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Sure, so I can walk you through what I did in the grooming salon whenever a dog with a lot of hair came in (that was shedding).

Ok, first thing you need to do is find a self-serve dog wash. It has to have a high-powered hair dryer like this. The dryer is very important.

Ok, so get your dog tied in the tub securely, and before you do anything else, turn the dryer on and blow out the loose hair. Your results will vary for this, it's especially effective on huskies/malamutes, but it works on my Pyr as well when he's blowing his coat out. You want to be slow with the dryer if your pup has never experienced one before. They are quite loud, and most dogs really hate the air in their face. So, hold the hose behind your back, turn the dryer on, and just wait and see how your dog reacts. If they seem scared by the noise, try to be really calming and reassuring to them. If it seems like they are okay, bring the dryer up, and slowly tilt the nozzle down onto your dog's rump. Move slowly to let them get used to the feel, making sure to gently correct when they are fussing, and reward them when they behave. I've found it helps my dog to tie a towel around his head over his ears, as he's not bothered as much by the feel of the air as he is by the sound.

Anyway, blow from underneath, focusing around the upper leg area especially. A lot of people focus on the back/neck, but in my experience, more hair comes from the belly where it joins with the back legs, and the leg itself. Blow and maybe lightly/gently brush to loosen up the hair and blow it free.

Ok, now you're ready to start the bath. Get your dog wet, and then apply shampoo liberally. You want to use a type of shampoo that is specifically designated for deshedding. I personally love the Furminator shampoo and conditioner. It smells like a pina colada, and more importantly, it works. Really do not be afraid to lather it in there, really work the shampoo in with your fingers, applying more water as you need to. Let the shampoo sit for a few minutes before rinsing.

Next, apply the conditioner. Same thing, really work it in. Let the conditioner sit for as long as you can be patient for, up to 10 minutes. Now, here is the thing that really works wonders: blow dry your dog while the conditioner is still in. I'm not sure if it's the heaviness of the conditioner, but that will really get a lot of hair out.

Rinse the conditioner, it's really important to make sure you rinse really, really well. Make sure to do touch tests. If the hair feels slimy or slick, there's still conditioner in there. Work from the top down and really pay attention to the belly, chest, and armpit areas.

Ok, that's it! Dry your dog off with towels, and the blow dry all the way. You will be surprised at how much hair comes out for the dryer. It really makes a huge difference in how soft/manageable to makes their coats, too.

If you want, you can also brush with a deshedding brush. I would recommend a mix of a slicker brush, deshedding rake, and a Furminator. The slicker brush you'll mostly use to make sure there are no mats or tangles, as the two deshedding brushes will hurt if they go over tangles or mats. So, brush through with the slicker brush, and then go over with the deshedding tools. As you work with them, you'll figure out where each tool works best.

That's what you would get if you came to me when I was still working at PetSmart and ordered a Furminator package. It will not eliminate shedding, but it will help a heck of a lot. I do this for my Pyr every 6 months or so. Regular bathing will also help with shedding. For a Pyr, once a month, or every 6 weeks or so is best, with regular brushing.

Let me know if you have any other questions about bathing/grooming!

I've posted this like 4 times and worry I might start looking like a shill soon LOL, but I live in vegas and it will be 117 this week and my boy charles uses the ruffwear swamp cooler

Here is what he looks like wearing it. The one pictured is a medium, but chuck weighs 56 lbs, so he's definitely on the small side of pyr. I'm 100% confident in its abilities. The only thing is that it says it will stay cool for 4 hours. That's not true in vegas at all. With 3% humidity that thing stays wet for like 30 minutes. I keep a 6 gallon jug in my truck to allow me to drench it when necessary.

Truly the best course of action is to stay inside though. Between soaking and constantly worrying about his paws, we're basically only outside long enough to poop.

WOW! so much great info! exactly what I was looking for! So you would recommend the DIY self service > PetSmart Furminator package?

Thanks for getting me the info while on mobile, i looked at furminator brush but thought that cant be the only thing i need, and couldn't find a specific grooming source this was super helpful. I will look into both DIY & Furminator.

Just to make sure i got the DIY procedure down:

1. Find self service dog wash with high power dryer ( i found a "Petco- unleashed" nearby ~$10/visit)
   
   
2. Buy Furminator brand Shampoo/Conditioner ( ~$10 each)
   
   
3. Buy Oster undercoat rake (~$16 bucks online) + bring my own regular brush...
   
   
4. Bathing-
   
   

• Wash dogs down first, get completely drenched
  
• apply shampoo (let sit in for ~5 min while rubbing?), wash dog again
  
• apply Conditioner to entire coat, then wash out again?
  
• Then begin drying with high powered dryer (~1hour?).
  
• Once completely dry i can then start to use brushes, correct?
  
• start with regular detangling brush, then use Oster brush.
  
• for my Pyr her hair seems to be heavily concentrated on her hind legs and chest. Any recommendations for these areas?
  
• Continue HighPowered drying while brushing? or once dry no need anymore?
  
  Thanks for the help! seems like DIY could cost me about ~$50-60. I just thought it would cost more for the tools they had in this grooming pyranees video

i am going to try to link to it ! the color i have is "pink floral" even though it is a teal blue color, it has pink gingham underneath which i think is really cute for a pop of color :)

edit: i just wanted to say this duvet cover is really nice for dog owners because to wash it, i just unzip it from the duvet and throw it in the wash with my sheets and then put it right back on my duvet! it’s easy and not as bulky as washing a large heavy comforter, which justified the price for me because i typically only spend like $40-$50 on comforters.

I use a Mars Coat King on my Pyr; this Oster undercoat rake is also good, it just doesn't have replaceable blades like the Coat King does. Undercoat rakes work really well to get out that undercoat while they're blowing it, without cutting the long top guard hair. I don't care for Furminators, which tend to have tines which are far too short to really get into a Pyrenees undercoat, and will instead pull and break the guard hair. You need to comb the rake with the direction of the coat, and it will help tremendously. It's what my mobile groomer guy uses on mine, and I keep one on hand to run through her coat about mid-way between grooming sessions.

Pin/Slicker brushes are sometimes not terribly effective on Pyr coats - some dogs have a super thick undercoat, and for those cases, a greyhound comb is usually a little better for a weekly brush session.

For the real fine floof, use a slicker brush like this

If you want to get the undercoat out, use a deshedding tool like this one

Brush first with the slicker brush and get all the tangles out before you use the deshedding tool. You may also need a comb to get some of the finer hair straight before going with the deshedding tool. If you really want to manage the hair, make sure you are washing regularly, every 4-6 weeks or so and using a shampoo and conditioner designed to reduce shedding. I really like the Furminator shampoo and conditioner. It helps if you are able to use a high powered dryer to dry them, that will take out so much hair you won't believe it. It will make it a lot more manageable to brush in between baths. If you don't have access to one I recommend you take your dog to a professional groomer.

Source: Worked in a grooming salon for a year

Game and maze toys are great! They also help to get my pyr to eat since she isn't usually inspired by the food in her bowl. My pup loves these two toys and will nudge them around the house until they are empty. Congrats on the new pyr :)

OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-hrMzb3WWTK2W

StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive Pet Toy, Large
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JQLNB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_RirMzb483MJ7Z

We got this one, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UTA1G4/ref=twister_B074MZ9LGR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 , for our GP mainly because it was cheap and had somewhat decent reviews. We didn't want to spend $80 on a pack he wouldn't ware. We did a couple of dry runs around the house and then on shorter hikes (less than 4 hrs total) with no issues. It's a great beginner pack, but can be a bit of a pain to adjust the straps because of the fur. It holds his collapsible water bowl, two 1L nalgene bottles, and poop bags. I think we will probably end up getting a nicer one that is easier to adjust when this one bites the dust. The best part of the pack IMO, he can carry his own poop bags 12 miles :)

If you want to understand more about it and are willing to spend time on training, I would suggest this book: https://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942 It is written for dog behavioralists, but as a fellow Pyr person I have found it very helpful in understanding resource guarding in my own dog. The strategies described in the book have been very helpful to me.

The only toys my GP doesn't destroy are Plubber toys. https://www.amazon.com/Jakks-Plubber-Bald-Eagle-Large/dp/B003NSBW80/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466391897&sr=8-3&keywords=Plubber
Her favorite one is the skunk. She also loves the filled dentley bones from petco.

https://www.amazon.com/Safari-W6116-De-matting-Comb/dp/B0002ARR2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499712358&sr=8-1&keywords=matt+rake

Use this for de-matting the back end. Works great and is gentle and safe. Those blades are sharp but the rounded edge is not sharpened.

https://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Pet-Safari-Undercoat-Designed/dp/B0083TSC64/ref=sr_1_7?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499712440&sr=1-7&keywords=undercoat+rake

and

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DIRYG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O79wzbCFSBEAN

for de-tangling use an undercoat rake with rotating pins, and the single row static rake to pull the hair out.

https://www.amazon.com/Slicker-Dog-Cat-Grooming-Brush/dp/B00P9MZB9E/ref=sr_1_13?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499712524&sr=1-13&keywords=dog+brush+slicker

Then I'll use a slicker to make him soft and shiny.

Our pyr LOVES this guy:

https://www.amazon.ca/Tuffy-Gary-Gator-Sea-Creatures/dp/B000OC7PEI/ref=sr_1_35?ie=UTF8&qid=1466868760&sr=8-35&keywords=tuffy+toys

It's the only plushie toy we've gotten him that he hasn't been able to shred. It's the perfect size for him to shake around, except it has one small squeaker in its head that he HATES and is scared of, so when we accidentally makes the gator squeak, he gets scared and backs off for a second. He's a huge chicken!

Thanks for that antler link by the way! Atlas loves those, but we haven't been able to find one big enough for him now

Try this: Safari De-Matting Comb for Dogs, Pet Supplies for Dogs, Dog Grooming, Dog Gifts, Dog Accessories, Dog Supplies, Dog Brushes for Shedding https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ARR2W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xW57CbR1P8YCM

I cut matts out all the time, but that comb helps.

Amazon! When we got our little guy the breeder had that sign at the end of their driveway I had to have it!

Dog Yard Sign "Caution Area... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0040N1ZOS?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

We have towels and this thing (the large one) handy by the door at all times:

http://www.amazon.com/Paw-Plunger-Dogs-Medium-Black/dp/B000FVXSL2

I use this double rake to comb out any tangles Evolution Double Row Undercoat Rake with Rotating Pins https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DIRYG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_O79wzbCFSBEAN.

I also use a single row rake to pull the hair off after I use the double rake to untangle the hair.

It's as loose as it can get while still staying on we brush ours 2-3 times a week because we go hiking and by the time we get to the next brushing, he's matted on his ruff again. This is the kind he wears now.

Yes! We have always had doggie doors to our fenced backyard. First we had the kind that fits alongside a sliding glass door (within door frame), but then one of our older males started having trouble getting through so we checked out what else was available.

Amazon super large doggie door

You have to be willing to cut thru the wall but we have not looked back. Actually we first got the slightly smaller size but then ended up getting this one. We have had no problems re heat loss/AC loss, other critters coming in. Our 2 cats go in and out as well. (People can too--but we live in a place where that hasn't been an issue!) Plus there is the heavy plastic insert you can slide in for "security" if you need it to be closed. Well worth the money and effort!

Link to the rake

From what I gather, they are more meant for short coated breeds and they cut hair as they comb and often end up damaging the top layer.


The rake breaks up tangles and dense patches in the undercoat and removes the loose bits, while allowing the flowing topcoat to pass through unharmed.