How to properly dry your dog after bathing is a critical part of grooming. This is especially important for pets with longer coat; not drying a pet properly can make them immediately uncomfortable. It can also lead to or worsen existing skin and coat problems. In professional pet grooming, drying a coat thoroughly is essential. It ensures a proper “finish” for brushing, trimming, or full-body styling.

Let’s go through the steps of drying your dog properly once they have been bathed and rinsed. If you are bathing your pet at home and are unsure of how to set up a proper bathing area, our article on Bathing a Dog in a Home Environment can help! 

Step 1:  Manually squeeze out excess water off the pet

While still in the tub or sink, gently squeeze the water from your pet with your hands after your final rinse; this not only removes excess water from the coat but also gives you an opportunity to make sure that every bit of product was properly rinsed off of the pet. 
For short and smooth-coated dogs, you can just run your hands down their back and then down each leg and tail, making sure that you “wipe off” excess water. Properly drying your dog is essential.
For pets with a longer coat, you should gently squeeze every area that can hold moisture, thus not only on the body and legs, but also the ears, the muzzle and the tail. 

Step 2:  Drying Your Dog After a Bath – Towel Dry Thoroughly

Start this step in the tub, then move to your grooming table or designated area. Use a clean, absorbent towel to soak up water from the coat. For short-coated pets, massage the coat in any direction to remove water. For longer-coated pets, carefully “scrunch” the coat with the towel. Avoid tangling the fur. Pay attention to areas like the ears, tail, face, and feet. If needed, use multiple towels for thorough drying..

Step 3:  Prepping the Coat – Key for Properly Drying Your Dog After Bathing

AOnce your pet is towel-dried, move to the grooming table or finishing area. Apply leave-in products, like spray conditioners, and brush them into the coat. This step also helps assess coat condition for advanced tasks. You can address issues like de-matting or de-shedding during this phase.

Step 4:  Blow Drying the Coat – Essential for Drying Your Dog After a Bath

Blow-drying the coat is an important part of the drying process for many reasons, but if you are drying your dog after a bath and your pet is nervous about blow-drying, there are other options available to achieve the same results.
Blow-drying your pet typically exceeds the capability of a human-grade blow-dryer, so it’s important to choose a high-velocity dryer specifically designed to dry pets.  Pet blow-dryers come in professional grade and home-use, with pricing varying between the two accordingly. Properly drying your dog after bathing keeps them comfortable and clean.

Always remember to be thorough while keeping your pet cozy, warm and comfortable. If you need help picking out a pet dryer, visit our shop!

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