Use different drying techniques depending on your dog’s size and the type and length of coat it has. It is important to mention that if you plan to trim your dog’s hair, the coat must be completely dry before doing any trimming.
Towel Dry
A towel dry is the first step and should be done while the dog is still in the tub. Wrapping your dog in a towel is not only soothing for your best friend but also gives you a firm grip to safely transport your dog to the work area.
The best way to wrap the dog in a towel is to first, cover your hand with one end of the towel. Position this hand under the dog, going under his belly and through his hind legs.
With this hand, gently lift the dog a few inches from the tub and with your other free hand, wrap the dog with the towel going over and under. Now that you are in control, slide the “wrapped” hand out and lift the dog. He will be comfortable and secure.
Letting your dog rest a few minutes in the burrito wrap will give the hair cuticle enough time to seal and absorb all of the shampoo’s nutrients inside the hair shaft. If your dog is too big, or too anxious, to be carried like a wrapped baby around the house, keeping the dog in his cage or a confined area with a couple of towels under him will do the trick.
Blow Dry
Rushing to blow-dry the hair will result in drying out the nutrients before they have had the chance to penetrate, leaving the hair excessively dry and brittle and prone to breakage. Well-nurtured hair will also help keep the style in good shape much longer.
For dogs with short or medium-length coats with or without undercoat, such as Parson Russell Terriers or Golden Retrievers, a towel dry followed by a high-velocity hair dryer to dry and remove dead coat and undercoat is recommended. A high-velocity dryer, also known as a force-dryer, is one of the professional dog groomer’s secret weapons.
High-velocity dryers come in various shapes, sizes, and powers. Most high-velocity
dryers are noisy. For nervous dogs, using cotton balls in the ears or wrapping a
scarf or towel around the head to cover the ears will make them feel more at ease.
When using any kind of dryer, it is important to first turn it on pointing away from your dog to give him a few seconds to get used to the noise and then slowly approach the dog with the dryer.
When using a high-velocity dryer, it is important to sweep the water from the back of the head to the tail and down the sides to avoid rewetting areas that you have already dried. High-velocity dryers will get your dog almost dry. In summer months a walk outside will be enough to completely dry his coat.
Fluff Drying
Fluff drying is done on the table with a handheld blow dryer. It is important to remember that the air temperature must be kept to its minimum heat setting to avoid burning the skin and damaging the coat. A blow dryer holder (available at pet stores) will free up both of your hands to hold the dog and brush under the stream of warn air.
The direction that you blow-dry will alter the end results. Dogs with drop coats, such as Yorkshires, Maltese, Shih Tzus, or Cocker Spaniels, should be fluff-dried in the direction that the hair grows to achieve a neat finish with minimum fly-away hairs. For fluffy-looking dogs, such as Bichons or Poodles, brushing under the dryer against the grain will lift all the hair up, making it much easier to trim.
Ear flaps and skin folds are especially delicate when exposed to heat. Be extra cautious when drying these areas. Never point a dryer directly into your dog’s face. Always dry these areas directing the air from the top or behind. Remember, dogs are very sensitive!
Sponge Bath Technique
A sponge bath is a great way to clean the areas of the dog that need it when a traditional bath is not an option and a dry bath is not enough. For sponge baths, the use of a waterless, or self-rinse, shampoo is the best option. Self-rinse shampoo is designed to clean and leave minimum residue on the dog.
Start by removing dirt, food, or anything else that needs to be washed out using a paper towel or, even better, wet wipes. If available, use dog wipes, which are usually thicker and soaked with more cleaning solution than wipes made for humans. Dog wipes are good not only for spot cleaning but for removing dust that accumulates on the dog’s coat after a fun day at the park.
After you have removed as much dirt as you can, soak a washcloth or a sponge in self-rinse shampoo. Grabbing a section of the dirty hair from the root, slide your hand down, removing the dirt with the washcloth or sponge. Repeat this process always using a clean section of the rag or by rinsing it and starting again. After all the dirty areas have been treated with self-rinse shampoo, go over them again with a washcloth dampened with the same self-rinse shampoo, but this time dilute the shampoo with water (one part shampoo to one part water).
This way, you will remove any dirt left behind and not leave as much of the self-rinse product on the dog. Finish by towel-drying the area with a dry towel and brush it to allow air to circulate and better dry the area, especially if a hair dryer is not available.
