This dog breed is one of the most beloved, gigantic, and cute dogs in the world. Many owners or those who are gonna get a Great Pyrenee are curious if this breed can swim.
Most Great Pyrenees are naturally good swimmers thanks to their huge body surface, thick double coat, webbed feet. Low metabolism level & reserved energy, massive body are the main hinders to swim for a long time. It is recommended that even a well-trained dog wear a life jacket as good protection.
Even though swimming isn’t the inherent talent of the Great Pyrenees, they can become talented swimmers with proper guidance. But before that, you need to consider loads of things.
Can great Pyrenees swim?
The great Pyrenees can swim, but the ability to swim is somewhat worse when compared to water breeds. These dogs are so smart and can learn several basic things on their own.
Most of the time, they require proper supervision and guidance to gain swimming skills. But the problem is most great Pyrenees don’t like water.
But with proper training and consistent practice, great Pyrenees can become excellent swimmers.
I saw that many people mentioned in the forums, their dogs start to fall in love with water because owners often tend to play with their dogs in their pools or lakes.
In the meantime, most owners have outdoor dog bathtubs. So their dogs are accustomed to playing with water for hours. So with these tricks and techniques, we can turn them into water-loving dogs.
As I mentioned above, their thick coat and wide-body surface help slightly when swimming. In fact, Since the great Pyrenees have webbed feet, they can become excellent swimmers.
If you have a small puppy, be sure to train him by always staying close to him or her. I mean, don’t let him have bad memories with water.
Why aren’t great Pyrenees natural swimmers?
The Great Pyrenees were originally bred to guard livestock. They are excellent guardians. Moreover, they can protect their territory and flock from predators such as wolves, bears, or livestock rustlers.
The reason why the great Pyrenees are not excellent swimmers is a straightforward one: They were not bred for water-related activities. But I don’t mean that the great Pyrenees cannot swim.
In fact, great Pyrenees have gigantic bodies. Since their reserved energy level and metabolism level are relatively low, they cannot afford to swim for long hours.
In fact, the Great Pyrenees are naturally adapted to living outside, even during the winter. They love to wander with their flock throughout the day.
But none of the above factors make them poor swimmers. With positive reinforcement, guidance, supervision, proper training, and consistency, they can become excellent swimmers.
With positive reinforcement, guidance, supervision, proper training, and consistency, they can become excellent swimmers.
Dog Breeds Experts
How to teach a Great Pyrenees to swim?
When you are going to train your Great Pyrenees how to swim, you can try a couple of things. Okay, let’s dive right in.
A dog life jacket is a must when it comes to their first training session. It gives them more confidence to swim, and it would help them to float without drowning.
So they can easily learn how body movement should be while swimming.
But in any case, don’t just throw your great Pyrenees into the water. Why? It would give them horrible memories with water. So keep it in mind.
Getting him into the water should be gentle and slow. Let their feet feel the water. In the meantime, Give him a small weight upwards across the belly.
Then you will see your Great Pyrenees start to paddle all their four limbs. Help him to keep his head above the water level.
After a while, you will see that he get familiar with swimming. So be consistent. Take off the life jacket when you feel pretty much confident about their swimming.
Here’s why your dog sleeps after bathing.
What to keep in mind when your Great Pyrenees goes for a swim?
There are few other things you need to keep in mind when your great Pyrenees go for a swim. In fact, it will make more comfortable the training session.
- Don’t be rush, it’s a step by step process. You should have good patience and perseverance. Actually, your great Pyrenees won’t be perfect for the first time. Think of it as the learning process of a human child.
- As we discussed above, don’t keep them in water for long hours. They are not highly energetic dogs. Keeping them for a long time in the water might lead to getting sick your dog.
- If you take your great Pyrenees to swim in lakes and chlorinated swimming pools. Make sure to rinse them after swimming.
- During swimming sessions, you should always be with your dog. Don’t let them swim in the way they want. Take responsibility and supervise them clearly.
Can Great Pyrenees swim in chlorinated pools?
This is a pretty common question from great Pyrenees owners. Having a swimming pool in your backyard would make the more straightforward training process.
But the fact is, can the great Pyrenees swim in chlorinated pools? Because dogs tend to drink water while swimming. In fact, it might lead to having some skin diseases.
So let’s dive right in.
- Be sure to rinse them after swimming in a chlorinated pool. So by doing that, they can prevent from lasting effects.
- Don’t play fetch in such a kind of pool. Because a lot of water can enter the body as they try to get the object.
- After rinsing, make sure to dry and clean your great Pyrenees. Take a look at their ears and be sure to clean and dry. Otherwise, there might occur some ear infections.
- Check the chlorine Concentration in the pool and never keep it at a higher level. Otherwsise it can be really dangerous to Great Pyrenees as dogs prefer to lick themselves after bathing.
What about the fear of water?
If your great Pyrenees have a fear of water, I’m pretty sure he will not swim ever. So he/she have to overcome this problem.
It doesn’t matter how brave they are on the land. They will be completely fearful of the water if you make something worse. So be gentle and slow.
Here are some of the tips and tricks that actually work.
- Don’t be hurry. Take him into the water slowly. Whenever he feels something uncontrollable for them, help him out. Then let him know that he isn’t alone.
- Before taking your dog into the swimming pool, let him play in a Dog swimming pool. It would help him to be familiar with water.
- Use tasty puppy treats to encourage them.
Why the great Pyrenees get stinky after a swim?
Your great Pyrenees can easily be stinky after a swim. The main reason for that is they have a long and thick coat.
So this coat can hold loads of water. But the problem is many owners allow them to stay wet throughout the day.
Why? Because when they start falling in love with water, we cannot stop them anymore. So If you have a dog bathtub in your house,
We know that these dogs are such loving and playful dogs. So, mostly they tend to run here and there throughout the garden after playing with water.
Even though they have dried, they are deliberately rolling on the ground when they run here and there. So great Pyrenees become dirty when water and dust have mixed.
Then after a few minutes, they may start to play with water again. Finally, they become really stinky.
So, remove the water after letting your great Pyrenees play with water for a specific time.
How to avoid that?
It’s always better to keep a specific time to bathe them. Give some time to play with water. After that, be mindful of rinsing them off with clean water.
So, after your Great Pyrenees swim and play with water, make sure to completely dry out them.
But don’t forget to use dog shampoo. After that, use a dry and clean towel and dry them.
Then brush them after they have completely dried. But remember, this dog has an undercoat as well.
If you forget to dry out that coat, it would be really stinky.
Once he is completely dehydrated, then again brushes his hair. So as you brush his hair, the hair will be separated, and the undercoat will get more air. So it will dry out better.
If you have a dog hair dryer, it would be straightforward for you.
After a while, apply dog perfumes. It will stop if the smell is still bad. Make sure to consult a Veterinarian to check if there is something that has gone wrong.
Don’t completely shave the great Pyrenees.
Most owners used to shave their great Pyrenees during the summer. Because having a long and thick coat would make them so annoying during hot days.
The other problem is the great Pyrenees shed excessively during the summer. Actually, that is the natural process.
But it’s so hard to manage that much fur whatsoever.
The other fact is many people tend to organize a lot of vacations during the summer. Most travel destinations can be a beach or some places which have a lake nearby.
So if their Great Pyrenees start to bathe every day, he would never get dry. It is extremely detrimental to his health.
This leads to getting horrible skin rashes. So that’s why drying his coat is essential.
The problem is if we completely shave him, then he will not receive natural protection anymore.
So don’t shave them completely. Make sure to keep in mind it.
CONCLUSION
Many people love these white, gigantic polar bear-type dogs. But many people have a common problem regarding the great Pyrenees, which is “Can Great Pyrennes swim?”.
So this article is an in-depth review of this matter. I hope this helps.
