against a small dog’s daily portion.
For many healthy adults, two meals work as a starting pattern: 08:00 and 20:00, 12 hours apart. Weigh the agreed daily allowance first, reserve any food used for rewards, then divide the meal portion. No single gram amount is correct for every dog of this breed.
Puppy
General feeding guide for weaned puppies: under 4 months, 4 meals (07:00, 11:00, 15:00, 19:00); 4–6 months, 3 (07:00, 13:00, 19:00); from 6 months, discuss moving to 2. These are example times, not a fasting rule. Confirm the pattern for very small puppies, illness or a prescribed diet.
UK Pet Food ↗Schedule dog medicine
Only schedule medication prescribed for this dog. Record the name, prescribed dose, route, interval, start and end dates, food instructions and who gave it at what time. Include vet-directed preventive treatments. For a missed dose or a reaction, contact the clinic; do not double a dose or change treatment yourself. Nuzzleway organizes reminders, not prescriptions.
| Prescribed interval | Time |
|---|---|
| 24 h | 08:00 |
| 12 h | 08:00 · 20:00 |
| 8 h | 06:00 · 14:00 · 22:00 |
Only if the prescription specifies this interval: every 24 hours → 08:00; every 12 hours → 08:00 and 20:00; every 8 hours → 06:00, 14:00 and 22:00. These illustrate spacing, not a choice of treatment. Confirm the starting time, food requirements and what to do after a late, missed or vomited dose with the clinic before setting reminders.
FDA ↗Share the care schedule
Agree who handles each walk, meal and prescribed dose, then share the times and care notes with family or a sitter. Mark what was actually done, with the time and person, so the next caregiver can check before repeating it. Keep the agreed routine and observations together in Nuzzleway and review the plan when the dog’s needs change.
Example handover: “18:40 — walk completed by Alex, 25 min, settled comfortably. Dinner not given yet. Check the medication log before any dose.” Record actual times and completion, not just reminders.
Sources: PDSA ↗ · AAHA ↗ · PDSA ↗ · PDSA ↗ · AKC ↗ · AAHA ↗ · UK Pet Food ↗ · FDA ↗ · AAHA ↗
Nuzzleway
A useful check-in for your dog
You do not need to measure everything. Start with what is ordinary, then keep a brief note when something is different.
A useful place to start
Coat tangles, eye or facial discomfort, breathing during outings, appetite and sleep.
Related dog-care guides
General guides that can help you build a kinder routine around this dog.
Everyday care
How often should you walk a dog? A guide by age and routine
Read guide →
Everyday wellbeing
How much should a healthy dog sleep? A guide by age and lifestyle
Read guide →
Life stages
Senior dog walking limits: pace, duration and when to adjust
Read guide →
Care moments
What to track in a pet care journal: a simple checklist
Read guide →Keep this dog’s care story close.
Nuzzleway brings routines, care dates, gentle check-ins and private memories together for the dog you know.