How can I bathe and shave my Great Pyrenees by myself?

Question

I live on a farm in Texas. It costs $100 to take her to a groomer. I don't want "pretty"..I just want her to be comfortable. She is an inside/outside dog.

Thanks for the great answers,but I also need to know how to KEEP her in the tub, swimming pool, etc. while I am bathing her? Thanks for the concern about the undercoat, but the shaving is needed for the heat and so that I can find the spear grass that has found it's way into her skin. She is 8.

Answer 1

Your female and my male... yeah... it's FUN!!

I live on a farm in TN, near Knoxville. Mine are inside/outside dogs too and guard all night.

OK... If you needed added information after reading the info below, please join one of the two best Yahoo Pyr groups below and ask me for more info or a photo.

I got strapping material when we lived aboard a sailboat. I used it for lifelines. So I used it to make a special harness for my male pyr, Pepper.

I put an eyebolt in a support beam about 5' up and I got a cow watering tub to put under it. The strap goes down from the eye-bolt and hooks with a leash clip to the dog's collar. The 2nd strap is long enough so I can loop it around both the dog's hind legs so it's like a harness collar on his rear. You might be able to get one of those harness collars and use it on your girl's hind end and hook it by a leash to a point above the dog and another leash to her collar.

One thing I learned about pyrs is, when they are leash trained, they respond to the leash as telling them that they are under your control and must behave. When I secure both ends of my male, he does stay much more calmly in the tub. He's obviously not happy, but he doesn't fight because he's on-leash and that means under control. It really works like a charm.

btw: Don't worry about washing her too often.
brush the dogs out more, and wash them less is my motto.

ALSO... bathing works better if you take time to comb her out really good before the bath. I was reading up on grooming pyrs and it said to get out the matting before you bathe so the bath does the job efficiently.

Shaving the entire dog is a no-no... BUT... cutting the belly hair to about an inch is not bad and makes it short enough for you to find the spear grass. but... get rid of the matting first with a matting comb.

Sheep shears are overkill. Get an A-5 Oster with dual speed. Much less bulky and strong enough to survive the job of grooming a pyr.

Allison's right ... it takes a day for a pyr to dry. I just prefer to comb first and shampoo second.... and use Show Sheen after shampoo blended 1/2 and 1/2 with water to keep the hair manageable and less likely to snarl or matt again.

If Allison reads this... my hubby is from Conroe/Spring area. My step-daughter works at a local pet shop as a groomer down there.

Answer 2

My dog actually suffered from heat stroke one summer and my vet said it was too hot this type of dog in Missouri, and that I needed to shave him down in the spring. He said, these dogs were specially breed to have a VERY thick undercoats to be able to survive the VERY cold Pyrenees Mountains. If we are going to take these dogs out of their natural environments, then we do need to accommodate them by shaving them down in the hot summer. As for "sunburn" worries; just do not shave them bald...have groomer set shaver to leave 1/2 inch and they will be protected. But if they were shaved bald, it grows back so fast that it would be grown to 1/2 inch in about a week! They do not like and do feel depressed...for about 1 day. But then they are comfortable and happy for the rest of the summer!

Answer 3

we moved to texas last december with my samoyed, from wales where it is cold all the time.
people said dont shave him, he will look awful, and his hair wont grow back, it protects him etc etc etc - BUT my dog was uncomfortable, we live on a farm and texas sticker burrs are a menace so i went to the groomers and asked how much it would cost and they said 120! every 6-8 weeks, no way.
so i bought a proffesional clippers - dont bother with the wal mart cheapo ones, i bought an andis super ag but an oster golden or a5 is also very good, these cost around a $100, but you can use them forever.
i cut him with a number 4 attachment which leaves the hair looking about an inch long.
i bathed him the day before because he takes a whole day to dry lol.
then i just clipped him, the first time it took around 2 hours, now the "touch up" takes about an hour.
he looks like a big bear, he is soooo much happier and cooler, i am letting it grow back no for the winter.
as you say we want them to be comfy not pretty, and if they are not show dogs who cares
by the way where do you live? i live north of houston and its still 92 degrees in october lol

Answer 4

I bath and trim my large breeds myself. When the weather is not too cool I will bathe them outside over a kiddie pool. I wet them gently with the hose, use dog shampoo, and then rinse throughly. Then I will dry them off with towels and let them run around (they get WILD after a bath!) and air dry the rest :)

If the weather is cooler (I am from CT) I will resort to using our tub. It is quite a sight! I remove the shower liner and shower curtain. I purchased one of those nosels which allow me to spray my dogs. Same idea as the bath above.

I wish you luck and be prepared to be more wet then your GP! I used to own a GP, they are wonderful dogs :)

I actually would recommend that you do NOT shave your GP at all! There is a reason why they have that thick coat.. keeps them cool and offers protection that they need. You can however remove her undercoat. Stores like Petsmart and Petco sell wonderful brushes designed to get out the undercoat. Don't shave her, OK?

NOTE: I put collars on my dogs and I have my husband hold them still by the collar in the pool/tub. If you must shave her... get sunblock and make sure you apply it daily before she goes outside.

Answer 5

DO NOT SHAVE YOUR PYR!!!!!

The coat protects the skin from the sun as it is highly sensitive to it.

As a long coated breed, the Great Pyrenees is no exception. Definitely avoid shaving your dog as this can actually increase the risk of heat stroke as the dog's coat helps to insulate it against the heat. The best way to prevent heat stroke is to provide plenty of fresh water, along with a cooler, shady spot or shelter. Be aware that heat stroke can occur within minutes if the dog is confined in a small enclosed space, such as the interior of a vehicle, so always avoid this.

Answer 6

Great Pyrenees and other double coated breeds should not be shaved. The coat is weather resistant, protecting the dog from the elements of rain, snow, and even sun. It might seem helpful to shave a double-coated breed, but they will be more uncomfortable without their insulation. Buy a kiddie pool and let your pup play in the water, it'll help cool her down.

Answer 7

Buy yourself a comb called the Furminator. The largest one that they sell. It will deshed the undercoat. It will take time to do. First bathe the dog, dry, then comb out. Do not brush too hard, or you can hurt the dog. Great Pyrs should not be shaven down in my opinion.

Answer 8

Shaving is easy. Just use the sheep shears and try to ride at an even level. Bathing is hard! If it's a warm enough day use a kiddie pool outside as a tub. I have to admit my female was only bathed 4-5 times in her life. And my current pyr has only been bathed once.

Answer 9

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://tr.im/05juU

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 10

dont shave if you dunno how, too dangerous. maybe you should search the net on techniques, read up more, then try. simple shave shouldnt be very hard. bathing is easy. just make sure the shampoo is truly massaged into the coat. try not to use human shampoo as they make dogs' skin greasier. and maybe you should take her to the groomers, once a year??