Re: [pyrnet] Water and Rain

Hi Christine,

I feel like I know Kodiak with all the emails I see that you answer! From the emails I've been receiving, I guess all Pyrs feel differently about rain and wet ground. Like Kodiak, Gunner doesn't like thunder. Seems he knows it's coming long before we do because he senses storms and moves to the corner of the house where there are no windows and wont budge unless it's bedtime, at which time he jumps in with us, insisting on being in the middle, and again won't budge :). I'm glad my husband loves him the way I do!

I've considered having his hair cut for the summer but I'm so afraid a groomer will mess him up. Even though he's an indoor dog, it can get ferociously hot in Texas. And secretly it would be nice to let my broom stay in the closet just for one day lol!

Thanks again Christine!

Traci

From: Christine <chrissy@instant.net>
To: pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org
Sent: Sun, April 18, 2010 9:37:44 PM
Subject: Re: [pyrnet] Water and Rain

Gunner sounds so cute. Maybe he just really hates the rain. Kodiak has never seen snow and he dislikes baths but he loves mud, puddles, and rain. We know he enjoys being in the rain but a few of our neighbors sort of give us this suspect look from time to time when they see him soaked to the bone roaming along the fence. You can see, "That poor dog! They ought to be ashamed of themselves!" written all over their faces.

We have had some unusually heavy rains the past few days and Kodiak has wanted to come in the house. Some thunder is ok but consistent thunder and lightening sends him straight to the front door. Still, when I used dry him off when he would get super soaking wet I would always see bone dry fur deep, close to his skin. Now that he virtually has no more fur (six pounds less) I noticed that he does not want to be in the rain hardly at all. Interestingly, Pyrs really are "self-cleaning" because even without his coat, oak tassles, mud, dirt, clovers and the like seem to miraculously disappear and after a few hours he is pure white again- even still very furry tail.

Christine/Kodiak

From: guypithecus@sbcglobal.net
To: pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org
Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 11:24:56 AM
Subject: Re: [pyrnet] Water and Rain

Josie loves snow and is okay with light rain. Sometimes we have to call her to come in and she'll have a quarter of an inch of snow on her or be completely soaked with the rain. If it's raining hard, she will take a few steps out and then turn around and want right back in.

She doesn't like thunder storms, but doesn't freak out.

Pyrs are all alike, but so different.

--- On Sat, 4/17/10, Kimberly Shaffer <kimberlys@hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Kimberly Shaffer <kimberlys@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pyrnet] Water and Rain
To: pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org
Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010, 2:23 PM

Well I can tell you this... My Chloe will jump in a kiddie pool and jump in a lake and run in a mud puddle and play in the snow when it's really coming down, but give her some

rain and she turns phobic! If it's raining she does the same thing Gunner does, open the door and she runs and hides. She will hold her business til she no longer can and then

will go in the house. She hates the bath too but she will go and get in the tub when ordered to do so! I really find it hard to understand why the pool, lake, puddle, snow is not

a problem but wet grass or the bath is a problem. She's very quirky and very much the Diva as well. My other Pyr, Tucker, doesn't like water at all much. He will go out in the

rain but only when pushed to do so. He will go out in the snow but not if it's snowing. If you pick up a snowball and throw it at him, he runs for the door screaming Let Me In!!!

Chloe on the other hand is completely happy to have snowballs whipped at her face as she growls and barks and hops around with glee. I gave up trying to understand my Pyrs

long ago... I just love them to pieces. (Oh and Storms... I have 4 dogs and none of them like storms and will crawl all over me, shaking during one.)

~Kim in Ohio

Pyrs, Chloe & Tucker

Border Collie, Maggie

Chihuahua, Puppy

From: Traci

Sent: Saturday, April 17, 2010 2:30 PM

To: pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org

Subject: [pyrnet] Water and Rain

Can anyone tell me if being afraid of water and especially rain is a Pyr thing? My Gunner dislikes baths with a passion, but we do seem to get that done with a big tantrum and a full day poutfest. Rain is another story! Rather than go out to potty, as soon as I open the door to let him out, he will run and find a place to curl up in a tight ball so that we have to use everything we've got to get him up and out. He literally runs around the house like a little child running from his mommy. It's really pretty amusing, but also quite annoying and concerning because we don't want him to end up with a kidney infection. Once he's finally outside, he will stand at the edge of the patio not daring to step foot on a wet lawn. Not doing his duty, he will then come back to the door and bark and cry until he is let in. Subsequently we have seen him go a day and a half without potty. He is 3 1/2 and we rescued him from the shelter at 1 1/2. They found him wondering the streets. Maybe he was stuck out in some storms back then. Maybe it's a Pyr thing. Does anyone know? Does anyone have any suggestions? Quite the personality, we adore him and he is a huge (pun) part of our family!

Thanks,

Traci