(Part 2) Top products from r/greatpyrenees

Yes, I would recommend DIY over PetSmart. I just wanted to let you know about that in case you were not able to do it yourself. I think you've got the procedure more or less down. I personally wouldn't bother washing twice unless your dog is really dirty. If you wash regularly (every 4-6 weeks) then you should really only need to shampoo once, but every dog is different so I would say try it both ways and see which result you like better! Washing too much can dry out the skin, that's the only reason I would say maybe try just washing once and see if it does the trick. I don't usually bother letting the shampoo sit, but you can certainly do that. The conditioner is the one I let sit, although I only rub the conditioner in the spots that are hard to detangle otherwise (back of legs is the biggest place, although I do put some on the more coarse back hair just because it makes it so soft and fluffy).

If you really wanna see some hair fly, try using the conditioner, and then while the conditioner sets, use the dryer! The conditioner makes the hair heavier or something and so you can sometimes see a ton of hair flying out this way, especially if the dog is blowing out their coat. It's especially spectacular with huskies.

But yes, in short:

• Get wet (you will have to keep doing this throughout, don't be afraid to add more water if you're not getting a good lather with the shampoo)
  
• Scrub in shampoo, don't be afraid to really dig your fingers in to make sure it gets all the way to the skin, and add water anytime you need to
  
• Rinse
  
• Add conditioner, and let sit for a few minutes. Most of the self-service washes I've used really only let you access one side at a time, so I'll just condition one side, then turn dog around and condition the other side, then go back and rinse the other side, etc.
  
• Optional: Use dryer while conditioner is in hair
  
• Rinse out conditioner. Really spend some time making sure the conditioner is out. You want the water to run clear. When you think you're done rinsing, check hair all over the dogs body by rubbing it in between your fingers. If it feels kind of slick/slimy, then you need to keep rinsing
  
• Dry off as much as you can with towels, especially head and feet (almost every dog I've ever encountered does not enjoy the dryer on the feet or face).
  
• Use dryer with nozzle on for body. Start from the top and work down. Take nozzle off to dry more sensitive areas (around ears and face, etc)
  
  The hair should be completely dry before you start brushing. If your dog really hates the dyer (some dogs so) then you can wait and just let him air dry the rest of the way, but try to use the dryer for as long as you can. It really lifts and separates all the hair so it stops it from clumping up as much. You can definitely use the dryer after you brush if you want, it can help get out any extra hair that you loosened with brushing but that maybe you didn't quite get. I usually don't hang out at the self-serve wash after I'm done drying, though, so I just do the brushing at home. My guy is 7 now and it's hard for him to stand for that long so I like to give him a few hours break in between the bath and the brushing.
  
  Start with the slicker brush, and do a motion where you brush back and up a little bit. You kind of want to lift away from the hair. Just be gentle and smooth, and make a note of where you find any mats or clumps. Be gentle with the clumps, try grabbing the base of the clump so you're not yanking on the hair too much. Once you can easily run the slicker brush through the hair, then you can use the deshedding rake. Go with the natural direction of the hair, or a little bit sideways is okay, too. Just don't go against the grain, if that makes sense.
  
  As far as recommendations on hair on hind legs and chest, just be patient. It will take some time to work through the hair. I usually trim my dog's back end up a little bit to make it easier to manage. I'm not an expert by any means, but I worked in a grooming salon for a year (just gave baths and easy trims, though, I wasn't an actual groomer), but I picked up enough to be able to trim up that hair without making it look too awful. Most groomers will do cheaper express type trim, so if you wash, dry, and brush out, you can just take her somewhere and have them trim up the long feathers in the back. I find it makes it a little easier to manage. If I don't trim it, it's just too hard to brush it all and my dog's back end gets pretty matted up. Trimming out mats is risky to do if you don't know what you're doing so I would recommend taking her somewhere if she gets any
  
  Once you make the initial investment of the brush, the baths themselves are definitely much cheaper than taking the dog to the groomers. You can also buy the Furminator shampoo and conditioner in a bulk containers and that makes it a little cheaper than buying the individual bottles every time.
  
  The place near me charges $16, and I always give them an even $20 because he makes such a mess. Most of the time these places actually include some kind of shampoo, so feel free to give their shampoo a try if you want to save money. I just happen to love the Furminator shampoo. It smells sooo good, and it really does work. It takes me several months to go through these big jugs of shampoo and conditioner, so for me it ends up working out to around $30/month or so.
  
  Wow, I ended up basically writing a book. I hope this helps you a little bit, and let me know if I can clarify anything for you! :) Good luck!
  

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.

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.

Yes! I recently bought this one: https://smile.amazon.com/Paw-Brothers-Extra-Slicker-Brush/dp/B014PFS2VE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=large+slicker+brush&qid=1556802844&s=gateway&sr=8-3

It's my new go-to brush. Gets lots of loose undercoat fur out, and does a much better job of taming the fur on his hips/by his fluffy butt than what I used before.

We also use a regular rake that I bought at a pet store on a whim like 5 years ago.

I still need help taming his mane, though, if anyone has any tips...

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.

Cuties!

Also, https://smile.amazon.com/Lady-Pancake-Sir-French-Toast/dp/1454914041/

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

One of the reasons to not get small dogs. They yap-yap-yap like crazy.

Have you tried things like the pet corrector: http://www.amazon.com/Company-Animals-Pet-Corrector-50ml/dp/B0124G4DV4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458144648&sr=8-2&keywords=pet+corrector

or a spray bottle?

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

This solved all our problems:

https://www.amazon.com/IRIS-Elevated-Feeder-Airtight-Storage/dp/B004C33M38/ref=sr_1_10?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1526048682&sr=1-10&keywords=dog+food+storage

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!