BEHAVIOUR
Get Your Dog Used to a Hair Dryer in 3 Easy Steps! Minute to Learn It
Is your dog scared of the hair dryer? Canine expert Shivani K shares how you can get your dog comfortable with the hair dryer in three easy steps.
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist
Table of contents
Is your dog scared of the hair dryer? Canine expert Shivani K shares how you can get your dog comfortable with the hair dryer in three easy steps.
Whether your dog’s coat is long or short, single or double layered, grooming becomes a crucial aspect in maintaining their overall health and well-being. The frequency of your dog’s bath usually depends on their lifestyle as well as the size and length of their coat. However, most veterinarians recommend giving your dog a bath every four to six weeks.
Along with regular baths, ensuring that our dog’s coat is completely dried is as crucial as the bath itself. If you leave even a few wet spots on your dog’s coat, the area may become prone to bacterial or fungal infections. And while towel drying and sun drying are good ways to dry your dog, a hair dryer is the quickest way to ensure that your dog’s coat is completely dried. It is also especially useful when your dog has a long or thick coat.
Whether your dog’s coat is long or short, single or double layered, grooming becomes a crucial aspect in maintaining their overall health and well-being. The frequency of your dog’s bath usually depends on their lifestyle as well as the size and length of their coat. However, most veterinarians recommend giving your dog a bath every four to six weeks.
Along with regular baths, ensuring that our dog’s coat is completely dried is as crucial as the bath itself. If you leave even a few wet spots on your dog’s coat, the area may become prone to bacterial or fungal infections. And while towel drying and sun drying are good ways to dry your dog, a hair dryer is the quickest way to ensure that your dog’s coat is completely dried. It is also especially useful when your dog has a long or thick coat.
Introducing a Dog to a Hair Dryer
While the hair dryer might be the favourite drying tool for pet parents and groomers alike, without a proper introduction, our dogs often become averse to it. This comes as no surprise as this handy dandy tool only appears as a strange contraption for our dogs with its weird, hoarse sound and blasts of air. And very often, the first time they encounter it is in the hands of a stranger during their first visit to groomers. By taking the time to slowly introduce and ensure that our dogs with this gadget, we can make bath time easier and more hassle-free for the rest of their lives.
So here is how you can socialize your dog with a hair dryer in three easy steps-
1. For the first two-three days, simply introduce and leave the hair dryer on your bedroom floor where your dog has access to it. Allow them to smell, nudge, and overall investigate this new equipment on the floor.
2. Once your dog gets to the hair dryer being on the floor, it is now time to switch it on and get them used to its sound. Choose a time of the day when your dog is in a calmer state of mind and have them in the room as you switch it on and start using the hair dryer on yourself. Do not attempt to pull them closer or force it on them. You can however reward them by tossing them treats if they continue to remain calm or exhibit any positive behaviour towards it.
Over a few days, as your dog gets more and more comfortable with the hair dryer being on in their general vicinity, you can slowly decrease the distance between the two. Remember to reward them with a lot more treats as you increase the complexity.
3. Once your dog is comfortable with the hair dryer being on around them, you can slowly start introducing it to their body on a cold setting. Hold plenty of treats in one hand and as you begin feeding them, start using the dryer. Remember to slowly and gradually move the dryer from the areas they are comfortable with being touched to areas that might be sensitive.
So here is how you can socialize your dog with a hair dryer in three easy steps-
1. For the first two-three days, simply introduce and leave the hair dryer on your bedroom floor where your dog has access to it. Allow them to smell, nudge, and overall investigate this new equipment on the floor.
2. Once your dog gets to the hair dryer being on the floor, it is now time to switch it on and get them used to its sound. Choose a time of the day when your dog is in a calmer state of mind and have them in the room as you switch it on and start using the hair dryer on yourself. Do not attempt to pull them closer or force it on them. You can however reward them by tossing them treats if they continue to remain calm or exhibit any positive behaviour towards it.
Over a few days, as your dog gets more and more comfortable with the hair dryer being on in their general vicinity, you can slowly decrease the distance between the two. Remember to reward them with a lot more treats as you increase the complexity.
3. Once your dog is comfortable with the hair dryer being on around them, you can slowly start introducing it to their body on a cold setting. Hold plenty of treats in one hand and as you begin feeding them, start using the dryer. Remember to slowly and gradually move the dryer from the areas they are comfortable with being touched to areas that might be sensitive.
Introducing and getting your dog comfortable with the hair dryer
Points to Remember
Always use the cold setting of your hair dryer when drying your dog’s fur.
To ensure that your dog becomes comfortable with the dryer, go at your dog’s pace and keep checking your dog’s comfort levels. If your dog shows any signs of discomfort, do not hesitate to take a step back.
Do not conduct the entire socialisation process on the same day. Have short 5 to 10-minute sessions, twice or thrice a week.
Feel free to introduce treats and long-lasting food treats such as a peanut butter-laden licky mat or a yak chewie during the socialisation process to keep your dog busy.
In the video below, we work on introducing and getting Drogo, a Cocker Spaniel comfortable with the hair dryer.
Do not conduct the entire socialisation process on the same day. Have short 5 to 10-minute sessions, twice or thrice a week.
Feel free to introduce treats and long-lasting food treats such as a peanut butter-laden licky mat or a yak chewie during the socialisation process to keep your dog busy.
In the video below, we work on introducing and getting Drogo, a Cocker Spaniel comfortable with the hair dryer.
Is your dog comfortable with the hair dryer? How do you ensure your dog has positive associations with their bath time? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy Parenting! 🐶
Happy Parenting! 🐶
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About the author
Shivani Kuthe
Dog Behaviourist, 5 yrs exp
Shivani is a dog trainer & behaviourist based in Bengaluru. She helps parents live more enriching lives with their dogs and is passionate about the cause of community dogs. Post-grad in Literature, Shivani also leads all content efforts at thePack.in
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