How to dry a dog after bathing

If you give your pooch baths at home, you’re going to need to know how to dry a dog. It may sound like common sense to you, but there is more than one way to accomplish this task. It can be a daunting task, especially if your pup has long or thick fur. Nevertheless, you must dry your pet.

It’s easy for dogs to get chilled when their skin and fur are wet. Especially in the colder months and climates, it’s important that you take the time to dry your dog after his bath.

Basically, there are two ways to dry a dog: with a towel or a hairdryer. I suggest starting with a towel and gradually introducing your pet to a hairdryer. Most dogs will be timid of the noise that pet hair dryers produce, thereby making your grooming session harder.

In my video above, you can see how easy it is to keep your dog calm while drying him with just a towel. I’ve also shared more tips on drying pets in two of my reviews: Original Territory pocket towel review as well as the older Luv & Emma’s towel review. I really recommend you check them both out since they have some helpful information.

For this dog drying guide, I’ve used Luv & Emma’s pet towel, but there are better dog towels out there if you need something ultra absorbent, especially for a large breed with thick or double coat. We’ve put together a list of best dog towels for drying pets after a bath where we took a look at seven most absorbent options and have top picks.

WATCH THIS: How To Bathe A Dog 101 – Step by Step Instructions

How To Dry A Dog After Bathing

Towel Drying

I know what you’re thinking. You assume that you know how to towel dry a dog and how difficult can that be, right? Unfortunately, it really is not as simple as you may think.

My first tip is to start at the beginning: you need to select the right towel for dogs. I recommend a microfiber towel, as they can absorb a lot of water and won’t drip on your floors. Absorption is the main factor when it comes to drying dogs.

That dog-specific towel that you see in my video guide is from Luv & Emma’s. It’s great.

Video: How to dry your dog after bath!

Here’s the second tip. When towel drying your dog, you want to start strictly with his head and work your way to his back end. Don’t mess about. You also want to work from top to bottom, meaning you’ll start with his back and work down to his belly and legs.

Be sure you dry inside his ears, as water in the ears can lead to dog ear infections. You must also dry each paw. A lot of water accumulates underneath the paws as he’s standing in the tub. If you don’t dry them, you’ll have wet paw tracks all through your home.

If you have a large breed dog, especially one with a thick or double coat, you may need more than one towel. When the first becomes saturated, you’ll need to switch to another towel or your efforts will be in vain. Towels can only hold so much water.

Video: Grooming Series: Blow Dry

How to dry a dog with a hairdryer

When learning how to dry a dog, towel isn’t the only way – you have another decent option. Towel drying is a lot of work, but it’s quicker than using a hairdryer. If you’re not pressed for time, drying your dog with a hairdryer is a much easier option.

Keep in mind that your dog will likely be afraid of the noise of the dryer at first.

You’ll need to get him acclimated to the dryer very gradually. Start by turning it on and let him get used to the sound in a neutral area. Once he’s used to the noise, you can bring him in your bathroom (or wherever you groom him) and let him listen to the sound in there. This way he will associate the sound of the hairdryer with the environment.

Video: Dogs go crazy after bathing - Funny dog compilations

For more tips on how to calm down your dog, I recommend you watch the below video.

WATCH THIS: How To Train A Dog To Enjoy Grooming & Stay Calm

Now that your pooch is comfortable with the noise, you are probably ready to dry his coat. Take a second and think of how you dry your own hair. You move the dryer back and forth quickly so your scalp doesn’t get burned, right?

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