Skip to content

Technique

Drying a thick coat properly

A dog that still smells the day after a bath was not dried. The undercoat holds the water, and that is what a dryer is for.

By

Towel until it stops dripping

Two minutes with a towel removes more water than five with a dryer, and it shortens everything that follows.

Work in sections, from the skin out

Part the coat with your free hand and direct the air at the skin rather than across the top. Drying the outer coat first traps water underneath.

Keep the nozzle moving

Always. Parked air on one spot is how a coat traps heat against skin.

Brush while it dries

A dryer lifts the undercoat and a brush takes it away. Doing both at once is how groomers get a finish you cannot get afterwards.

This does not replace your machine’s manual. Sensor thresholds, cycle delays and temperature limits differ between models, and the manufacturer’s instructions for yours take precedence over anything written here.

The questions owners ask

How hot should the air be?

As cool as will still dry in reasonable time. Airflow does the work; heat is what puts you near a burn on skin you cannot see. Both dryers we review publish their temperature steps, which is why they are the ones we recommend.

Can I use a human hairdryer?

It will dry the surface and leave the undercoat damp, and its lowest setting is usually hotter than a pet dryer’s highest. For a short single coat it is tolerable; for a double coat it is the wrong tool.

Last reviewed 2026-08-17

The gear this assumes

Everything above works with what you already own. These are the products we would reach for, and each links to the full review rather than straight to a shop.

  • Pet dryers

    Hoyiyobi 3200 W blower

    3,200 W · 7 heat settings · four nozzles · with suction

    A 3,200-watt blaster with seven temperature settings, four interchangeable nozzles and a suction function. It is the machine for a large, wet, double-coated dog.

    Best for: A large, thick-coated dog after a bath — the case where a household hairdryer takes an hour and this takes fifteen minutes.

    7.8/10

    Search Amazon for this model Read the review
  • Pet dryers

    KUUBIA 5-in-1,900 W

    900 W · four nozzles · 4 heat steps 30–80 °C (86 to 176 °F) · ionic

    A 900-watt dryer with four nozzles, three wind speeds and four heat settings from 30 to 80 °C (86 to 176 °F), plus an automatic temperature cycle. It doubles as a brush.

    Best for: A small or medium dog, or a cat that tolerates air, where knowing the actual temperature matters more than raw power.

    7.8/10

    Check price on Amazon Read the review
  • Deshedding brushes

    FURminator deShedding L long hair

    Dogs 23–41 kg (50.7 to 90.4 lb) · coat over 5 cm (2 in) · stainless deshedding edge

    The long-hair deShedding tool for large dogs: a stainless edge that reaches through the topcoat and lifts the undercoat, sized for animals of 23 to 41 kg (50.7 to 90.4 lb).

    Best for: A large long-coated dog in moult — golden retrievers, collies, shepherds with a full undercoat.

    8.1/10

    Check price on Amazon Read the review