How Dog Dryers Work
If you are shopping for a dog dryer, the more informed you are then the better decision you can make and be much more satisfied with your purchase selection. The purchase of a proper dog dryer will result in substantial time-savings which bottom lines to more profit for the professional groomer. The truth is that there is really not one type of dog dryer that addresses the full range of dog drying tasks that a professional groomer would do in a typical day. The only type of dog dryer that comes close to addressing all the professional groomers needs is a variable speed forced-air dog dryer which we will discuss later.Air Flow in a Dog Dryer (Cubic Feet Per Minute)
All dog dryers put out a certain amount of air flow - usually measured in CFM (Cubic feet per minute). CFM is simply a measurement of how much air is being delivered over a certain period of time -in our case, One minute. Think of a box that is 12" x 12" x 12". That would be one cubic foot of air. Make sense? A blower that gave you 1 CFM would fill that box up in one minute. A dog dryer that delivers 80 CFM would fill up 80 of those boxes in one minute. Let's call this air volume. Air volume dries by evaporation. Much like a summer breeze would dry sheets on a clothes line.Velocity in a Dog Dryer (Feet Per Minute)
The second measurement we would look at in a dog dryer is air pressure. This is important in a dog dryer (and this is why a standard hair dryer does not work very well!). Air pressure gets the water out of the fur. The higher velocity a dog dryer has, the faster it will get the water off the dog by penetrating the coats of fur. Usually air pressure is measured in feet per minute (FPM) of air flow. CFM is converted into LPM by the design of the blower, hose and nozzle all working together as an engineered set.The Case for No Heaters in Dog Dryers
Should dog dryers have auxiliary heaters or not? If you are drying dogs in a normal temperature room, then there is no need for a dog dryer with an auxiliary heater. The dryer will take in room temperature air and discharge the same or slightly higher air. In most dog dryer designs, the incoming air is directed over the motor thereby cooling it. Therefore there is a slight temperature rise in the incoming air. This is normally not excessive and is considered safe. While heated air would aid in the drying of the dog, we strongly recommend that you do not use any dog dryer with an auxiliary heater element. The risk outweighs the reward. A dog left unattended with a heated dog dryer is in danger of hyperthermia (body overheating). Yes, it may take extra time to dry a dog without super-heated air, but the safety of the dog should always come first in a professional salon and for any home grooming.Types of Dog Dryers
Hand-Held Dog Dryers
The least expensive "dog dryers" are simply hand held hair dryers made for humans and now labeled as "dog dryers". Last I looked, humans did not have the type of hair which dogs do. Basically these are very low volume (about 10-18 CFM) and very low pressure with some sort of temperature and fan control. The only place these fit in a dog salon is as a low pressure detailer. A variable speed dryer actually fills this need quite well. These types of dryers range in price from about $20 to $75. Advantages are that they are cheap; disadvantage is that you will be drying a large dog all day.Low Pressure Dog Dryers
This is your typical "cage dryer" and, in a similar design, is used to dry carpets. It consists of a large blower wheel developing lots of air flow at a very low pressure. Some of these come with auxiliary heaters and controls. We do not recommend that cage dryers be used with heaters of any kind or fashion. There is too great of a risk of overheating the dog if left unattended. If you currently own a cage dryer with a heater, we strongly suggest you disconnect the heater portion of this type of dryer for safety. If you keep your location where you are using cage dryers at a comfortable temperature, there really is no need for the cage dryers to have heaters. There are numerous reports of dogs overheating and dying due to heated cage dryers. Do not use heated dryers and do not let your dog be groomed by use of a heated dryer!
High Pressure Dog Dryers
These are sometimes called "forced air" dog dryers and are the most efficient dog dryer for removing water from the outer and inner coat. Most of the forced air dog dryers do not have auxiliary heaters and any forced air dog dryer you may be looking at should not have a heater. The high velocity air flow that these dog dryers produce help in penetrating the thick coats and remove the water efficiently. Care must be given when using these high pressure dog dryers near sensitive parts of the dog (eyes, ears, orifices). Also, be careful not to use high pressure on frail or older dogs around their hearts and kidneys. A professional groomer should always take in consideration the age and condition of the dog before deciding how to groom the dog. The big advantage of the forced air dog dryers is time-savings. There is no faster way to remove water from the coat. The faster you remove the water, the more time you will have to do actual grooming.
Variations of Dog Dryers
You can find variations of the dog dryer types discussed above. Some may have stands, wall or under table mounting and hands-free drying contraptions.The Best Design in a Dog Dryer
Based on all the criterial in this discussion, the introduction of forced air dog dryers with variable speed controls addressed nearly all of the shortcomings of the forced air dog dryer. The variable speed dog dryer can remove the water from the outer and inner coat efficiently with its high velocity and then, simply by dialing down the speed, can act as a low-pressure dryer to gently dry the sensitive parts of the dog. It should be noted that variable speed dog dryers should never be run at a very low speed setting for longer than a few minutes at a time since the motor requires air volume to cool itself. Be sure to specify that the dog dryer have an internal high temperature safety switch (known as a thermal protector) to safeguard the dryer at low temperatures.In conclusion, the best design for a dog dryer is a variable speed forced air model. This offers the best of all designs and permits the groomer to adjust the air pressure and flow depending on the needs of the dog. On the following page, we look at various manufacturers of variable speed high pressure dog dryers.