# Why does poodle drying take so long?



## Specman (Jun 14, 2012)

I have a mini (smaller dog) in a shorter trim and it takes my groomer 3 hours start to finish. It takes me about an hour to bath brush and dry with a high velocity dryer.


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## Lori G (Sep 19, 2014)

So, does the HV dryer just blow faster than a human hair dryer? Are there different temps on HV dryers? What's the most populate HV dryer for home grooming?


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

I totally recommend an HV dryer. I got one pre-poodle for my shepherds & I'm not sure how I ever lived without one. It takes me about 2.5 hours to bathe & dry my standard even with the HV dryer. Depending on adult hair texture you can let them air dry but soft puppy hair tangles easily & I wouldn't air dry a puppy for fear of mats. Plus you get a nicer groom on blown out hair. If you plan on grooming at home get a dryer. 

I'm not sure why the hair takes so long to dry. Even my long haired shepherd takes about half the time of my poodle to dry. Yes the airflow on an HV dryer is substantially more than a human dryer. You can get them with heat settings but that isn't always necessary. Heat can be harsh on hair & skin if you're not careful. Any HV dryer will warm up with use as the motor works. I have an Air force commander which works OK but I will upgrade when I'm able.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I have a mini and the coat is definitely denser, and from all the videos I have seen on how to dry a poodle (I don't do it too often, as he goes in to be groomed) I understand that to dry correctly, and have the coat straightened, it's important to start with a wet dog and dry section by section, so once you start drying you aren't supposed to stop, or the coat will get kinky and curly (this is a bad thing). When I have followed the directions closely, and I do have a professional dryer for pet grooming, I will admit it looks close to what it does when he gets groomed, with not much real brushing involved. Again, the videos I have watched were by pro groomers primarily on standards, but still, from start to finish with Sunny (whose coat is pretty long) it's about 4 hours or so, and I am sure I cheat on the dry time a little since I don't really care if it "curls." Yep.....when it comes to grooming, poodles bring a while new definition of High Maintenance!


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

I have a Spoo, and right now I use a human hair dryer without heat to dry him. My next purchase is going to be a HV dryer. Hans is in a German right now, and I would say he has a medium length coat. I only blow dry him when I'm going to actually groom him or if it is cold. I would probably dry him every time if I had a better dryer. If I'm not doing any cutting and I don't think he'll get cold I let him air dry....he's curly then but I don't mind. I just spray him with Ice on Ice and brush/comb him really well and he hasn't gotten mats. In the summer, I had him in a Miami, and I really only used the dryer on topknot, tail, and poms. I kept his body so short that it didn't really need the dryer. 

Also, when he was a puppy I pretty much always used the blow dryer. We got him in late fall, and he didn't have much body fat so I was afraid he would be cold. Plus I wanted him to be used to it.


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## dial59 (Sep 17, 2014)

I have an HV dryer, and it takes me about 45 mins to bathe and fully dry. 

My spoo is about 55 lbs, not huge lol.


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## N2Mischief (Dec 3, 2012)

I worked in a groom shop, and I started as a bather. I actually think poodles dry faster than many double coated breeds. I LOVED to get in clients with multiple small poodles, I could have them bathed and dried in no time! The bigger poodles took longer, but at least drying them was interesting.....watching the hair go from curly to straight could be quite fascinating! lol


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

N2Mischief said:


> I worked in a groom shop, and I started as a bather. I actually think poodles dry faster than many double coated breeds. I LOVED to get in clients with multiple small poodles, I could have them bathed and dried in no time! The bigger poodles took longer, but at least drying them was interesting.....watching the hair go from curly to straight could be quite fascinating! lol


My Lab, a double coated breed dried pretty slowly (air dried usually) but not that slowly because I couldn't get her wet through and through in the first place. LOL. Boy was she ever hard to get water under that slightly oily, thick coat! It just beaded up and ran down the outside. No wonder they're the best for retrieving in frigid waters and so hardy in the cold weather.

Matisse takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to dry. But Maurice, much, much less. I haven't noticed the time but I'd guess about 15 minutes. He's not only a smidgen of a dog so the area is miniscule, but his hair is cut pretty short.


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Drying a poodle with a human hair dryer, especially a Standard, well it will take forever. Invest in a HV (high velocity) dryer and life will be easier. When I started grooming long ago, I used a people dryer, I had cockers, full coat. OMG! When I got my first HV dryer, Challengair, it was awesome!!! 

I can bathe, brush out, do feet/face/tail and nails on Sully in about 2 hours now. But I do have a HV dryer and other tricks. The finish scissoring or complete groom add about an hour. If I wasn't a groomer, don't think I'd have a Spoo.


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Poodlebeguiled, trick for labs and similar coated breeds. Put a thin line of shampoo down the back and simply spray it so it washes down the dog, then reapply shampoo and wash. That will break up the oils. Yep, that water resistant coat is hard to get through, plus short hair is closer to skin and less air circulates to more drying time. I can dry a shih tzu, small poodle, bichon in less time than a lab or other short haired breed, or about the same if it is small.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

lol...thanks Loves. I don't have a Lab anymore and don't anticipate getting another. Since my Lab, I've had a Doberman (well, he over lapped with the Lab) and two Chi's, which were totally easy. And now the one Chi mix (thicker coat) and the two Poodles. I remember washing Bonnie, my Lab after she got into all kinds of disgusting things when I lived on a farm and then in Idaho. She would roll in the most gastly animal poo. (cougar, bear, you name it) Plus any disgusting body of water...ditches, ponds...OMG. I'd wash her in the summer with the hose outside. It was a chore. When on the dairy farm, I got to use the calf washing barn. That was awesome for giving baths. The Doberman was such a sissy about the cold so he got in the bath tub. I had to teach him to jump in when asked because he was so heavy. But his coat soaked through easily. Jose`'s coat is kind of on the dense side so I'll try your trick on him. Even Matisse, with that show coat takes a long time to get the water all the way through it and down to the skin. But at least it eventually gets there. LOL.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh, but back to the topic....Sorry Op. I kind of went off on a tangent. This is the dryer I have and I love it. It's powerful...will blow my toy Poodle right off the table if I'm not careful. lol. It leaves my hands free for brushing while drying. The prices vary so you have to comparison shop. I didn't pay this much. I think it was $475 or $495...something like that.

XPOWER B-16 1/4 HP Brushless DC Motor Stand Pet Dryer with Heater and Anion


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

I'm a DIYselfer...takes me @45+ minutes to blow dry my oversized mini boy's coat straight when he's in (*my version*) of a Scandinavian. About 25 minutes when he's in a Miami. I use and _love, love, love_ the Chris Christensen Kool Dryer forced air dryer. Takes me @3 hours to bathe, clip, scissor and dremel his nails. I am _very_ slow at scissoring, but Chagall is patient as can be.:angel2: I can almost see the cartoon bubble floating over his head, "I know you're trying your best, dearie. I'll just wait...":lollypop: Oh, and I am SO excited! Someone hooked me up with a master groomer who's going to groom Chagall for me the first week of January! :elephant:


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

You do Chagall's scissoring yourself????!!!!! Wow! It looks awesome! He is drop dead gorgeous!

That _IS_ a nice dryer you've got. I looked into it and was teetering back and forth between that and the one I got.


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## loves (Jul 2, 2013)

Before I got my Hanvey Bathing Beauty (recirculating washer) I struggled with getting thick coats thoroughly wet and shampoo'd. It sucked and used a ton of shampoo! Now about 1-2 oz of shampoo in about 1-2" of water, turn on Bathing Beauty and voila! Easy washing, drain tub and rinse. Love it! 

Glad you like the XPower dryer and have had good luck with it. Maybe because it had just come out, maybe a bad batch, but I do know of more than one groomer that had problems with them as soon as they got them. The brushless part appealed to me until I heard all the cons.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

There is no need to spend a fortune on a dryer if you are only grooming your own dog. Invest in a small Shop Vac with an exhaust hole and put the hose on it. It blows out a lot of air with force, and warms up as the motor warms up. Don't ever use the vacuum to suck things up or the air will stink. We used one in a busy grooming salon in Toronto for a long time after our dryer bit the dust. Worked like a charm.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

It's because their hair is very thick and curly and a perfect blow dry means blowing it all out straight. Many naturally curly haired people know this struggle (me)!!! 

My mini girl takes about two hours for a bath, cut and blow dry at her groomers. Her groomer is fantastic, thorough and super quick with getting her in and out. My poodle weighs 9 pounds. I can only imagine that a spoo will take three times the time also depending on the length of their hair. Their hair does not dry quickly with a person hair dryer. Something with more force (HV Dryer) will make blow drying quicker. I just got one for Christmas and I can't wait to see how quick I can get ruby done


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## Lori G (Sep 19, 2014)

Thanks Arreau for the suggestion! Is a shopvac about the same noise level as a HV dryer? Sounds like an affordable option...

Chagall's mom, I've admired Chagall's photo in your pic...can you tell me your breeder's name? You can PM me if you want. When I first started thinking about getting a poodle, I was in LOVE with the partis but the more I've looked, I really think the silvers and the cafe au laits are my favorites.

Thanks all, again, for the continuing education.

Lori


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Arreau, does the size of shop vac matter? Would one of the smaller ones work? I guess I'm asking what HP I'll need for OT poodles and, oh well, why not, the cattle dogs like to be pampered a bit too. (They just don't admit it to just anyone, so, shhh! lol)

I will happily purchase another just for drying as I am not thrilled with the dryer I currently have. I found Walmart has them, so I may make a side trip on the way home tonight. 

Yes, I love shopping for things for my dogs. That's what makes me happy. And, how much fun it would be to start the New Year with pretty pups?


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

Lori G said:


> Chagall's mom, I've admired Chagall's photo in your pic...can you tell me your breeder's name?
> Lori


Thanks for the compliment on Chagall. His outsanding temperament is his true beauty.roud: Sadly, his breeder, the late-Carolyn O'Rouke, Cabryn Poodles (NJ), passed away unexpectedly in September 2013.:Cry:


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## Lori G (Sep 19, 2014)

Oh how sad! You're blessed to have one of her pups!


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