Grooming Great Pyrenees and Other Livestock Guardian Dog Breeds: The Ultimate Guide
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Whether being kept as working dogs or as pets, livestock guardian dog (LGD) breeds, like Great Pyrenees, do need some grooming to remain healthy. However, as these dogs were originally bred to be outside working dogs, they developed double coats that in many ways “take care of themselves.”
The inner, softer coat helps to insulate LGDs, keeping them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The outer, coarser coat helps to protect LGDs from inclement weather. This coat protects LGDs from the sun’s rays as well as repels snow and water (to a degree). For these reasons, you do not want to shave your livestock guardian dog as she will have no protection from the harsh sun and rain.
So how do you groom a Great Pyrenees or other livestock guardian dog breed? Great Pyrenees and other livestock guardian dog breeds need regular grooming, which includes brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning, teeth cleaning, and the occasional bath. The frequency of grooming depends on breed, location, and time of year. LGDs need more grooming during their spring and fall shedding seasons.
Read on to learn every aspect about grooming a Great Pyrenees or other livestock guardian dog breed. You’ll learn exactly which tools you need for brushing, bathing, nail care, dental care, and ear care. I’ve written step by step instructions so you know exactly what you need to do to keep your dog healthy. I’ve included videos for most steps to make things as clear as possible for you.
A quick note here – this article applies to all livestock guardian dog breeds except for Komondors. Komondors have a very unique coat, and Komondor grooming will be discussed on its own in an upcoming article.
For reference, livestock guardian dog breeds include:
Akbash
Anatolian Shepherd
Bukovina Shepherd
Carpathian Shepherd
Great Pyrenees
Kangal
Komondor
Kuvasz
Maremma Sheepdog
Tibetan Mastiff
Tornjak
Just How Much Does a Great Pyrenees Shed?
Two words: a lot. I think the video below can do more justice to this topic than I can with my words alone.
Key takeaways from the video:
Great Pyrenees don’t shed – they molt.
They shed a little bit – “and by ‘a little bit’ we mean enough to make sweaters and mittens for all the freezing children in Siberia.”
But Shorter Haired Livestock Guardian Dogs Don’t Shed That Much, Right?
Brenda Negri, author of The Way of the Pack: Understanding and Living with Livestock Guardian Dogs, has something to say about that. From her YouTube channel:
Brushing a Livestock Guardian Dog
How Often Do You Need to Brush Your LGD?
If your dog has a shorter coat, such as a Spanish Mastiff or the short-haired variety of the Estrela Mountain Dog, you won’t need to brush your dog as frequently. You may be able to get away with monthly brushings or even brushing only during their fall and spring blowout.
The blowout is when your dog sheds her winter coat in the spring in preparation for hot weather, and when she sheds her summer coat in the fall in preparation for growing her winter coat.
If, however, you have a long-haired breed with a thick undercoat, like the Great Pyrenees, you may want to consider weekly or even daily grooming to keep her hair in tip-top shape. If that sounds like a lot to you, I do know of some Great Pyrenees owners who only groom their dogs once a season. Dogs groomed quarterly likely won’t have as nice of coats, but still tend to do fine.
Also keep in mind that dogs living in colder climates may need more grooming than dogs living in warmer climates. This is simply because they grow a thicker coat. Dogs living in cold climates tend to have much bigger blowouts in the spring. Their fur may look patchy, dirty, and unhealthy around this time. They may even look like they have mange. This is totally normal – grooming can help get rid of this old coat more quickly.
How to Brush a Livestock Guardian Dog
The first four minutes of the video below show you all the tools you need for grooming and how to correctly use these tools. I’ve outlined all the information in a step-by-step format below the video.
Step 1: Get the Right Tools
Undercoat rake – this brush pulls the dead fur out of the undercoat and is especially necessary during the spring and fall blowouts. Undercoat rakes with rounded tips are best so that you don’t accidentally scratch your dog’s skin. For most breeds, a ½ inch long undercoat rake, like this one at Amazon, will work fine. For a longer haired breed with an extra thick undercoat, like the Great Pyrenees, use a 1 inch long undercoat rake, like this one at Amazon.
Slicker brush – this brush is amazing for cleaning the outer coat. The brush removes a lot of dirt and loose hair. The brush doesn’t get very deep so it’s not good for use on its own. However, it’s excellent for using after the undercoat rake because it brushes out the loose hair left behind. You can use either a hard slicker brush or a soft slicker brush. Many LGD owners prefer to use both.
Pin Brush and/or bristle brush – Like the slicker brush, these brushes shouldn’t be used on their own. The pin and bristle brushes are used as polishing brushes and make the coat look shiny and healthy. I like to use a double-sided brush – one side is a pin brush and the other side is a bristle brush.
Two-tined Comb – Combs are used to make sure that you have the coat in good condition. After you’ve brushed with the other brushes, your goal is to be able to comb through all of your dog’s hair without hitting any mats or rough spots. If you do hit tangles or mats, you can gently work them out with the comb. Look for a comb where the tines are a bit further apart on one side and finer on the other side.
Detangling Comb – If your dog is getting a lot of tangles, you will want a detangling comb. Some prefer a two-sided detangling comb with fine and course sides, like this one on Amazon.
Spray-on Detangler – this stuff works wonders! If your dogs get tangles or mats, spray some of this in and comb it through their hair.
Step 2: Brush Your LGD with the Undercoat Rake
Lucky for us, dogs usually liked to be groomed. You will want to start out very gently with your new brushes and combs to make sure the brushing doesn’t hurt your dogs in any way. Keep in mind that if your dog has mats, you’ll need to deal with those first so the brushing doesn’t hurt.
If your dog is afraid of grooming, introduce the tools slowly to her. Watch the video on nail clipping a fearful dog in the “nail clipping” section below – use this exact same process with brushing a fearful dog.
To brush with the undercoat rake, use fast quick strokes against the growth of the hair, so tail to head, for example (see the video above). During shedding seasons, this may take a lot of work, and you will pull out a lot of hair
Step 3: Brush Your LGD with the Slicker Brush
After using the undercoat rake, your dogs will likely be covered in a lot of loose hair. The slicker brush will remove these. When using the slicker brush, brush your dog in the direction of fur growth – for example, head to tail. if you have both soft and hard slicker brushes, you can brush with both simultaneously and get your dog brushed out in half the time. You can brush your dog pretty quickly (as seen in the video above) as long as he has no mats.
Step 4: Brush Your LGD with the Pin and Bristle Brushes
You’ll use these brushes to finish the grooming session to keep the coat vibrant and healthy. Brush with the growth of the fur – for example, from head to tail.
Step 5: Comb Your LGD
First use the two-tined comb with the thicker tines. You’ll comb all of your dog’s coat to check for any mats or tangles. Work through any mats you might find very gently, and when you think your dog’s coat is free of mats and tangles, use the side with the finer tines. Again, make sure you get out all the tiny tangles if there are any.
If you have bigger mats that the two-tined comb is struggling with, use the detangling comb.
You’ll want to pay special attention to areas prone to mats – including behind the ears, the tail, the armpits, and the feet. Be very gentle! The skin in these areas can be very sensitive!
Step 6: Use a Detangler Solution on Your LGD if Needed
If your dog has a lot of tangles or you are finding mats that are hard to comb through, use the detangling solution. I use this even if the tangles are small, simply because it speeds up the process so much.
What if Your Dog’s Coat Has Huge Mats?
No matter how big my dog’s mats get, I prefer to put in the time to use the combs and the detangling solution. This is definitely the safest solution. A less safe solution is illustrated in the video below – this Great Pyrenees LGD owner uses a comb with actual razor blades. I personally wouldn’t do this, but I’ve included it in case it’s helpful for you
Here is a little bit safer looking mat splitter (but less heavy duty) on Amazon.
Special Tools for Great Pyrenees Pet Owners
If you own a Great Pyrenees as a pet, I highly recommend two more tools for your grooming needs:
A dog grooming table, such as this one from Amazon, come highly recommended by Great Pyr pet owners and will make grooming so much easier!
A really good vacuum! Okay, so maybe this isn’t a grooming tool, but it is related! For your own sanity, you’ll need an amazing vacuum to keep your house livable. I’ve had numerous Great Pyrenees owners recommend a Shark Vacuum. This one on Amazon is especially made for a high hair load and has a removable hose for cleaning couches and other surfaces. Others have recommended running a Roomba robot vacuum every night and to swap replaceable cleaning parts every few months.
Livestock Guardian Dogs and Ticks
Livestock guardian dogs are very prone to tick bites. Living out in the countryside and running around in the brush all day makes them incredibly exposed to ticks. When you groom your dogs, always check for ticks and remove them immediately. If you don’t groom your dogs regularly, check them for ticks at least weekly – daily is even better.
To remove a tick, use tick removal tweezers. I like these tweezers from Amazon. They are double sided. One side is great for removing new ticks (not engorged). You want to grab the tick’s head as close to the dog’s skin as possible and pull the tick straight out.
The other side of the tweezers is perfect for removing engorged ticks. This side has a slotted scoop that slides under the tick and then pull the tick straight out.
Protecting Livestock Guardian Dogs from Cheatgrass and Foxtails
Some areas of the U.S. are overrun with cheatgrass and foxtails. Where I live in southern Idaho, for example, cheat grass and foxtails are a daily struggle with my dogs. Without daily examination in the dry season, pieces of these plants work their way into the dogs’ feet, noses, ears, eyes, and mouths. I even had one dog who had a piece of cheatgrass get worked into his leg and he needed surgery to get it removed.
These grasses are very dangerous for your dogs, and they can cause your dogs severe pain. If you live in a place with these grasses, you will need to examine your dogs daily, paying special attention to sensitive areas like feet, mouths, ears, faces, and armpits. If you see a piece of grass starting to penetrate your dog’s skin, use tweezers, like these on Amazon, to remove the piece of grass.
Be very careful not to break the grass, leaving a piece in the skin. If this happens, you’ll definitely need a vet to remove it. If you notice a piece of grass has already penetrated deeply, you’ll also need to take your dog to the vet to get it removed.
Great Pyrenees and LGD Breed Nail Clipping
If your dogs are protecting livestock, their nails will wear down some naturally, but still may need trimming. Be sure to check them once or twice a month. Checking them during grooming, skin, and tick checks makes the most sense.
If your dogs are pets, you will definitely need to trim their nails regularly. Great Pyrenees kept as pets don’t wear their nails down the same way working dogs do. You’ll probably need to trim them about once a month or at least every six weeks.
Your dogs’ nails should barely touch the ground when they walk. Use large, heavy duty clippers, like these from Amazon (make sure you select “Large”). Some people refer to use a Dremel. Many Great Pyrenees owners have recommended using a regular Dremel rather than a pet Dremel, like this Dremel from Amazon.
Start at the tip of the nail and cut off a little at a time. You absolutely do not want to cut their nails too short or you’ll cut into the quick, which is incredibly painful. If your dog has light colored nails, you can see where the quick is and easily avoid it. If your dog has some nails that are light and some that are dark, you can estimate where the quick is on the dark nails by assuming it’s about the same length as under the light nails. If your dog’s nails are all dark, use a mini flashlight, like this one on Amazon to shine through the nail.
If you do cut the quick, apply styptic powder and pressure.
The video below is the same video I included in the dog brushing section. Fast forward to 14 minutes, 40 seconds to see step by step instructions on how to clip your LGDs’ nails.
What if your LGD absolutely hates having his nails clipped? The training video below is amazing! This trainer uses positive training methods to make nail clipping fun for her Great Pyrenees. This approach takes a little bit of time, but your dog will thank you for it!
One thing about this video – this trainer is giving this Great Pyrenees a lot of kibble and treats. If you take this approach, make sure you are aware of how much food you are giving him. You may want to do these nail clipping exercises with your dog’s actual meal so you don’t overfeed him.
You really do need to be careful not to overfeed your LGD as this can cause really serious health problems. For more on this topic, see my article on Feeding Livestock Guardian Dogs. For help on what kind of treats to use for your dogs, check out my article on LGD Treats and Chews.
How to Bathe Your Great Pyrenees or Other LGD Breed
How Often Should You Bathe Your Great Pyr or LGD Breed Dog?
Livestock Guardian dogs don’t need frequent baths. You will want to bathe your livestock guardian dogs at least once a year, but 3-4 times per year is ideal. Most professionals recommend a bath every season, but some ranchers have said they don’t do a bath in winter.
The reason you don’t need to bathe your LGDs that often is because they have essential oils in their fur that keep their coat clean - this is why so much mud and dirt come off naturally. The oils also help keep the fur free of tangles and mats. They also keep the dog from getting strong odors, and they keep the coat smooth. When you bathe your dog, you also remove these oils. That’s why you don’t want to bathe them frequently, particularly if they are spend most or all of their time outdoors.
If you are keeping a Great Pyrenees as a pet, you may bathe her more often if you prefer. Because pet Pyrs live indoors, you don’t need to worry as much about maintaining an outdoor coat that’s heavy with essential oils.
If you don’t want to bathe your livestock guardian dog in your shower or tub, you can use a kiddie pool, like this one on Amazon. Even a cheap hard kiddie pool at your local Walmart could be used. Really, a shower or bath may be easier, simply because your dog is confined, but also because you can use water at a more comfortable temperature for your dog. Most Great Pyrs don’t like the hose (these aren’t retrievers!) and you definitely don’t want to use a hose on your dog in cold, or even cool, weather.
How to Bathe a Great Pyrenees Step-by-Step
Step 1: Either do a really thorough brushing (see instructions at the top of this article) or use a high velocity blower on your dog to remove hair and dirt. Professional groomer, Cassie Putz, recommends this blower on Amazon for Great Pyrenees on her Youtube channel. She also says this less expensive blower is still pretty good, although much louder.
Below is a video of a groomer using a blower on a Great Pyrenees working dog, and a second video of a groomer using a blower on a Great Pyrenees pet:
Step 2: Get your dog completely wet
Step 3: Shampoo your dog’s face with a dog facial shampoo, like South Barks Blueberry Facial or Tropiclean Facial Scrub.
Step 4: Rinse well.
Step 5: Shampoo your dog’s body with a high-quality dog shampoo, like Cowboy Magic. You also can use the facial shampoo from Step 3 on your dog’s body instead, but facial shampoos don’t tend to clean as thoroughly.
Step 6: Rinse well.
Step 7: Condition your dog’s body with a high-quality dog conditioner, like Cowboy Magic.
Step 8: Rinse well.
Step 9: Towel dry.
Step 10: Blow dry. This is especially important if the weather is cool or hot because your dog’s coat won’t insulate properly while wet. Blow drying is also important if the sun is shining brightly because your dog’s wet fur won’t protect his skin from the sun. He may even get skin damage. The high velocity blower, mentioned in Step 1, (available on Amazon here and here) works really well. You can also use a regular handheld blow dryer, but drying your dog with this will take considerably longer.
If you need more help, see the video below of a groomer bathing a Great Pyrenees working dog.
Dental Care for Livestock Guardian Dogs
Just like humans, dogs need their teeth brushed regularly. If you don’t brush your dogs’ teeth, they will likely get periodontal disease, and may lose teeth or get infections in their gums that could eventually get to their internal organs. Yikes! Gum infections can also be very painful for your dogs.
Brushing every day is best for your dog’s health, but a few times a week is better than nothing. You can use a human extra soft toothbrush, like these ones at Amazon, or you can use a finger brush made for pets, like this one.
You’ll need to buy toothpaste that’s approved for dogs. I use this one from Amazon on my dogs. Don’t use human toothpaste because it can make your dog sick.
If you feel like you can’t brush your dog’s teeth, you may want to consider a toothbrush chew toy, like this one on Amazon. You just put toothpaste on the toy and let your dog chew on it every day. You may want to take the toy away from her after ten minutes of chewing so she doesn’t destroy the toy. You also could give your dog dental chews, like these at Amazon, but make sure to supervise their chew sessions.
Chewing bones in general will help to clean your dogs’ teeth as well. Check out my article here for safe and healthy bones and chews for your livestock guardian dogs and pet Great Pyrenees.
How to Brush Your Great Pyrenees’ Teeth
Brush your dog’s teeth very gently. Use the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle when brushing. Focus on the outside of the teeth more than the inside as plaque buildup is more common on the outside.
If your dog doesn’t like his teeth brushed, introduce the toothbrush slowly and make it fun for him. Put toothpaste on the toothbrush and let your dog sniff it and lick it, and then give him treats and/or praise when he approaches and licks the toothbrush. Do this every day for a few days or a week.
At the same time, you’ll want to rub a little toothpaste on your dog’s lips, and when he’s comfortable with that, rub some on his gums and teeth. Give treats and/or praise. Practice this with your dog for several days or even a couple of weeks. You want your dog very comfortable with this.
Once your dog is comfortable with the toothbrush and toothpaste, start brushing his teeth in very short sessions. Give lots of praise and/or treats. Work up the length of time you clean your dog’s teeth over several days and even weeks until you are able to do a thorough cleaning.
For step by step instructions on how to brush your dog’s teeth, see the video below from the American Veterinary Medical Association:
Ear Cleaning for Your Great Pyrenees and Other LGD Breeds
All dogs need their ears cleaned periodically, and some livestock guardian dogs may need their ears cleaned more often than other breeds. This is because floppy ears often provide protection for bacteria in the ears, which then may lead to ear infections. Breeds with floppy ears, like Great Pyrenees, are more prone to ear infections.
At the very least, clean your dog’s ears once a month. If your dog is prone to ear infections, you will need to clean her ears more frequently, maybe once a week. If your dog already has an ear infection, don’t clean her ears – this may be very painful for her. Instead, get her ear medication from the vet to knock out the infection.
I use Virbac Epi-Otic Advanced Ear Cleaner to clean my dogs’ ears. I’ve had this brand recommended to me by multiple vets. You can find it here on Amazon. I like to warm the bottle against my skin before using it. I imagine cold fluid in the ear canal is probably very unpleasant for my dogs.
To clean the ears, you simply squirt the cleaner into your dog’s ear and then rub around at the base of the ear. It should make a squishy noise so you know the solution is rubbing against the insides of your dog’s ear and cleaning it. My dogs get treats through this process.
You may also want to use cotton balls to wipe off the excess fluid. Do not put Q-tips in or around your dog’s ear. Cotton balls are much safer as many dogs will squirm during ear cleanings. You don’t need to put anything inside your dog’s ears (other than the cleaning solution itself).
If your dog particularly hates having his ears cleaned and you struggle to get cleanings done, check out this article from the Colorado Great Pyrenees Rescue Community for some great tips on making things easier for both you and your dog. The video in the nail clipping section above is also helpful - you can use the same positive training techniques to teach your dog to love (or at least not mind) her ear cleaning!
Hope this article has been helpful! Happy grooming!
You May Also Be Interested in:
Brain Training for Dogs: The Best Online Obedience Training Program for Livestock Guardian Dogs
Livestock Guardian Dogs and Food: What to Feed, When, and Problems to Avoid
The Best Livestock Guardian Dog Toys: Top Recommendations from DOZENS of Great Pyrenees Owners!
