# What is going on with my Pyr?



## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

My husband swears that I ruined our Pyrenees. About 3 weeks ago I clipped her because of the heat and she hadn't blown her winter coat and I was having a hard time getting flea meds down to her skin and getting all the dead hair out. Anyway, it is like she completely changed after that. After I clipped and bathed her she ran and hid, totally ignoring the livestock and anything else going on for 24 hours. Now, she is ignoring everything and not doing her job. I could set my watch by her barking at night. She barked at the same time every night to let everything in the area know she was on duty. Now, no barking at night. Day before yesterday a fox ran across the front pasture. She was laying in the shade just inside the fence and did nothing. Not even a woof. This is the dogs that has killed foxes, possums and ***** that were too near her charges. This fox ran through the pasture where her chickens were (fortunately he was in a hurry to get somewhere else). The neighbor's dog came through the fence into the horse pasture and barked at the horses. Previously, I have seen Dakota engage this dog and send him with his tail tucked back home. This time she played with it. This morning she barked at the horses when they came up for breakfast when usually she patrols the area around the horse barn while I feed. She has never barked at the horses. She has never come inside the house, now she is trying to get in the house at every opportunity. The other day she pushed my DD6 out of the way and into the house. What is going on with her? It's like I shaved her coat and turned her into a non LGD. She is 3 years old so she knows her job and has been worth her weight in gold before this. I just can't figure it out. I need help. Thanks, Kat


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Could the flies be bothering her? Or could the sun be too hot on her? They say fur insulates to keep the heat out somewhat, too.


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## HayBabies (Feb 27, 2013)

Could the flea meds be making her sick? Did you use anything new on her?


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

I wonder if, without the coat, it doesn't feel vulnerable and frightened.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Maybe both of the above.
Either that or she is having a Sampson and Delilah episode. You shaved all her hair , taking her strength away, and now she is just a plain old regular dog.
Seriously though, our male Pyr acts a bit off every time he gets his flea and heartworm meds. It lasts maybe a couple days and then he is right as rain again. Hopefully she'll be back to normal in another day or two.
We entertained shaving our two off this year, but instead went and got one of those rakes that removes the undercoat. It just seems to take all the loose hair. It takes just about 20 minutes or so on each one a week, and they look alot better, no tufty bits floating all over the yard, and it has got them alot cooler. Maybe next year instead of a full shave, try the rake. I'm sure it has some proper name, but I have no idea what it is, I just know it's awesome!


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## Wolfy-hound (May 5, 2013)

Those are actually called rakes. They work quite well on some double coated dogs. Although flies might be bothering her, she shouldn't be hotter. It might just be strange and she has to adjust.

My best rake is a wooden one with a double V shaped line of tines. Use them in short quick movements, almost like you're imitating a dog's hind foot scratching and most dogs won't mind it at all.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

That's true. As much as my Female hates any type of grooming, she'll stand still, for about 10 minutes. when I use the rake on her. Lord help me when I try to trim her dewclaws though.:catfight:


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

Yep, she acts like she is ashamed. I have to admit that the shaving was part laziness on my part. She had gotten quite a number of mats on her legs and under her belly and she is a pain to brush much less work out mats. So once I cut the mats it just went from there and I pulled out the clippers. I felt like I was shearing sheep, won't do it again. Didn't use any different flea meds, but did give her a really good bath which she did not like one little bit. To thank me for the bath she promptly went and rolled in the pile of ashes from the burn pile, turning herself gray! Hopefully, she will get back to feeling like herself as her hair grows. Meanwhile, she has to feel better in this heat. Blessings, Kat


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

From what you've told us, if she were mine I would think she was having an emotional crises! Now don't laugh! Think of it this way, if you had lived for 3 years with very, very long hair and someone came and shaved it all off, wouldn't you feel a little wierd?

If she were mine I would cuddle her a lot for awhile and then start re-introducing her to the animals she use to guard. (She may also be getting a different reaction from them now that she no longer looks the same as she did.)


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

motdaugrnds said:


> From what you've told us, if she were mine I would think she was having an emotional crises! Now don't laugh! Think of it this way, if you had lived for 3 years with very, very long hair and someone came and shaved it all off, wouldn't you feel a little wierd?
> 
> If she were mine I would cuddle her a lot for awhile and then start re-introducing her to the animals she use to guard. (She may also be getting a different reaction from them now that she no longer looks the same as she did.)


 Not laughing, hubby has said that from the start and I really am beginning to believe him. Believe me I will not be doing this again.


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## EvoQ (Dec 23, 2012)

I have several GP's and she is probably not wanting to get sun burned. Think about it, those top layers act as sunscreen, I once cut one of my older males and the poor thing got sunburned taught me a valuable lesson that day. Also Forget trying to give them any Liquid Medicine to their Skin, for Fleas use the Pill instead. it is much more effective and gives the proper dose, it also lasts for about 3 months too. 
So IMHO it is Sunburn and then get you the Flea Pill instead. Hope this info helps.


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## NorthernMrs (Jul 8, 2013)

Poor baby is suffering embarassment. I have two Pyrs and know that despite their stubborn nature can be very sensitive. Once her coat grows out she should be fine. Unfortunately, many people don't realize that that the coat of a Great Pyrenees both insulates them from the heat and provides sunblock. Thier pale pink skin can sunburn very easily without the protection of their coat. That is why it is important not to shave them in summer. 
But what is don is done. Her coat will grow back and all will be as it should again. Hang in there.


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## bluefish (Jan 27, 2006)

Yeah, I had to shave mine this year. I never, ever do that, hate it, but we have a BAD crop of some sort of grass that corkscrews into the dogs. I wasn't able to keep up, even with daily brushing. His hair was just too thick and I couldn't find them all before they got dug in and infected. I shaved the poor guy. He looks awful and feels awful. I found a ton of those nasty little seeds in him, though, so it had to be done. I put a T-shirt on him to help with sun and the horrible mosquitos we have this year.


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## Whisperwindkat (May 28, 2009)

Didn't shave her down to the skin, I left about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of fur except on her belly which was shaved down completely. She isn't sunburned, but I agree that can be a problem. I am actually glad now that I shaved her. We have an outbreak of blowflies from the rain we have had for a week now. Lost 5 rabbits last night and might have 3 more to put down today. Sposed to have more rain today, I am sick of rain and mud.


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## Lannie (Jan 11, 2004)

hercsmama said:


> We entertained shaving our two off this year, but instead went and got one of those rakes that removes the undercoat. It just seems to take all the loose hair. It takes just about 20 minutes or so on each one a week, and they look alot better, no tufty bits floating all over the yard, and it has got them alot cooler. Maybe next year instead of a full shave, try the rake. I'm sure it has some proper name, but I have no idea what it is, I just know it's awesome!


I've been struggling with my girl's coat all spring and summer, and completely forgot I had one of those rakes tucked in the back of a drawer! I went and found it, and it worked fabulously on her. It looked like she'd EXPLODED when I was finished (there was hair everywhere!) but I could feel HER again under all that hair, not just poofy woolly coat. We had a big male a few years back that the rake wouldn't work on at all, but it went right through her coat.

THANK YOU! 

~Lannie


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

As a groomer in a rural area, I've shaved (not to the skin) a lot of farm dogs and all of them felt better afterward, not worse. Now, if someone laughed at her and made fun of her, yes, that can cause a problem, but she should be getting over that. You state you didn't cut her really close, so I wouldn't expect that to make a huge difference. 

I'm wondering - is she intact? Could she be coming into heat? Maybe its more like PMS.


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## DryHeat (Nov 11, 2010)

This is just a total guess from someone who's never owned a LGD, much less a Pyr; is it possible that their coat thickness acts as an important armor when they engage other predators like foxes, *****, stray dogs, and so on? Fight starts and predator gets a mouthful of hair rather than skin and underlying tissue? If that's a real factor, individual dogs might've learned the value of their thick coat in just a fight or two, or even be somewhat hardwired instinctively. Possible? Forced removal of one's coat could even be "interpreted" as "I'm not supposed to fight trespassers." ?


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