Supplies and Equipment for Your Great Pyrenees

In order to care for your Great Pyrenees properly you will need to have certain supplies on hand. Most importantly, your Great Pyrenees needs a crate or carrier to sleep in (you will also use it for housetraining) as well as food and water dishes and other accessories.

Below is the list of required supplies and accessories for your dog:

• Crate or carrier
• Blanket or dog bed
• Food and water dishes
• Toys (assortment)
• Collar, leash and harness
• Grooming supplies

Crate or Carrier

Having a crate or carrier for your Great Pyrenees serves two important functions. First, it will give your Great Pyrenees a place to sleep as well as a place to retire to if he needs some time to himself. Second, it will play an important role in housebreaking your Great Pyrenees. Choose a carrier that is just large enough for your Great Pyrenees to comfortably stand up, turn around, sit, and lie down in. You may need to purchase one crate for your Great Pyrenees as a puppy and upgrade it once he reaches full size.

Blanket or Dog Bed

To make your Great Pyrenees’s crate more comfortable you will need to line it with a soft blanket or pet bed. Choose something that is comfortable but also easy to wash. While your Great Pyrenees is being housebroken, you might even want to get something waterproof.

Food/Water Dishes

Food and water dishes for dogs come in all shapes and sizes but you should choose a set that suits your dog’s needs. Great Pyrenees are large – breed dogs, so don’t choose anything relatively small. As mentioned in the previous chapters, stainless steel and ceramic bowls do not harbor bacteria like plastic can and they are easy to clean.

Toys

In order to keep your Great Pyrenees occupied you will need to provide him with an assortment of toys. Making sure your Great Pyrenees has plenty of toys will keep him from chewing on your furniture and it will give you something to use in playing with him.

Collar, Leash and Harness

Having a collar for your Great Pyrenees is incredibly important because you will need to attach your dog’s license and ID tag to it. Choose a collar appropriate for your Great Pyrenees’s size – it should fit well without being too tight or too loose. Choose a leash that won’t weigh your Great Pyrenees down during walks and consider investing in a harness as well. Harnesses offer improved control over your dog’s movements and they take the pressure off your dog’s neck and throat.

Grooming Supplies

In order to keep your Great Pyrenees’s skin and coat in good health you’ll need to brush and comb him several times a week. Have a wire pin brush on hand as well as wide-toothed comb. You may also want to buy an undercoat rake to help remove dead hairs from your Great Pyrenees’s coat before he sheds them all over your furniture. Later on in this book, you can find more information on how to properly groom your pet.

Once you have assembled all of these items you can use them to create a living space for your Great Pyrenees. You will find tips for setting up your Great Pyrenees’s crate in the next section of this book.