Hand Drying vs Cage Drying

[cajuntank]

I wondered how many of you do hand drying only. I haven't purchased a cage dryer and have only been doing hand drying and wondered if there were any others hand dryers only out there.

[PetsRus]

I hand dry ever dog but some of the thicker coated ones I put in the cage with blowers on them (not enclosed) to totally finish them.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

98% of my drying is done by hand, if not 99%. I do have a couple of dogs that, no matter what I do, they freak out with a dryer on their face. I put them in one of my nice kennels (yeah, I got new ones!) with a fan on low and they let it blow RIGHT IN THEIR FACE, LOL. I think it's the noise. I try holding the ears, I try everything, but there are two dogs, both shih tzus, that hand drying near their face causes them too much stress. They get a kennel dry on the face---but only after I've tried (yet again) to use the dryer near their faces, without the concentration nozzle. Oh, and I brush their face out before putting it into the kennel w/fan.

The others that I *might* kennel dry would be a fat pug (REAAAALLY fat) that wont stand when I dry her, and it hurts my back/neck to hold her up. Her owners don't care about the hair, it's the stinkies they want out. She gets kennel dried after I partially hand dry her. Very very few get kennel dried though. And I charge a little more for this.

I find that I get more hair out, and better results, when I hand dry. For clipping, I can't imagine cage drying a dog. Their feet look really bad and "chunky," and they just don't have that fluffy look.

Tammy in Utah

[furrybestjob]

Well, I'm mobile, so everyone I do is hand dried. Honestly, I think that dogs look much better when they are hand dried. Even labs look "fluffier" when they are hand dried. Somehow, my name has gotten around town that I am really good at doing bichons. I, in no way, can groom a bichon like those do in competition, but feel that it is because of the fluff drying along with the shorter blended ears that makes people happier with the finished product. Many groomers in my area leave ears long, like poodles and cage dry and then brush them out, which of course doesn't give the plush look.

[amysue2638]

Right now I hand dry 100% of the longer haired breeds, but I will cage dry the shorter ones like labs, pugs, bostons, etc. for 1/2 of the drying process them finish them on the table. But since I'm going to be working alone going forward I envision myself cage drying more, at least to begin drying the dog while I might be bathing or finishing another. Unless it's a poode or bichon or any other curly coated dog in which case I will always hand dry. I agree that they look 1000x better when hand-dried, but partially cage drying will save me a ton of time.

[Boxerfan]

Well after using the HV on every dog we then hand dry almost all the dogs. The exceptions are large flat coated dogs and dogs that hand fluffing isn't essential like poms and bath only breeds like labs, beagles, dachshunds etc. We don't use a commercial cage dryer though, we use box fans placed on at least 3 sides of the cage.

[Helly]

I hand dry all but two dogs. One is very old, and cannot tolerate the HV. The other is a hyper spazzoid, and will not tolerate the HV. I use a cage dryer AND a fan. I do use cage dryers to preheat cages for puppies, very old dogs, and cats. Once the dog goes in the cage, the dryer goes off. In the case of cats, if they need further drying, I heat the cage, then just put a blower on them.

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Well after using the HV on every dog we then hand dry almost all the dogs. The exceptions are large flat coated dogs and dogs that hand fluffing isn't essential like poms and bath only breeds like labs, beagles, dachshunds etc. We don't use a commercial cage dryer though, we use box fans placed on at least 3 sides of the cage.

Sorry, Boxerfan, I'm not sure if I understand your first sentence above. Also, do you not hand dry pomeranians?

Tammy in Utah

[Pup Cleaner]

I'm a mobile person too, so of course I only hand dry. I prefer the look as well, AND it gives me more time with the dog, which is what personal service (mobile grooming) is all about.
pupcleaner

[sheilabgroomer]

Well after using the HV on every dog we then hand dry almost all the dogs. The exceptions are large flat coated dogs and dogs that hand fluffing isn't essential like poms and bath only breeds like labs, beagles, dachshunds etc. We don't use a commercial cage dryer though, we use box fans placed on at least 3 sides of the cage.

We do things about this same way. The larger sht coat and flat coats get HV'd then they go in a kennel w/fans (no heated cage dryers! we have the room warm in winter and cool in summer) for a while, then we pull them out and finish them off. On a busy day this can be a real time saver and ImO doesn't change the look of the dog. I also let most of my OAY shave downs "kennel dry". I feel these poor things are being stressed enough for the day and I see no reason to add to it unnecessarily.

[shrek]

I hand dry almost every dog. Exception to a couple shih tzu's who will not let me dry their faces. Like a lot of people here, I bought a box fan from Wally World and use that as my cage drier.

[hairdevil]

most of the dogs are HV dried in tub..all heads and tails hand dried...anything long is HV cept drop coats...those I start out in cage then finish by hand..I can dry 9 dogs at once. I use the Sahara dryers...no heat..not loud and perfect maintance. never had a problem with any of them. before I was always having dryers down.

[rapuzzled]

We HV almost all the way dry. Then they are put in a cage with a fan (not cage dryer). I will finish off some of the hairier, and curly breeds with a stand dryer if needed. Like everyone else said, I do suggest sticking with mostly hand drying...you will get so much of a better look from it!

[Pup Cleaner]

verbage

Some of you seem seem to make a distinction between a HV dryer and hand drying. I hand dry with a HV dryer. Do some of you have a different meaning for HV and hand drying?
thanks

[Plexi]

I cage dry all my dogs about 8-10 min in a cage dryer then hand dry them completely with a hand dryer. All my dogs are under 10lbs so it doesn't take alot to dry them. I have a HV dryer I amost never use and I know I should, I only use a small hand dryer.