Great Pyrenees Grooming Tips - Special Techniques for Large Breed Dogs
Nola L. Kelsey
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.
About the author: Zoologist turned satirist Nola L. Kelsey is the author of the scathingly wicked satire Bitch Unleashed: The Harsh Realities of Goin' Country (September 05). She is also the owner of Samuel the Great Pyrenees, who plays primary character in her book and in her life. Excerpts from Bitch Unleashed and subscriptions to Kelsey's newsletter are available on her web site, http://www.NolaKelsey.com
The latest information and news on Dog Care Advice :
Pastoralists in the Murchison are being forced to look for work at nearby mines as wild dogs destroy the last of the stock already diminished by eight years of drought. Long a problem in the Goldfi
News of the Weird: In September, Switzerland enacted a comprehensive list of ...
In September, Switzerland enacted a comprehensive list of animal rights, improving life for dogs, cats, goldfish, even rhinoceroses. (And pigs have the right to a shower once in a while.)
Gun fired at sheriff's vehicles, with dogs inside, at rodeo (The News-Press)
Two Lee County sheriff's vehicles with sheriff dogs inside and another automobile were hit by gunfire this evening at the Mexican Rodeo in North Fort...
Dogs Bark to Beat Breast Cancer (The Kentucky Post)
A group of breast cancer survivors whose dogs helped them through their fight put on "Barking for Breast Cancer" in Winton Woods Park Sunday.
Dogs Bark to Beat Breast Cancer (WCPO Cincinnati)
A group of breast cancer survivors whose dogs helped them through put on "Barking for Breast Cancer" in Winton Woods Park Sunday.
Police locate two dogs that killed smaller one (The Buffalo News)
PORT COLBORNE, Ont. -- Two dogs taken from a Port Colborne animal shelter last month were located at a Port Colborne residence Friday, Niagara Regional Police said.
Dogs and men 'play' the same game to woo their women! (New Kerala)
Washington, Oct 12 : Just like men, dogs too know how to win ladies' hearts - and that too from a young age. According to a new study, while playing, young dogs let the female pups win, even if the males have a physical advantage.
Dogs really are man's best pal (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
The more I am around dogs, the more I am intrigued and impressed by these animals. I?ve always thought every person should experience having a dog ? no matter what age, even as old or older than me.
Mound ponders rules for dogs in city?s parks (The Laker)
The definition of ?frequent? may be the determining factor in whether dogs are allowed in Mound parks. The Mound city code currently states that ?the owner or custodian of any dog/cat shall prevent the dog/cat from committing in the city any act that constitutes a nuisance.
Missing dogs found in Port Colborne (Niagara Falls Review)
Two missing dogs were located by the authorities in Port Colborne Friday and turned over to the humane society, where they had disappeared from 10 [...]