Pyr's in the heat

[TexasShepherdess]

We are having a warm-ish spring here..and Im starting to look ahead to summer..my first summer with my great pyr's.

My pup is quite resourceful, she loves to lay in mud and water puddles..,
My older Pyr, not so much..but she is good at digging holes and finding shady spots in the pasture.

I am planning on shaving their bellies and undersides to help with cooling, but Id like to hear from other people on what they do..having border collies, Ive always been against body clipping long haired dogs, as its been drilled into me that the hair helps with cooling as well as warming. I thought about getting kiddie pool and putting it in the pasture that they could lay in..but Id be very surprised if the older Pyr used it..and shes honestly the one Im worried about, due to her age.. (she is 8) and she has a heavier coat then the pup..(pup has some anatolian shepherd in her)

Thoughts please!

 

[MonsterMalak]

I ran Pyrenees for many years, and used to try to keep a waterhose on a good drip somewhere in good shade. Try to find one of their vantage points, so they can maintain watch while they are in the cool dirt. Never did shave them, although that may have helped.

I had alot of problems with fleas and skin problems with the Pyrenees.

Run Boz and Kangals now. I can take them to town and walk for hours in 95-102 degree heat. Their heat tollerance is much greater, but they still like wet sand.

 

[TexasShepherdess]

Thanks MM..

I Frontline every cat and dog on my place..so these two girls will get that starting in April. The older Pyr came to me with horrible fleas, but one dosing of Frontline got the little buggers.

One thing I HAVE had issue with, the flys love to bit the top of her nose..I dont see it on my pup (probably because shes do darn active)..but the older gal they get her. Ive tried abit of SWAT on her nose, which she hated and promptly went to the farthest corner of the pasture and pouted...thoughts?

 

[beckyburkheart]

Run Boz and Kangals now. I can take them to town and walk for hours in 95-102 degree heat. Their heat tollerance is much greater, but they still like wet sand.

what kinds of dogs are these? I'm really interested in getting and LGD but am very concerned about getting a long haired dog (north central texas) not just because of the heat, but also because of the cactus, burs and other stuff in our rough native pastures. we had a long haired dog once before and had a lot of trouble with matting and stuff getting stuck in his hair and making sores. a thick-haird dog (we had a malamute/wolf hybrid) did fine, but not the 'shaggy' haired dog.

 

[ShadyAcres]

Tex - I have read and been told many times not to shave them, as well as some other breeds such as the Aussie or Border Collie. Had a black Aussie mix years ago that I finally broke down and shaved. He was a different dog underneath all that hair. Before he acted like an old man and after he was a pup again. He changed my mind about shaving dogs.

Last summer I shaved my big red BC. Hes 5 and had never done him before. Kept debating it as he has such a beautiful coat, but the heat really got to him. Doesnt help that he lives in the house except when he is out with me. He too was much happier.

I have also shaved my LGDs. Will do it again if I can find some clippers. Usually just buy cheap human clippers from Dollar Store ($7 10) and get 1 to 2 dogs with it before it burns out or gets too dull. Want to buy a good one, but just havent yet.

Becky Anatolian Shepherds are becoming more popular around here due to their coat. They come in short hair and tolerate our heat and humidity better. My older male is half AS and half GP. His father had a rough coat as does he, but it is not as long or thick as my GP. I bred his daughter (3/4 GP) who actually sheds to a short haired AS and hope that this pup turns out short haired as well.

Roscoe - Anatolian Shepherd. Father to my pup.

 

[TexasShepherdess]

I love a pretty haircoat..I did not shave my BC's during our heatwave last year..but they do live inside with me..could definantly tell they were hot outside though..

Mabey Ill shave the Pyr's and just see how they do..when did you shave yours? and did they have their coats back by fall?

 

[ShadyAcres]

Didn't shave the LGD's last year. Did the year before, but can't remember when. Know it was later than I had intended.... Was worried that I had waited too late but they did fine. Same with my BC last year. Was probably July before I convinced myself I had to do it for his sake. By the time cold weather got here he was fine, but then again we had a pretty mild winter. If I had clippers handy I would be doing my LGD's now as we have skipped spring!

 

[carolinagirl]

Belly shave is good because they can cool themselves better by laying in cool dirt or water. Don't shave them all over though. The double coat actually acts as an insulator from the heat.

Many folks in Texas use Anatolian Shepherds because their coats are much shorter, sort of similar to the coat you'd see on a German Shepherd.

 

[Roll farms]

I was told not to shave our great pyr, so I didn't the 1st 2 yrs. The 3rd year we had to, he still had his last 2 blown coats matted in w/ his latest. He just didn't shed properly and looked more like a Kom than a Pyr.

He was a MUCH happier animal after being shaved.

We have a female who blows her coat just fine, with a little help from us (brushing and cutting the matts off her rump area) so we don't shave her.

We bred her to an An. Sheperd and the son we kept has the perfect coat....warm in winter, sheds in summer, and no-maintenance.

 

[TexasShepherdess]

the older pyr blew her coat about a month after I got her (she was underfed and I think once she got good food, she blew the dead hair..) and she shed very nicely..I did help her abit.

the pup's haircoat is alittle courser and not as heavy as my older girls..and I imagine thats the anatolian in her.

OK, what Im going to do is start with belly shaves..and if the old girl doesnt seem to be cooling well, we will go to a full shave.

thoughts on a fly repellent for her nose? what about a fly collar?