drying big doodles

[Stacy]

Do you all dry your big guys until they're completely dry? If so, can I ask how you accomplish it? I took 
Ava to the self wash today. I always want to see her after she's totally dry, but we are always over it before it happens. I was talking to the groomer and she said that even with her Chris Christensen dryer it would take 3 hours to get Ava totally dry. She has a lot of hair! I can't imagine Ava or I ever making it through a 3 hour drying session. I get her mostly dry, but 5 hours later she still has damp areas. I know a cage dryer is a thing. Do the dogs hate it? Is it safe? Does it even work with a wire crate? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Maybe she doesn't need to be completely dry, but the areas that do get completely dry with the dryer are always so soft and fluffy compared to the areas that remain damp. 

Thanks!

[Melissa]

You need a high velocity dryer..... that's the only way to dry any dog with thick hair like doodles!  They are not cheap, but they are a great investment.  A cage dryer takes too long and is usually used for dogs that can't handle the high-velocity dryer.  I put cotton balls in my doodle's ears to help block out some of the sound.  Another tip is to towel dry as MUCH of the water off as you can before drying with a dryer......if you have to use 8 towels, then do so. 

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Yup- what Melissa said- a high velocity dryer. My Standard Poodle has an even thicker coat than my Goldendoodles. Even when I dry him section by section to straighten the curls before clipping, it never takes more than a 30-40min. 

Starting on the back, use the concentrator nozzle on a high velocity dryer, and aim it right at the skin so that it blasts the water out. By pointing the nozzle down and working your way down each leg, you won't be accidentally getting dry areas wet again.

I personally like to get them completely dry unless it's a warm summer day. Otherwise you run the risk of a hot spot developing in the dampness, and matts, too.

After I towel dry with a couple of bath towels, I go over them with a Soggy Doggy towel- works awesome. Wrapping a large bath towel around the dog for a few minutes helps, too- just like I do when I wash my own hair.

You may also want to try a product call Speed Dry that is made by Show Seasons. It's a spray on product that is a leave-in conditioner and has certain properties that supposedly help the water molecules leave the coat easier. I can't say that I notice a huge difference when using it, but it smells awesome and leaves the coat really shiny. I also have the same brand of shampoo, and sometimes add a little of it my favorite Minksheen shampoo. 

Hope that helps!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm following this discussion because I'm interested in how people do this. Although I have lived with Poodles and Poodle mixes for almost 60 years, I have never bathed a dog myself (let alone groomed one) and I admire those of you who do. I can't even dry my own hair properly. :) 

I did want to mention though that with dogs who have Atopic Dermatitis like Stacy's, you never ever want to use any kind of leave-in conditioner or product. 

[Stacy]

Oh, I can't do anything with my own hair!!! But Ava in particular really prefers if I do all of her everything. She will let the groomer work on her if I stand right beside her, but I won't stress her by leaving her there. And my girls love to play in a nice mud puddle. I would go broke paying to have them bathed every time they have a good time at the park! I don't know that I will ever be brave enough to use scissors or clippers on them, but I'm pretty good at trimming nails and not too bad at brushing.

There's definitely a learning curve. I'm getting better. My groomer has suggested some things that have been really helpful. The mars king comb - amazing little tool! It slices through tangles like they aren't even there! So much less tugging on them. And she recommended the Bass slicker brush - and that cuts down on the time it takes a lot. Previously I used a metal comb pretty exclusively. I still do a lot of combing, but the slicker brush helps, and then I go through everything with the comb to make sure I didn't miss tangles. Ava also gets mats between her toes, I think from licking/chewing. 

Sometimes I look up and realize I've been brushing Ava for 3 hours. It's a bonding experience. She doesn't seem to mind it at all, but she's not super cooperative. She won't stand so I just comb the places I can get to and then turn her around to do the other side. But she won't sit up so I can do her chest and it's always hard to get her belly. The groomer says I do a good job, but she might just be being nice. Still, I try really hard to disprove the stereotype that doodles are always matted. 

Papillons were so much easier to groom! Stick them in the kitchen sink and they were done. They also never matted excpet once in a while behind the ears. But they shed like crazy. I guess there's always a trade off. 

[Melissa]

GOOD FOR YOU Stacy!!!  I brush my dogs a few times a week (even before I became a groomer). I started brushing, trimming nails, brushing teeth, cleaning ears etc on all my dogs when they were pups and continued to do it throughout their lives. All 3 love it and look forward to the bonding time with me. It is such a good habit to get into!

And I totally understand what you mean about 3 hours... my doodle takes that long to properly brush out when her hair is longer than 3 inches. I have been keeping it shorter now, which alleviates brushing time, but I still brush her 3 times a week - at least.  And I bathe her once a month or more often if she needs it.  

Now being a groomer and grooming other doodles.....there are more doodles that come in with major mats than without. Not every owner sees the importance of brushing them out at home in between groomings. It's our job (the groomer's) to teach the owner that mats hurt the dog and can be painful when trying to brush / clip them out. 

[Melissa]

Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie: Holding a hand towel in front of the direction of air flow helps to catch the water spray so the dryer doesn't blow the water onto another part of the dog ;)  Learned that from a groomer...saves you so much time! 

[Stacy]

Do you have a suggestion for which dryer? They seem to run from $70 - 500+. I use a high velocity dryer at the dog wash, but they don't have all of the nozzles, and I'm sure it's not the highest quality they make. That's where I still can't get her dry. Though I think I probably need more towels! I do have a soggy doggy towel. I didn't try it out yesterday - I will have to try it next time.

[Melissa]

Metro Blaster is good ($289 CAD) so may be cheaper in the US.  Bear Pro Series are pretty good too. I'd say spend what you are comfortable with - $250-$400 would be what I recommend. Try looking on Amazon and then visit different 'dog grooming supply' websites to compare prices. Look at reviews too! 

[Kate C Pappas]

This is the one I have and it's fantastic. https://www.doublekindustries.com/extreme_details.php

[Lindsey Holt]

I bathe Jake every week and dry him with 2 of these.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005QDOG3I/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o0_img...

Then I let him air dry... We live in Phoenix tho so it doesn't take very long.

He has itchy skin and so I use Duoxo Calm and nothing left in.

[DonMarie and Picco]

I do my own grooming but don't have a dryer. I have a microfiber robe (cannot find my photos) that we put on Picco after his bath then can wrap him in warm towels fresh from the dryer.  It takes about 3 hrs to dry.

[Kate C Pappas]

I have a big standard girl on whom I leave the coat full.....about 5 to 6" long because it's beautiful and i have the time to take care of it. I have a ChallengeAir Extreme, variable speed dryer and am wondering why your groomer said it would take 3 hours.  ? https://www.doublekindustries.com/extreme_details.php

I take my girls to a groomer a couple times a year with notes and photos etc. I do the ears myself, NEVER anal glands which is usually part of the grooming procedure. My groomer is different in that they will only do the glands IF you request it but I have it written down anyway.

If I fully dry Yarra, it might take 45 minutes (depending also on the current weather) but I never fully dry her. I like her coat to dry naturally so it hangs beautifully. She has a wavy fleece coat; I spray it with Christensen's ShowSheen conditioner and then let her air dry the rest of the way. If its winter (haha....winter in Southern CA)...we do everything indoors and then she plops onto her bed in front of the fireplace.

I don't like the idea of crate dryers as it confines them longer and you don't get even drying anyway.

My other girl is medium and has a curly fleece coat which I keep short. She takes about 15 minutes to dry and then I spritz her with the conditioner to bring out the curl. Otherwise she'll like like a giant Bichon...lol...which is what happens at the groomer but I'm there for the cut and spritz her when we get home.

I chose my groomer because their website said "We love and specialize in scissor cutting" so that was that! Its very expensive due to that. I pay about $300.00 for both dogs, with tip and it's worth every cent.

I also have them do 'clean paws' or 'Poodle Paws' as it helps with tracking in dirt/leaves etc. On Yindi, the curly one, it looks cute and you can see her feet. On Yarra, her long coat covers the feet but I get the same results regarding tracking in stuff. I planned to do my own grooming before I got my girls and slowly invested in the best tools I could afford and studied grooming. I took a couple Poodle grooming classes because I heard "if you can groom a Poodle, you can groom any dog". Doing it myself with good tools gave me time, no rushing etc. When my husband became ill, I didn't have the time so I found the current groomer (about 4 years ago) and still go from time to time.

I keep Yarra (the full coat) shorter in our summer because we have a pool and the girls are in and out of it all day. I rinse them off after their last swim and put conditioner on them and let them air dry.....about 10 seconds (lol) when we have triple digit temps.