Dirty Dog Forever

by twila
(Bay St.Louis Miss.)


Zeke is not a dog. He is a pampered pet and my baby. He has had only two baths his entire life. One was in the tub and the other outside last year. I have been thinking before winter I would give him another one. He gets dry shampoo and baby wipes on regular basis. Since he stays inside and takes 2 days to dry I began to cover furniture with sheets to prepare for him. After stacking towels and everything needed outside my husband brought him outside on his leash. I wrapped and secured the leash to a pole. I turned on the water and began to explain what we were doing. I put hose on and Zeke started to jerk and twist out of collar. When I saw this I jumped on him with my whole body and wrapped one arm around him and other hand holding his fur tightly. He has escaped 2x and it was horrible catching him. We live by a highway and that's where he heads. So I had him and he was not my pampered pet at that moment. He was growling and snapping at me. I screamed for hubby to open door as I began to push him up stairs he lunged and growled at both of us. I pushed him in door and closed it. Okay he was inside and I was out. Decided to wait few minutes for both of us to calm down. Alright time to go inside. Both of us walked in and he was very vocal growling and coming at us again.This lasted approx. 5 minutes.He then jumped on the on the bed and looked like king Foo Foo. This was first x saw aggression in him. Never dreamed would be toward me. He told me NO Bath and I will not try again. He could have easily bit husband and I. But he did not. Welcome to the world of waterless shampoo. One thing about a Pyrenees they will voice their opinions,wrap you around their paws,and show you more love then you have ever seen. But one must respect their minds.

Comments for Dirty Dog Forever

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Sep 26, 2015
 suds and Zeke
by: Anonymous

OMG!! We laughed 'till we cried reading your story. Although we know from our own experience bathing our Pyr, that it's not too funny at the time...it's more like survival mode. Ours reached his saturation point and took it upon himself to exit the shower, smashed the glass door down. Found it a hilarious game to run rampant thru the house, water running off him like a river. Makes an entertaining dinner story. People think we're nuts having such a big dog. But then they're not Pyr people, and you gotta have a good sense of humour when Pyrs are in your life!
PS..,ours will be dirty from now on too.
Sep 26, 2015
 oops
by: Ed A from NJ

Please don't take this as judgmental or me being a wise guy. More so I'm just pointing out the obvious. That story is with out question a clinic on how to traumatize a dog to baths.

In short you tied him to a pole and blasted him with the hose! Hell I might have tried to bite you myself! Now honestly you have a long way to go now if you ever want to try again.

I think a better first experience might have been a toddler plastic pool and a bucket. The blast of cold hose water would have been enough to freak him out. Also you should be aware that cold water don't work well to rinse soap out of fur.

So after giving your lovely boy some time. Prefill the kiddy pool before bringing him out. Give him time to get use to the idea he may amble in on his own. Use love and calm petting to keep him in the pool no leash. Have two buckets of warm water outside but only use a large glass or tumbler to rinse.

This method will be much less threatening and you can show him more care and loving which might be accepted better.

Again give him time to get this traumatic experience behind himself. Once it has passed this much gentler method may get him back on track.

PS the dry shampoo works if you read and follow the direction to the letter. Good luck with these corrections I hope they help.
Sep 27, 2015
 Clean Dog
by: Donna

What a nasty surprise for your dog. He was defending himself against the unknown.

You need to take things slowly. Have someone hold him with treats in hand. Take the blaster off the hose and turn the hose on so it trickles. As it is trickled on his back, have person give him treats and praise.

Increase the pressure a bit and rub your hand over him at the same time to rub the water in. If he still fights it, stop on a good note (he stands with water being put on him) and praise him and try, again the next day.

You started on a bad foot so now you need to take a longer time to gain his trust.
Sep 28, 2015
 What did you expect?
by: Tressie

"I turned on the water and began to explain what we were doing." Note, your dog does not speak human.

"I put hose on and Zeke started to jerk and twist out of collar. When I saw this I jumped on him with my whole body and wrapped one arm around him and other hand holding his fur tightly."

You have traumatized your dog on several levels.

And what do you honestly believe he was telling you when he was jerking and twisting out of his collar??

Body slamming your dog?! Restraining him while he was terrified? Seriously?

It is no wonder he reacted the way he did. This was a significant betrayal of trust. His beloved human suddenly turned into a maniacal psycho out to terrorize him.

These dogs never forget.

I would chalk this up as a sobering lesson to never repeat this nonsense with him again, and hope like heck you can rebuild your trust ... over time.
Oct 09, 2015
 Outside hose?? NO, THANKS!
by: Anonymous

I have two Great Pyrenees--twice the love and joy! Both of my Pyrs are scared to death of the hose and go ballistic when I turn on the hose to water my plants!! They both run to huddle on the porch by the front door.

I bathe mine the old fashion way--in the bathtub. They know what the word, "bath" means, and their eyes get really wide and they try to hide. HA! They aren't too happy about it, but hey, I'm the alpha in my house. I do one at a time--only after I have removed everything from the bathroom that water can damage. And when I'm finished, there is water and hair EVERYWHERE, even on the ceiling! But, oh, how beautiful they both are now--so clean and white! For a couple of days, that is ......

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