A sitter caring for a Shih Tzu needs information led by grooming and comfort, because this breed's glorious coat and flat face shape its daily care more than any exercise plan ever will. A week of skipped brushing turns into painful mats, and a warm afternoon walk that suits other small dogs can overwhelm a Shih Tzu. Your written handover should make the coat, eye, and heat routines unmissable, then cover feeding, toileting, and contacts.
The Coat Routine the Sitter Cannot Skip
Explain your Shih Tzu's current style and what it demands: a long coat needs a full daily brush-through down to the skin, while a clipped coat still needs brushing every other day and attention to the ears, armpits, and collar area where mats start. Show the sitter the tools you use — the brush, the comb for checking that the brush actually got through, and the detangling approach for any knot found — and be honest that pulling mats hurts and erodes the dog's trust in grooming. Note the topknot or face routine if your dog wears one, how you keep hair out of the eyes, and the bathing rule: only if truly needed, with the dog dried thoroughly afterward.
Eye and Face Care, Done Daily
Shih Tzus have prominent eyes in shallow sockets, so ask the sitter for a daily face check as part of the morning routine. Describe how you gently wipe away sleep from the corners with a damp soft cloth, and what a comfortable eye looks like in your dog. The call-you-and-the-vet signs are specific: redness, visible cloudiness, squinting or holding an eye shut, pawing at the face, or a sudden increase in tearing all get reported the same day, not watched for the week. Add the household hazards to manage — keeping the dog from rubbing its face on rough surfaces after playing outside, and watching enthusiastic greetings from bigger dogs around the face.
Heat, Breathing, and Sensible Walks
Tell the sitter your Shih Tzu is a flat-faced breed that overheats readily, so walks are short, unhurried, and scheduled for the cool parts of the day, with the dog setting a leisurely pace. Snoring and snuffling at rest are normal Shih Tzu sounds; breathing that becomes strained, panting that does not ease, or a dog that seems distressed in warm weather means stop, move somewhere cool, and call for advice. Note the harness you use, since collar pressure on the throat makes coughing worse in this breed, and any stairs or jumping rules you keep for those short legs and long back.
Feeding, Toileting, and This Breed's Opinions
Record measured meals and times, noting that Shih Tzus are famously capable of holding out for something better — the sitter should offer the normal food, wait, and report a full day without eating rather than escalating through the fridge's options. Include approved treats and any foods that upset your dog. For toileting, spell out the exact routine: which door, how often, the praise pattern you use, and patience for a breed whose house training can wobble in a new routine. Tell the sitter where cleaning supplies live without embarrassment; a prepared sitter cleans up calmly and tells you, which is what you want.
Comforts, Company, and Contacts
Finish with the comfort details: where your Shih Tzu sleeps, the lap and cuddle expectations of a breed bred purely for companionship, how long it is usually left alone, and the toys it actually plays with. Then the contacts block — your vet, the emergency clinic, your phone order, and a local backup — with permission for who can authorize care if you are unreachable. KinsLe's Care Pass hands your Shih Tzu's sitter temporary access to the brushing schedule, eye-check routine, and feeding notes together, so this little dog's comfort care continues exactly as it does at home.