How to Correctly Blow Dry Your Dog
Giving a bath to your dog sometimes isn’t easy. Some dogs have to be trained to understand how important grooming is for them. Other dogs are very good with grooming and don’t stress you during a bath.
After giving your dog a nice bath, what happens next? This article will attempt to shed some light on how to correctly blow-dry your dog. Every dog owner knows the importance of keeping your dog dry and warm after a good bath. Top dog owners go all out to ensure that their dogs look good and feel great.
One might ask why the emphasis on blow drying? Can’t we leave the dogs to get dry by themselves after a bath? In the summertime, I used to have my dog go out immediately after a bath to get dry by itself. My bias point of view on things was mainly the cause. I thought it was a done deal with regards to drying – the sun is out so my dog will air dry in no time. I didn’t know that it was affecting my dog as it looked quite unkempt.
In this article, we will address the importance as well as ways of correctly blow-drying your dog and keeping it presentable and feeling good.
Why Blow-Dry Your Dog
Your dog’s looks are important to them as it is for you. Looking good after a bath is essential to their social and health aspects. You do not want your dog to get cold after a bath due to your inability to properly blow dry it. There are many perks of blow-drying your dog. Before getting into the methods of correctly blow drying, we will first examine why it is important.
- Keeps your dog looking presentable
Giving your dog a good blow dry helps it look great and presentable. When I step out and meet dogs with their owners, I always find myself staring at those that look good. It is obvious that these owners put a lot of investment into the upkeep of their dogs.
- Helps in keeping your dog warm
A blow-dry serves as a therapeutic luxury for your dog’s fur. It aids in keeping your dog dry and warm after a bath. Their furs look fluffy, neat and nice and your dog instead of feeling cold and getting sick, stays warm always.
- Kills germs and parasites that may be on your dog after a bath
A good bath doesn’t always guarantee that germs will get off of your dog. Germs that are able to survive a bath would no longer be in your dog’s fur after a blow-dry.
Ways to Correctly Blow Dry Your Dog
There is nothing new under the sun and time is never wasted when it comes to learning. We all have ideas about how to get our dogs dry after a bath. There are correct ways to follow in order to ensure your dog gets properly dried up.
For starters, you should always be patient with your dog when grooming. Not your traditional idea right? When it comes to grooming, pups are a bit difficult and more so when using a blow-drier. They can become restless, anxious and very fretful. It is important to be patient with your pet and slowly guide it to being comfortable during grooming.
- Choose the right drier
Whilst it is totally great and safe to blow dry your dog after a bath, you should also consider the product you use. Depending on the outcome or how you want your dog to look after, you should know what works best.
A fluffy drier works best for busy people who don’t have the luxury of waiting for a long while to get their dogs well-groomed. It has a heating system which is adjustable to suit your dog’s needs or preference. This type of drier doesn’t require a lot of manpower. It is made to stand on its own for the drying process to be completed.
You can also go for a force drier should you want a more effective method. Now this type of drier acts like a vacuum that sucks dry all excess water left in the fur of your dog. During the blow-drying process, a force dryer is mindful of your dog’s fur to prevent burning. It is a quick and good option for people who want to trim the furs of their dogs. It leaves the coating of your dog straight and without tangling.
Another type of doggie blow-dryer is called a cage or cabinet drier. Most people love going for a sauna and this type of drier serves as one for your dog. It allows steam into the coat of your dog, helping it to dry up faster. Now this is a good option for owners of dogs that are a bit stubborn when it comes to grooming.
- Towel dry your dog
When we step out after a bath, the first thing we reach out for is a towel. The towel gets rid of water left on our bodies after a bath, it makes us feel dry and ready for the day. Your dog needs that preliminary process to get most of the water out after bathing.
One common mistake most dog owners make is to vigorously and roughly rub the towel around the coat of their dogs. This only worsens the coat of their dogs and keeps it looking tangled and rugged. Gently rub the towel around your dog in order to properly soak the wetness. Remember to take one step at a time, as you may not get the effect you want. Concentrating on drying a step at a time helps you concentrate on important areas on your dog.
Towel drying first helps do about 50 percent of the job for you before moving to use a drier. It aids in making the blow-drying very effective and must be adhered to. You should not that this process doesn’t get all the wetness off your dog.
- Start slowly and at the hind areas of your dog
Now you’re ready to blow-dry but don’t know how and where to start? Worry no more. As said earlier, always be gentle with your dog in order to bring them to undergo the process easily. Being patient and gentle comes with starting slowly. When you rush, you leave most parts undone and still wet, which could affect other areas of your dog.
Aim your drier at areas of your dog where it is less cautious of. Areas such as the ears or the back of the dog’s head can be a good place to start the drying process. This helps to make your dog feel less anxious than he already is and gently eases him into the grooming process.
Remember to apply the blow drier over a gentle heat that makes your dog comfortable. Pooches would naturally resist something that poses as harmful to them.
- Progress steadily and use your hands
Yep, your hands are still needed in the blow-drying process. As you gently progress to other areas of your dog, don’t forget to employ the services of your hands.
Pass your hands gently through the fur of your dog to make sure that proper blow steam enters the fur. This also helps to expose the undercoat of your dog and helps get it dry. Your hand should gently comb through the fur of your dog to make sure it gets the straight and fluffy effect you want.
The blow drier should be able to get your dog dried up quickly, but your hands expose other areas that might be out of reach. It also is great in helping spot some infections that may be on your dog.
- Comb and style
After blow-drying, experts advise to leave your dog’s coat a little damp and allow to dry on its own. This helps to prevent adverse risks to your dog and keeps the fur looking good and healthy. Immediately comb the fur and style to your preference for your dog to look good. Combing also aids in preventing knots and tangling of the coat.
- Provide treats for encouragement
As much as we know dogs aren’t the easiest to deal with when it comes to grooming, but they do become more comfortable over time. Now this is dependent on how well you train your dog and also how you encourage it.
Dogs respond to treats in a good way and would be willing to undergo a grooming process when encouraged. The way you provide treats to your dog when it does a good deed is the same way you should provide treats to get it used to grooming.
Summary
As you invest in keeping yourself looking good, invest also in your dog’s looks. This goes a long way to prevent certain health risks and from looking dirty and unkempt. Blow drying maintains the texture and fluffiness of your dog’s coat as well as keeping it neat and clean. Be aware that some dog breeds like the Spanish water dog should not be blow-dried. Expert advice should be obtained with regards to the correct grooming methods and requirements for your specific dog breed.
Sources:
- How to Blow Dry a Dog – WikiHow
- The Ultimate Guide to Grooming and Bathing Your Dog – RSPCA Pet Insurance
