Dogs have a lot of hair. A lot more than humans, so having the right drying equipment is an essential component of a professional grooming business.
The specialist dryers we use do an amazing job at straightening out a curly or wavy coat. They are also a vital tool to use on a knotty or matted coat, as the force of the air helps lift mats away from the skin so a blade can slide more easily underneath. They are also an essential piece of equipment used in deshedding a long-haired double coated dog; they literally blow the loose undercoat out of the skin.
In the UK, the dryers used by groomers are informally called "Blasters." In America, they call them "Force Dryers." You can see the theme here. Unlike human hairdryers, which typically run between 1400W and 1800W and use heat to evaporate moisture, salon dryers run between 2400W and 3000W. The airflow is compressed through a nozzle and held close to the dog's coat. As the nickname suggests, they use force to blow the water off the dog's hair and skin.
They are very loud and whooshy. but a dog can be dried quickly and efficiently. Some areas of the dog are never blasted: the head and tail for example, as it's too much power on sensitive body parts.
Once the bulk of the water has been blasted off a coat, the second type of dryer groomers use is called a stand dryer, or finishing dryer. They are still powerful, but are designed to use heat, combined with brushing to prepare the coat for clipping or scissoring. The 'fluff dry' is essential to get a lovely, smooth finish at the end, as you can see in this picture of Maisy the Maltipoo.
But some dogs simply don't like the hairdryer. What do we do then?
Unfortunately, many salon owners know that time is money. For this reason, dogs are often "encouraged" by groomers, and sometimes obliged to endure the dryer at the expense of their psychological wellbeing.
There are a number ways to minimise the stress. Ideally, a puppy would be desensitised to dryer noises from an early age. Putting a happy hoodie on the dog is also common practice amongst groomers. It's a close fitting snood that helps to dampen the noise, and Bruno the geriatric Cocker Spaniel is modelling one here.
Moving the blaster further away from the dog, or removing the blaster nozzle are helpful. Using the force dryer on its lowest setting is another option. I switch to a Dyson hairdryer designed for humans if dogs really dislike the noise of my blaster. If all else fails, I suggest the dog is washed at home and allowed to air dry before coming into The Parlour.
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