Grooming Pyrs
If there was a down side to owning a Pyr, some would say that it's the regular brushing that they need. Pyrenees dogs have beautiful coats, but in order to stay beautiful, they do need to get brushed once per week. A thorough brushing usually takes about half an hour.
The male Pyrs have much thicker coats, and they take longer to brush than the females. Depending on the season, the brushing could take longer. In the winter, their coats get really thick, but are usually cleaner than they are in the summer, so that's helpful. The warm weather brings with it a thinner coat, but also burrs and mud which can make brushing take a little longer too. And in the spring they start shedding their winter coat. That's when the brush needs cleaning after just one sweep through their shedding hair.
We really enjoy brushing our dogs. It can be a chore, but it's very rewarding. There is a sense of satisfaction when their coat looks nice, and the dogs also really enjoy the attention.
As puppies, brushing can be challenging. Often eating the brush is more enjoyable than the brushing itself. :) But if you train your puppy to sit, you can get them to hold still long enough to get some brushing in. When Captain and Princess were puppies, we would make them sit and wait to eat until we clapped our hands and gave them permission. (It's good to let your dog know that you are the boss over their food.) While they were waiting, we would brush them. Then when we gave them permission to eat, we would work on brushing their backsides and tails. This worked well for us.
As puppies, our dogs have had baths, but we rarely bathe our adult dogs. A Pyr's coat has natural properties that cause dirt to dry and fall off. In fact, it is used for spinning and makes fine sweater that resist staining for this reason. Also, bathing strips the dog's coat of natural oils. Our dogs live outside and work on the farm. Why would we bathe them? We don't bathe our goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, cats, or rabbits either. We believe they are healthier this way. :)
Below is a video of Mindy grooming our 9 year old Pyr guardian, Jackson.
The male Pyrs have much thicker coats, and they take longer to brush than the females. Depending on the season, the brushing could take longer. In the winter, their coats get really thick, but are usually cleaner than they are in the summer, so that's helpful. The warm weather brings with it a thinner coat, but also burrs and mud which can make brushing take a little longer too. And in the spring they start shedding their winter coat. That's when the brush needs cleaning after just one sweep through their shedding hair.
We really enjoy brushing our dogs. It can be a chore, but it's very rewarding. There is a sense of satisfaction when their coat looks nice, and the dogs also really enjoy the attention.
As puppies, brushing can be challenging. Often eating the brush is more enjoyable than the brushing itself. :) But if you train your puppy to sit, you can get them to hold still long enough to get some brushing in. When Captain and Princess were puppies, we would make them sit and wait to eat until we clapped our hands and gave them permission. (It's good to let your dog know that you are the boss over their food.) While they were waiting, we would brush them. Then when we gave them permission to eat, we would work on brushing their backsides and tails. This worked well for us.
As puppies, our dogs have had baths, but we rarely bathe our adult dogs. A Pyr's coat has natural properties that cause dirt to dry and fall off. In fact, it is used for spinning and makes fine sweater that resist staining for this reason. Also, bathing strips the dog's coat of natural oils. Our dogs live outside and work on the farm. Why would we bathe them? We don't bathe our goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, cats, or rabbits either. We believe they are healthier this way. :)
Below is a video of Mindy grooming our 9 year old Pyr guardian, Jackson.