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We know the struggle of a wet pup all too well. You go for a rainy walk or give them a bath. Then your dog spends the next few hours making damp spots on the carpet and furniture. If air drying isn’t cutting it, then you may be wondering if you can use a blow dryer on a dog at home.
To find out, we asked two professional dog groomers, Jules Cloud and Sarah Cazares. With their insight, we examine whether you can use your own blow dryer on your dog. We also discuss the pros and cons of dog-specific dryers, what to look for in one, and the dogs best suited for home blowouts. Here’s everything you need to know.
Can You Use a Human Blow Dryer on Your Dog?
It’s best not to use a human blow dryer on your dog. Here’s why.
First, human blow dryers typically run much hotter than those made specifically for dogs. While you’ll notice right away if your hair dryer is too warm for your scalp, your dog can’t give you a heads-up that things are getting toasty. By the time your pup yelps or pulls away, it might be too late—you’ve already hurt their skin.
Human blow dryers are also far less powerful than dog blow dryers. Even if you use the “cool” setting on a human hair dryer, you’re not likely to see results as good as a dog-specific model can offer. That’s because dog blow dryers are powerhouses. They’re not really drying your pup by heat so much as blasting the water out of their fur.
That said, Cloud says that human hair dryers can have a few limited uses for your dog:
- Puppy training: Cloud points out that human blow dryers can help desensitize your puppy to the sound and feel of hair dryers. “The volume and velocity are much lower on a human dryer,” she notes. Just make sure you’re using it on the cool setting.
- As a supplement: Human hair dryers can help with the last bit of drying and offer some final fluffing. “You may switch from a pet dryer to a human dryer on low heat and a short pinned slicker brush,” Cloud advises when doing this.
- To build positive associations: If your dog has trauma around blow dryers, you can use a human one to help them through their past negative experiences, says Cloud. “You may try a human blow dryer to work with your dog on drying again to create a new positive conditioned emotional response (+CER),” she adds.
Edwin Tan via iStock
Advantages of a Dog Blow Dryer
Using a dog-specific blow dryer comes with quite a few perks. Here are a few advantages of using one.
- Promotes skin and coat health. Cloud notes that a dog blow dryer is an excellent tool for seeing all through your pup’s fur, right down to their skin. “This is particularly helpful if you think your dog may have an injury or it’s foxtail season,” she adds.
- Faster drying. Dog blow dryers operate with more power to dry your pup’s fur much faster.
- Shedding control. Dog blow dryers blast water out of your dog’s fur at high speed, removing loose fur in their undercoat and cutting down on shedding. (It’s not a substitute for grooming with a comb—but it’s a nice supplement!)
- Good for styling. If your dog has particular styling needs, the dryer will help get the best results, says Cloud.
- Helps with detangling. “Drying your dog’s hair can help prevent painful brushing after they’ve air-dried,” says Cazares. “Hair is easier to detangle when it’s wet, and the force of the air coming from a blow dryer can help separate small knots before they become a bigger mat.”
When To Use a Dog Blow Dryer
Cazares says the dogs that benefit the most from using a blow dryer are breeds with long or curly hair. “Water can create tangles, and a dryer can help loosen the tangles as they dry,” she says, explaining that water makes curly hair swell and dry in a tangle. “Blow drying the hair when it’s still wet will help prevent tangles while it’s softened by the water and less prone to breakage,” she adds.
Cloud adds that a blow dryer can help dogs prone to matting. “The dryer helps to separate the hair to prevent matting, but also to be able to see where matted areas are on the animal,” she says.
Double-coated dogs, especially those with medium to long fur, can also benefit from a blow dryer because it helps with both drying and shedding. “The pressure from a blow dryer can help loosen the undercoat. Any hair that doesn’t blow out can be brushed out,” says Cazares. “Just be prepared for it to snow fur all over the place.”
Coat Type | How Useful Is a Dog Blow Dryer? |
Slick-Haired | Not necessary |
Short-Haired | Useful for de-shedding and cutting down on dry time |
Double-Coated | Can be very helpful for de-shedding and cutting down on dry time, especially for dogs with medium or longer fur |
Non-Shedding | Helps to separate hair and prevent tangles and matting |
When to skip a dog blow dryer
Not all dogs need a dog blow dryer. For instance, blow dryers aren’t necessary for slick-coated dogs, like Vizslas or Dobermans, although you can certainly use one to examine the dog’s skin or dry it a bit quicker, says Cloud.
If your dog doesn’t get wet very frequently, a dog blow dryer may not be a great use of space and money either. If your dog is noise-averse or anxious, it’s best to stick with towels or work with a qualified trainer who can help de-sensitize them.
Things To Consider in a Dog Blow Dryer
When choosing a blow dryer for your dog, there are a few things to consider, including price, size, and noise. Whether or not you should use a cage dryer is also something to think about. Let’s take a look at each factor in more detail.
Average price
On average, a dog blow dryer costs between $70 to $250. The price, however, varies depending on factors like:
- Higher speed and power. The more powerful the dryer and the higher the airflow speed, the pricier it tends to be.
- Extras. Driers with additional features like adjustable heat settings, noise reduction, or multiple attachments will also be more expensive.
- Brand and quality. Well-known brands and dog blow dryers made with higher-quality materials may cost more.
Size
You’ll also want to consider how big of a blow dryer you feel comfortable handling or that you have room for it in your house. For instance, in reviewing the Shelandy pet dryer, our tester noted it was the size of a hefty dustbuster and comes with attachments, which can be a lot to store.
Still, our reviewer found it was reasonably lightweight, easy to carry with its handle, and simple to maneuver with a long, flexible hose (official dimensions are 17.4 x 11.6 x 7.9 inches and 10.3 pounds).
Noise
When assessing noise levels, your best bet is to see what reviewers say about a particular dog blow dryer—not all of them have decibel ratings listed. Dog blow dryers with variable airflow, like the Shelandy pet hair dryer, can help with noise control.
If you have a noise-sensitive dog, Cazares advises putting in reps and working with a professional dog trainer. “You can train between grooms by downloading an app with a blow dryer noise (or recording your own) and playing the sound as quietly as possible—enough that your dog isn’t stressed by it—and rewarding them for calm behavior,” says Cazares.
“You can slowly increase the volume over time, but if they show any signs of stress, then return to a lower volume. It can be a little complicated to know when to move forward and when to dial back, which is why a professional dog trainer can be a huge help for getting started on the right foot so the situation doesn’t get worse.”
Sviatlana Barchan via iStock
Cage dryers
Cloud doesn’t use cage dryers at Cloud Grooming. She says they have the potential to be stressful, so they might not be the choice for your home.
“They’ve been useful in the past for me when I was working at other salons, but very few and far between situations,” she adds. “You also really have to know your stuff with temperature with them. If it has no heat, you can really chill the dog, and if there’s too much heat, you could give them heat stroke. I would much rather skip the stress of drying in a cage and have the dog air dry.”
Buy or Don’t Buy
So should you use a dog blower dryer on your pup?
We think a dog blow dryer would be an excellent investment for:
- Pet parents of long-haired or double-coated dogs who want to reduce drying time—Jaimee and Enzo, our testers for the Shelandy pet dryer, went from three hours of drying time to 10 minutes when using a dog blow dryer
- Dogs who get wet frequently from swimming, taking regular baths, living in a rainy climate, etc.
- Pups who shed a lot, whether seasonally or year-round
- Curly-haired or long-haired dogs who need help preventing tangling and matting
Some pet parents and pups might not get the most mileage from a dog blow dryer, including:
- Pet parents of slick-haired and short-haired dogs (brushes, particularly a rubber curry brush, are more useful for these dogs)
- Households with limited storage space
- Anxious pups terrified of a blow dryer’s noise
How To Dry a Dog Without a Blow Dryer
If you don’t use a blow dryer for your dog, there are still ways to help their fur dry faster. For instance, brushing your dog’s hair while it dries naturally is one alternative. “If your dog has long hair, be sure to brush them periodically as the hair dries to keep tangles from forming,” Cloud says.
There are also quick-drying dog sprays, borrowed from the latest developments in human hair care. Some pet parents have had success—but it can be hit or miss.
Using a super-absorbent towel or robe can help with dry time, as our expert groomers point out. “One option I’ve recently found is an absorbent (and stylish) robe that I can put on my nervous Shiba Inu whenever she gets a bath or plays in the water,” says Cazares.
Cloud adds that they use bathrobes on all of the client dogs at Cloud Grooming and on her own dogs after a quick bath. “You know when your dog rolls in something absolutely nasty on your walk! They dry super quickly.”