Help and Suggestions for a Water Doodle please. :)

[Kimberly Cook]

I was hoping I could get a few suggestions or old link on what to do with my doodle Chopper
this summer after we open the pool plus swimming in the ocean. We will be spending a lot of time in the water and assume our pup will too. He has a soft fluffy fleecy loose curl coat right now.

1. What is the best way to dry him?
2. Should I have him trimmed for easier drying?
3. If he dries naturally will he smell like wet dog?

Any advice/experience/suggestions dos or don'ts with this would be appreciated. 

Thanks!
Kim

Playing on pool cover which will be removed in a couple weeks. :O Help!

[Lorraine Bromley]

I really have to suggest buying a grooming blow dryer I bought mine online for around 100 bucks and it is the best thing I bought for him other than the brushes. We rent a cottage each year and there is no way I can take a soaked dog in and out of the cottage so I blow him off each night. He really likes it as when it gets later he is damp and he really likes getting all warmed up at the end of the day. I don't trim him down so he is long. I don't brush him each time I do it just once a week. He loves the water and often goes on our boat and swims with his life jacket on, (mainly because it has a handle to help us get him back in the boat which is awkward) other wise he would swim all day. If I was in your position I may trim him down but I really like him long and I don't have a pool. I would try different lengths until you find one you like. Neely never smells like a dog either. But I reiterate buy a blow dryer I think we should all have one.

[GBK]

I agree, I would not know what to do without my grooming blower!  It is small enough to through in the car when we travel to the ocean, and strong enough to help blow out stickers in the dogs coat.  The stickers just happened a couple of weeks ago...  It also is good to blow out dust in between baths, it is quite amazing how dusty my two get!

 

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Can you recommend a particular brand or wattage?  I have used the wetvac on blower, but it is so noisy.  I had it upstairs to clean up a leak and tried it on quincy after he had a shower.  he did not like the noise.  plus, now it's back in the basement.  also is cold air.  my hair dryer takes forever on him.  

[GBK]

I use a Bear brand, here is the link to it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/B-Air-Dryers-Power-Velocity-Dryer/dp/B002NXM4...

Going on at least three years with it, and I love it.  It only gets warm after using for a few minutes, so no worries about it getting hot like a hair dryer, and it has two speeds.  When I dry the faces I use the lower setting and just use the round opening without any attachments.

[Kimberly Cook]

Thank you all for your help so far. A blower is a on the list. The robe/shirt idea is not bad either. If he decides he likes the ocean we will also invest in a life jacket. Would hate for him to get caught in a riptide without one. 
Love hearing every ones's water doodle experiences. ;) 

[Star and Goldie]

My groomer swears by using a ShamWow on doodles. She says that rubbing a towel through their hair can make them mat and if you use a shamwow you are absorbing the water off them without matting them. If you google search it, it appears that several other people share her love for the ShamWow for drying dogs :)

That's on my list of purchases to make!

[GBK]

Oh, I agree with this too.  Bathtime is a breeze, I use The Absorber, get the blue one from WalMart.  Here is a link of all the colors on Amazon, but I like the Blue one the best, they are all a little different feel:

http://www.amazon.com/Absorber-Drying-Natural-Chamois-color/dp/B000...

[Pam & Trixie]

Wow, I never thought of using a Shamwow! I will have to get one.
Trixie is terrified of the hair dryer- so I let her air dry. Which can take up to 6 hrs.

If I get her running like crazy after a bath- which she does anyway- that really helps dry her.

[Kimberly Cook]

I totally forgot about the ShamWow and absorbers. I used them on the horses years ago. I'll get a couple of those to get most of the moisture then hit him with the blower and....Wa La!! All dry..I hope.