Great Pyrenees Grooming Tips - Special Techniques for Large
Breed Dogs
Large breed dogs pose special grooming dilemmas. The Great
Pyrenees and other Bernard family members have cornered the
market on that special combination of girth and hair. Without a
regimented grooming routine the Pyrenees' flowing white locks
can easily morph, soon resembling an electrocuted Komondor on
steroid.
One obstacle to keeping large breeds in the peek of beauty is
the difficulty in locating nail clippers, brushes and dental
supplies suited to their substantial size. Substitution will
have to be made. Still, with a little ingenuity grooming is a
snap.
Body Brushing Combing out the Great Pyrenees is a challenge. The
high-stung nature of the breed makes them tend to wiggle around
during grooming. In fact, these stealth dogs are apt to sprint
off if not restrained, sometimes moving up to three centimeters
in a single afternoon.
Your best bet for body brushing or raking is to work on your pet
while he is asleep. Avoid active times such as 6:00 to 6:03 a.m.
and the 30 minutes after sunset Pyrenees' devote solely to
barking. This breed is known to sleep with its eyes open. When
stalking them with grooming tools be cautious. Once you are with
in 65 feet of your dog, listen for a train. This verifies your
dog is snoring.
Work efficiently once you begin grooming a Great Pyrenees. You
may only have 13 hours before he wakes up. When grooming 140
lbs. of fur bonded together by drool and the occasional tree
branch, you must not dally. A weed eater is an efficient option
for quickly working your way through the shrubs to the actual
hair prior to brushing.
Nail Clipping Clipping your Pyrenees's claws should be a regular
part of your grooming routine. Before beginning this procedure
head for the hardware store. Pick up a large metal rasp and bolt
cutters. Once claws have been neatly trimmed call in HAZMAT to
remove the clippings from your home. Don't forget the dewclaws.
Great Pyrenees' have a multitude of extra toes just kinda
"hangin' out" on their lower legs. Hiding amongst them are a
total of six massive curly toenails. Each is so large it makes a
valosaraptor claw look like a minute droplet of Chihuahua snot.
Don't let the dewclaws go unattended more than a few weeks.
Negligence will yield a clipping big enough to be used as a
spiral staircase.
Dental Care Dog owners often overlook the importants of good
oral hygiene. Fortunately, in the Bernard breeds, their mouths
offer plenty of room to work in. Take advantage of this trait.
You can create ample access to the mouth by simply pulling their
massive floppy lips up from both sides of the face. Then, use
three clothespins to secure them to one another across the
bridge of the nose. You may also secure a single lip to the
opposing ear in a similar fashion.
Once the teeth are exposed insert a shop vac tube under your
dogs tongue. This technique is identical to that of the 'spit
sucker' used in a dental offices. A fifteen-gallon vac should
suffice. Once the shop vac is fired up the Great Pyrenees will
start to awaken. You will have about two hours to completely
remove large pieces of sod stored along the gum line before your
dog hits full cognitive thought. At this point he'll eat the
vacuum prior to falling back asleep.
As a final touch, clean you canine's feet. Shinny up between the
pads with a flashlight, some pliers and a bottle of WD 40.
Remove stones, dried bats, milk carton children and anything
else not belonging up there. Once this task is done your
grooming regiment is complete. Wake your dog by simple uttering
the word "cookie.' By the time you get to "coo" every Great
Pyrenees in a six mile radius will be in your kitchen.
With a little work and a few trips to Home Depot, your Great
Pyrenees, Saint Bernard or Newfoundland will glow with beauty.
When you combine all this glamour with their high intelligence
and magnetic personalities, your dog will be the envy of the
neighborhood.