Washing and Combing Your Great Pyrenees
High-quality tools and a few tips will give you the opportunity to have fun washing and combing your Great Pyrenees. Using poor tools is just about the most frustrating thing you can attempt, if you are mowing your lawn or fixing your car. So, why would you use a cheap $6.99 brush that breaks almost immediately?
Most of my dogs love a good bath, and I’d like to teach you the secret in just one sentence. Here it is. Regularly bathe them during the first year of their life. Yep. That’s it. Bring them to the groomer, do it yourself or both at least four times during their first year. Our local Tractor Supply Company has a pet wash station that I’m going to check out soon. This is an opportunity to train as the Great Pyrenees isn’t a natural water lover. Bring them to the lake, river, or a friend’s pool and gently introduce them so they don’t fear the water. Don’t worry about them jumping in 50 times like a Labrador Retriever. They’ll jump in, do some swimming, get out and return to duty guarding their flock of people.
Below are some products and tools that I’ve used and endorse. I will post a video of this process in the future, which I’m sure you’d love to see.
Warm water – Start with a warm water application for your dog or puppy. Baby pools are a grand thing to stand in if you don’t mind getting a little wet too. This allows you to bucket over some warm water all over their coat from head to tail. You need to rub the water in and the air out of their deep coat.
Shampoo – 
https://lifesabundance.com/Category/Products/Dogs/PetCare/RevitalizingShampoo.aspx?realname=20768995&cat=0&hdr=&Ath=False&crt=0&Category=DogShampoo_v11(Pet_Base)&Sku=101022 Rub in a high-quality shampoo all over their body, excluding immediately around the eyes unless that’s something you like to get into yours. Getting a shampoo with a whitening agent will make your Pyr glow. Slowly and gently rinse it out. You may need to do this a couple times if they are really dirty.
Detangler – https://chrischristensen.com/chris-christensen-ice-on-ice-detangling-conditioner/ 
This comes as a conditioner that gets applied and washed out and leaves a slippery lubricant. You can also spray the detangler solution all over their body. Make sure to saturate the areas that are matted heavily especially behind their ears.
Hair dryer – https://chrischristensen.com/chris-christensen-2xtreme-dryers/ 
You know you’ve really arrived when you have your own hair dryer for a Pyr. This a luxury product that will change your life. It will not only blow out the moisture through both layers, but will send stubborn hair flying away hundreds of feet around you. Hair cleanup will be required!
Slicker Brushing –
https://chrischristensen.com/chris-christensen-big-g-and-big-k-long-pin-slicker-brushes/ A good slicker brush is like gold. Ask any groomer and they will tell you the same as great brushes reduced your work, last a long time and pull out that stubborn hair quickly. Apply more de-tangler to mats and stubborn areas. Gently cut out mats with a scissors. Some hair mats defy all your efforts during brushing so do this as sparingly as possible.
Hair Rake – 
This is my favorite low-cost hair Rake that seems to last and last. Use the rake to break up all the remaining knotted hair that is usually worst behind the ears. This is partially due to oils transferred from our hands onto this area when we pet them.
When you’re done with this process, you can enjoy showing off the magnificence of your snow bear. Take a walk in a public place, take pictures, and snuggle close before they get dirty again. Honesty, once they are combed out and looking good it seems like the dirt just rolls off their coat or is easily brushed out after a few minutes.
Waterless Shampoo as a touch up –
This Wahl waterless shampoo comes in several different scents and they all smell better than wet dog. A quick application around the body dries quickly and also acts as a nice dog cologne.
Follow this link to the Great Pyrenees Club of America on how to groom a Great Pyrenees in exhaustive detail.
The perfect finish to a bath or a great between-bath freshener, you’ll love the way your pet kid smells after a spritz of Bath Fresh Mist! Gentle enough for puppies and kittens over 12 weeks of age.
Recently, I went to Tractor supply and used the self-serve pet wash station. It was a good experience overall but the grooming table was too small for a Pyr, the shampoo was mediocre at best, and the tools were inadequate. However, it cost me $5.33. My daughter and I had a nice date time and we didn’t have to clean up after ourselves. It was a bargain! Next time I’ll just bring my own shampoo and tools.
I’d appreciate your comments. Do you like these products? Do you have recommendations to post on this block post? Please leave a few words or wisdom or warning to help those new to this exciting sport of washing and combing your Great Pyrenees. Up North Pyrenees thanks you and so will our puppies.
