Bathe or not to bathe

by chuck
(Amherst va.)

We have a rescue named Duke! Not sure how old he is,but believe at least 6.He was apox 75 pounds and now is at least 120. very loving dog but does not like the rain or getting wet!! She wants to take him to a groomer and a bath!! It takes 5 vets to kina hold him just to clean his ears.His coat looks great with just daily combing.he dont smell and is mostly a inside dog,We have a store that has large tubs where we can bath him ourselves. I dont want him to associate me making him get wet!! What do you guys think!

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Jul 27, 2018
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Bathe
by: Donna

Work at having Duke trust you with the water. Start slowly. Have some high value treats (hot dog bits, cheese bits, go to pet store or make your own). Hold the hose on slow trickle near him and feed him a treat when he just stands there.

Have him sit, treat him. Have him lie down, treat him all while hose is running slowly.

As he becomes more trusting, move hose closer and treat him when he is quiet.

Eventually work up to having water trickle on a paw. Treat him when he stays.

You get the picture. Work up to it slowly.

He is obviously fearful of it for some reason.

Even if he doesn't need a bath, it's a good idea to get him used to water and being bathed.

Same with working with his ears. It's the same thing. Touch his ear and no reaction, a treat. Once he allows that, work towards having fingers touch the inside of the tip of his ear, treat for being good, and, again, work towards being able to clean his ears yourself. Slowly but surely. Work for a few minutes at a time at any given time.

For further training tips, join this free dog training workshop. It's all about positive-reinforcement training: reward for wanted behaviour and redirect for unwanted behaviour.

Here is the URL:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedogtrainingworkshop/?ref=br_rs

Jul 27, 2018
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The Bath
by: Anonymous

Perhaps the 'comment title' should be typed in all caps. : ) Pyrs think this is a totally unnecessary complication in their lives. So they mostly have no patience for it.
Ours is also an indoor beast, combed daily, brushed mightily during the spring 'blow out'. He's not dirty, he doesn't smell but we do bathe him 2-3 times/year. We use luke-warm temperature water. Any warmer or ice-cold, your Pyr will bolt. Use a unscented dog shampoo you buy at the vet for sensitive skin and really rinse well.
Our Pyr is 4, and he's had baths, ears cleaned, toe nail trims since he was a baby. All of it is done at home, by us. I would recommend you do the same. We bathe him in our shower, and most times have to bring his companion canine in too, so as to reassure our big baby. Pyrs are incredibly strong and unruly when they disagree with their humans. So you learn what works for you both and stick to that routine forever.
The ears are very sensitive, so be very very gentle. We have an ear cleaning solution from our vet which we use to soak extra large Q-tips in, so the waxy dirt comes out more easily. Just as a sidebar, healthy ears do not need regular cleaning. Its not good to remove the clear waxy substance that coats the delicate skin of the ear as you will be removing his body's own protection barrier against all manner of unseen nasties.
Those nails...we have resorted to giving our rebellious boy a couple of cookies infused with lavender and chamomile and wait an hour or so for him to be really relaxed. You can purchase them at your vet or pet food store. They help. But his patience with this procedure is short, and so by the end of each month we finally get all 4 feet done!
After you try everything other people have suggested, you will learn to use what works for you and your Duke. It always takes both of us to get it done but we do find that he feels much refreshed and comfortable with himself after a spa day.
But he STILL regards it as totally gross and unnecessary. : )

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