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Bathing Services: Drying Process

How to dry a dog safely after a bath, starting slow and working from the easiest areas to the hardest.

Purpose

Drying is where patience pays off. A dog that just got rinsed, shampooed, and rinsed again isn't always ready for a loud dryer pointed at its face, so this walks you through building the dog up to it in the right order instead of starting at full blast.

At a Glance

  • Let the dog shake off excess water before you turn the dryer on.
  • Start the dryer on its lowest setting, away from the dog, then bring it closer as the dog tolerates it.
  • Dry the easiest areas first (usually not the head, paws, face, or rear) to build the dog's comfort before moving to the sensitive spots.
  • Long-haired dogs need the full coat dried, since water can sit under the top layer and cause irritation.
  • Typical time is 10-15 minutes, up to 20-30 minutes depending on coat.
  • For the wash that comes before this, see Bathing Services: Bathing Process.

Steps

  1. Move the dog to the drying table and tether to the support beam.
  2. Give the dog a moment to shake off any excess water on its own.
  3. Start the dryer on the lowest setting and away from the dog, to desensitize the dog to the sudden change.
  4. Gradually move the dryer closer and watch how the dog reacts.
  5. Begin with the easiest areas to dry, since the head, paws, face, and rear are usually the most sensitive. Starting easy helps the dog get comfortable before you reach those spots.
  6. If the dog seems comfortable, work your way from the top of the body down.
  7. On longer-haired dogs, dry the entire coat, not just the surface, since water can sit under the top coat layer and irritate the skin if it's left.
  8. Dry the feet, belly, inner thighs, and other hard-to-reach areas fully.
  9. Expect the process to take 10-15 minutes for most dogs, and up to 20-30 minutes for dogs with more hair.

Edge Cases

  • If the dog reacts negatively at any point, you have three options: settle the dog down more before continuing, call for backup from another staff member, or switch to towel drying instead of the dryer.
  • If at any point you don't feel you can safely finish with the dryer, take one of those steps above. You can always fall back to a towel; you should never push through a drying session that doesn't feel safe.

Who to Ask

If a dog is struggling more than a normal desensitization curve, or you're not sure whether to keep going with the dryer or switch to a towel, call for backup rather than deciding alone. For how a dog builds tolerance to the dryer over time, see Bath and Dryer.

What should I do when the dryer upsets a dog?

Settle the dog down more before continuing, call for backup from another staff member, or switch to towel drying. Any of those is the right call over pushing through with the dryer when it isn't safe.