Dog taking hours to dry after walks - what is the best way to speed things up?

[cantthinkofanewnameatall]

My puppy takes so long to dry- three hours sometimes - and looks bedraggled and dreadful and probably feels it. I've also got a suspicion he won't have his usual post walk nap when he is this state too.

Any tips - I can only towel him down for so long. Not sure about the hairdryer as would take a while. Has anyone tried those fleece bag things - not sure how he would take to that though!

I hair dry my dog. He loves it!

I might try the hairdryer then and provide treats initially to get him used to it.

Equalfleeces have saved my house and car from muddy dogs.

Cheaper version is hotterdogs

Go for a muddy wet walk, a quick rub down with a towel pop on an equafleece jumper or coat and leave dogs to dry off quickly in their beds, no mud, no wet shaking dogs covering the walls. Pop the fleeces in wash ready to go again for the next day....(or not if I am lazy just dry off for the next time)

Oh, I'd been looking at equalfleeces and thought you were meant to walk your dog in the fleece and keep it dry. Then take it off when you get home and you have a dry dog.

Is that not right? Is it for absorbing the wet afterwards?

Some people do put them on dogs to keep them dry but my lot would get way too hot running about in coats so like many people we put them on after exercise and it dries the dogs off really quickly.

I regularly meet two big doodles who must be like giant sponges, because they do like a good wallow. I asked their owner how he got them dry and he said they didn't get too wet wearing something like this www.dogtopia.co.uk/dog_clothes_waterproof_suits/dog_clothes_waterproof_suits.htm

They do look funny in them, though.

Mine has a doggy bag that he goes in when he is wet ,he has short hair ( regularly clipped) and takes about 30-40 mins to dry in the bag ,the bag seems to take any mud off the dog . He got used to it very quickly and just lays in it like a big slug , photo attached. When he is dry you just turn the bag inside out and shake the mud out and then leave it to dry .When it is cold he wears an Equafleece jumper or coat on his walks .

Flora, you are my perfect poster as I am torn between the Equafleece and the doggy bag! I'm not keen on him wearing the Equa during walks (although might resort to doing so) so it would be more for drying afterwards. Which is likely to be best?

What I find is the biggest issue is when he comes in wet and muddy and then shakes as he walks through the house covering all the walls and woodwork . With the bag I get him in the porch and he goes straight in the bag and I lift him round to his drying area ( he is only 13kg) ,same goes for in the car - he's in the bag before he is in the car . With the jumper his legs are still exposed so he can still shake off quite a bit of mess ,so I prefer the bag.

I can't see my dogs staying still in a bag after walks. Am going to order fleece coats.

Wish they came in nicer patterns though.

I thought that viva ,and at first I made him one with arms out of an old coat so he could walk about . My current dry bag was bought for me by my sister and for the first couple of times he wore it I sat with him and now he just goes to sleep ,its roomy but if he tried to walk about he'd fall over . I've got the equafleeces in dark green ,but I agree patterns would be nice ( our pony has coats with stars and daisies on )

I made mine drying coats with some freecycle towels and left over fleece material, poo them on before getting in car or after baths and they stay on and keep them warm till dry

Our dogs come home all wet and muddy then climb straight into bed. It's known as Dog Dirt Dynamics. The dogs get all nice and clean and dry and our bed.... Well....

I want to order something tonight so need to decide - equa or dry bag? I'm thinking dry bag as easier to get on?

Check out the reviews of these :-)

www.dfordog.co.uk/dog-drying-coat.html