Is it true that shih tzu's cannot be out it really warm weather?

Question

Is it true that shih tzu's cannot be out it really warm weather?

Answer 1

no- but like any dog they need to be given shelter and free access to water on hot days

Answer 2

I believe that the answer to this would be to use your best judgment on the day. I have a Shih Tzu puppy and he absolutely hates being in the sun for too long. Having said that, he has always been very sensitive to heat and prefers to be cold to be comfortable.

I think the trick to Shih Tzus is to keep their hair trimmed short, so that they are not suffering with the heat under their thick double coats. As with any dog, you will get to know their signs of stress and hopefully he/she will let you know when the heat is too much.

If you are planning on taking your dog outside in the heat, I would reccommend taking lots of water with you just in case s/he does overheat.

Good luck

I wouldn't suggest shaving your Shih Tzu bald, at all! But keeping the coat trim so that you can groom them very easily helps. My puppy loves playing in water in the hot weather and with a longer coat, it tends to get scruffy very quickly.

You will be able to tell whether your dog's coat is adding to the problem or not.

Answer 3

My little guy loves the outdoors and doesn't care about the heat, but since I know that they are very sensitive to the heat, I limit his time out to very short periods of time and make sure he has plenty of water and shade.  If he had his way he'd stay out all day, but it's up to me to keep him safe and make him come in.

Answer 4

They can go out but it's not a good idea to leave them in hot weather for long as they are very sensitive to heat and, like other smushed nose breeds, they are prone to heat stroke.

EDIT:

About heat and their coats - the coat actually acts as an insulator in the winter (keeping the warmth in) and in the summer keeps the heat out. There is no need to make your Shih Tzu bald to keep him cool. To cool down any dog you should give them water and also put water on their stomach and feed pads.