# Drying--towel or blow dry?



## shallbe (Jan 16, 2012)

I visited two different groomers the other day to talk to them about Tweed's coat. It's going to have to have good care, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wouldn't cost as much as I had been led to believe.

Anyway...one shop said that bathing him once a week was too much, that I'd cause him to have dry skin problems which they called "the creeping crud". They also said that towel drying him wouldn't be good enough.

The other shop said that how often to bathe depended on the dog, and didn't mention anything about drying.

Tweed has so much beautiful hair...but it WILL get stinky quickly. Because we want to enjoy being close to him, we need him to be clean. So whatever it takes to keep him healthy and us happy to be with him is what I need to do.

Should I learn to blow dry him?

I should mention that we've had him for 3 months now, and he's had a bath every week. So far, no "creeping crud"...


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Can you get him dried with the towel without tangling the wet hair? If so, the towel might be fine. Otherwise, I'd get a blow dryer and use it as you comb it out. I know it does wonders for Wally's hair every time I do that, comes out nice and airy (though Wally would vote for the towel...or just charge around using the "run until I'm dry approach").


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## shallbe (Jan 16, 2012)

KBLover said:


> Can you get him dried with the towel without tangling the wet hair? If so, the towel might be fine. Otherwise, I'd get a blow dryer and use it as you
> comb it out. I know it does wonders for Wally's hair every time I do that, comes out nice and airy (though Wally would vote for the towel...or just charge around using the "run until I'm dry approach").


How dry does he have to be? I have been drying him with a towel for three months--ever since we got him. It doesn't seem to "tangle" the hair. I comb him BEFORE I bathe him, to get all the burrs and matts out.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

shallbe said:


> How dry does he have to be? I have been drying him with a towel for three months--ever since we got him. It doesn't seem to "tangle" the hair. I comb him BEFORE I bathe him, to get all the burrs and matts out.


I was just thinking that if I tried to towel-dry Wally, some of the hair would re-tangle while with a blow dryer, I can comb after the bath as well as I dry. making the hair light and airy (and giving him that poofy/cottony/cloud-like look. Plus the action of bathing him might push some of the hairs together too (given his coat type, somewhat long and dense)

I like to have him completely dry to the touch (no water on him) so I go with the blow dryer. Sometimes, even with the blow dryer, some of the hair is still somewhat wet (it will be on the wavy side and not look like fine individual hairs). So I think with a towel, it would be even worse. 

Of course, if your dog has not-that-long hair, getting most of the water off him so that he feels no more than damp to the touch is probably just fine. I'd probably hit the coat with a comb after drying just to loosen the hair so that it can fully dry down to the skin, etc.


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## stacey101 (Sep 20, 2010)

What breed of dog do you have?
Personally my opinion and Koda's breeders opinion,because dogs like koda ( shihtzu )don't shed they should be bathed once a week if not every 2. I've been doing this for 8 years now, and never had a dry skin problem with him. On that note, he is almost always blow dried ( unless its a REALLY hot summer day...or im just to plain lazy ).


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I suspect groomers see a lot of dogs in pretty sorry shape with caregivers claiming the dogs get this and that grooming between sessions so they are very cautious about suggesting stuff like baths where shampoo isn't completely rinsed out or towel drying where the dog might not be combed out properly before, during and after.

Max is due for a bath and the weather is nice and warm today. I will probably be lazy and walk him dry brushing through every few minutes, saves half an hour and he would rather walk instead of get blown dry. I do walk him dry though, no damp anywhere after we are done. 

I say if it ain't broke don't fix it. You seem to have a handle on his grooming already!


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Buster is bathed every 1-6 weeks. He has allergies so it really depends on what's going on with his skin that particular day if he needs a bath. Rinse, rinse and when you think all the shampoo is out, rinse some more. I towel dry and then blow dry. I use a shop vac on reverse, human hair dryers get too hot and in a Saints opinion any heat is too much. Due to those dang allergies and a heavy double coat Bus cant be left even damp otherwise it sets him up for skin infections.


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