Grooming Tips

Should I bathe my Pyr and how often?

Misha's first bath with me

There's a wide range of opinions on whether a Great Pyrenees should be bathed or not.  The National Great Pyrenees website indicates that too much washing can reduce a Pyr's natural dirt shedding qualities.  Other resources indicate that if you show your dog, bathing will be much more involved.  So the answer will really depend on your specific situation and your dog.  As an example, my Misha required very little bathing; as long as I kept her nice and brushed she remained very clean and fresh (although there was more sanitary maintenance to be done the older she became).

Whitman's first bath with me

Whitman, on the other hand, it like the Peanut character "Pigpen" who is followed by a cloud of dirt and dust where ever he goes.  I can keep him brushed but he always stays a slight grayish-brown color if I don't scrub him regularly.  He can also get quite itchy if I don't keep him clean.

If you have never bathed a Pyr you need to plan plenty of time and it's a good idea to do a thorough brushing prior to getting them wet.  It seems as if it takes me quite a while to get their coats thoroughly wet. The National Great Pyrenees website indicates using shampoos made for dogs;  I like to use 100% Biodegradable and animal cruelty free products that are as natural as I can get.  Baxter is very sensitive to any fragrances so I also make sure they are fragrance free or made for sensitive skin/allergy.   Your nearest specialty pet stores should have a good variety of shampoos you can use.  I purchase mine at Next to Nature here in Tacoma.

Baxter honorary Pyr

The NGP website suggests getting your dog thoroughly wet then applying a line of shampoo down the dog's back then working it in with your hands or a bath mitt.  I take my dogs to Soggy Doggy in University Place, but I also have been known to wash them in my shower, bathtub, and outdoors with a hose that runs from the indoor bathroom.  The NGP website also suggests putting cotton balls in the outside part of the ear to keep the water out.  Regardless, the ears should be completely dried when done.  This would also be a good time to use an ear cleaner/dryer; there are quite a few commercial products and you can also use a homemade recipe.  Find a good resource for cleaning your dogs ears here which includes several cleaner recipes.  After the shampoo is completely rinsed you can apply conditioners or specialty products such as whitening shampoos then thoroughly rinse your dog's coat unless they are a leave-in product.  Care should be taken when applying products to the face and other sensitive areas. The Soggy Doggy has great high performance blowers I can use to get the dogs dry and the process also takes out any mats.  At home I just towel dry them well and try to keep Whitman out of his dirt pile until he is completely dry.

Washing my dogs also gives me a good indication of how their skin is doing and if they have any rashes, bumps, ticks, yeasty areas, etc.  So each dog will be a little different but what is important is that you adjust your dogs needs to keep him/her healthy and happy!