# Drying after a bath



## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for any suggestions on how to get Harley dry without a hair dryer - he HATES it. He was great with it when he was a baby, but now he will not tollerate it at all. I'm sure he's never been hurt by it, and he will happily sit at (or ON) my feet when I use it on my hair, but will have nothing to do with it if I try to use it on him. He's not scared of it, he just doesn't like it and wont let me get close enough to him, so I don't want to push the issue & end up making him scared.

This means I have to time baths carefully so he wont catch a chill. It's winter so this means I have to bath him in the middle of the day at weekends. I don't want to do it in the evenings during the week because I'm scared it will be too cold for him while he's still wet.

After his bath I sit in front of the heater with him & we play - well, he thinks we're playing, when really I'm fluffing him up trying to get him dry and keeping him in front of the heater!

Any secrets out there?? How can I get him dry quickly without using the hair dryer? 

Thanks!


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

Try buying a hair dryer that is not so noisy. Also, both of my kids HATE to have their faces done....so we don't do them. They dance all over the place while I'm trying to dry their bodies, but eventually, it does get done. Oh, and try a dryer that has different heat settings. Maybe he doesn't like the temperature. And then there are always treat bribes.


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

> _Originally posted by NC's Mom_@Jul 30 2005, 07:51 PM
> *Try buying a hair dryer that is not so noisy.  Also, both of my kids HATE to have their faces done....so we don't do them.  They dance all over the place while I'm trying to dry their bodies, but eventually, it does get done.  Oh, and try a dryer that has different heat settings.  Maybe he doesn't like the temperature.  And then there are always treat bribes.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=85939*


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Thanks, mine does have different heat settings & it's always on low heat & low blow, but perhaps it's still a bit noisy? I'm glad to hear your two dance around too, I run out of cord following him around with it!! Perhaps I will just keep trying & add treats to our routine - doggie chocolates are always given after a brush, so maybe we could try that & just try short bursts .....

I just had another thought - we always brush while he's nice & relaxed - mostly at night when he's sat next to me on the sofa, and after a bath, it's always on the floor in front of the heater - I just wonder if I 'confined' him to the kitchen bench-top it might help?? Any thoughts? Or will this just freak him out too much?

Thank you







All suggestions welcome!


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## NC's Mom (Oct 23, 2004)

I've found that if I take down my bed and let them romp around on it, they tend to stay on the bed...well within reach of the cord. My place is small....so they can't run too far anyhow. If he likes to be on the sofa, try doing it there. If he likes to be on the bed, try doing it there. Yeah, he's wet and he's going to get your sofa/bed wet, but it's just clean doggy water.


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## Brinkley & Neyland's Mom (Jun 14, 2004)

Brink doesn't seem to mind the hairdryer...but I do keep him in the small bathroom when I am doing it so he can't go far...anywhere he goes in the small bathroom, the heat/air still reach him. Maybe try propping the dryer up, (I propped mine on a partially open bottom vanity drawer at first) or getting an inexpensive dryer/stand so you can just have it on while you are messing with him after a bath. This seemed to work for me. Then he was still getting dried while I dried/cleaned his ears and combed matts out etc. After a few minutes, he relaxes between my legs and we finish blow drying and brushing. (I sit on the floor with him)

Good luck!


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## Laceys mom (Nov 12, 2004)

Lacey doesn't like the hairdryer either but she tolerates it. She hates her face dried. I am looking for a new dryer for her. I use mine on her and it is a bit loud. She doesn't mind me doing my hair, she will stay right at my feet. I know there are quieter dryers out there, mine is about 4 years old.


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## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

That's funny - I have the opposite problem, which is that Miko LOVES the dryer way too much. I can't dry my own hair without his begging for some hot air to be directed at him full blast. Isn't that odd?


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Wow - you are so lucky that Miko loves it!!! I'm jealous!! LOL

Thanks everyone, I am going to try all of these suggestions, I like the idea of trying it on my bed - and you're right, it's only water, and it's not like he's dripping wet, he's just damp. I will have a look around for a smaller dryer too - mine's quite big and it might be a bit exciting for him to have something new .... everytime I bring anything home that's in a box, he likes to 'help' me take it out of the packaging, so maybe if I keep it in the box, we could turn this into something a bit special!! (maybe wishful thinking! haha!) I will also look at propping it up somehow on the bed-head or end and just mess with him while the hair dryer is on, hopefully he wont even realise it's on!

Thanks everyone! That's why I like this site - lots of helpful suggestions!


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

just get one of those robes that are made out of the towel material. the hair will dry pretty quick.


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## ButterCloudandNoriko (Aug 26, 2004)

Does your hairdryer have one of those air diffuser thingy on top of it? That helps the air spread instead of blow drying directly on one spot and burning/hurting him. I think a quieter blowdryer is a good idea. My babies HATE HATE HATE loud noises. GOOD LUCK


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## Maxismom (Mar 24, 2004)

When i give maxi a bath after chasing him around the house to catch him first he acts like i am torturing him once we are done he looks so sad i have to hold him and blow dry him its a pain in the neck because he hates it so much and doesnt budge when i am breaking my arm from holding him as if i put him down he runs away ...he has been bathed since literally 12 weeks every week so its not new for him but he hates it so now what i do is i get him groomed every 3 weeks and i take him every other week to get a bath its worth the money because he gives me such a hard time im like drained when am done


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