The first time my girlfriend and I took our puppy camping, we had a great time, and we were even able to let him into the tent to sleep with us at night!
But things went south the second time we went camping with our pup, as at the start of the day it started to rain. And since our dog is a labrador, he loved the rain and had a great time running around.
While he had a great time, he ended up soaked and he had that classic “wet dog” smell that we didn’t want to let into our tent. And that’s when we learned about the proper ways to dry a wet dog while camping.
In this article, I’ll be telling you all the ways you can do it, and which are the most effective. Read on to learn more.
How Do You Dry A Wet Dog While Camping?
We got lucky on our camping trip as the sun came out after about 20 minutes of rain. So we decided to tie our dog up, give him water, make sure he has shade, and brush him while letting the sun and the air do the trick.
But that won’t work if the rain doesn’t stop, which is why there are a couple of other ways you can do it, which we’ll get into in the next section.
Common Reasons A Dog Gets Wet
Here are some of the main reasons your dog can get wet on a camping trip to help you avoid the trouble of drying your dog.
Your dog doesn’t have shade to protect it from the rain
This is one of the most common reasons a dog can get wet, so make sure that your dog has shade and shelter if you decide to tie it outside.
Your dog saw a body of water and ran to it before you could stop him/her
Dogs love bodies of water and they tend to run as fast as they can when they see a lake, river, or pond. So make sure to keep a close eye on your pup.
3 Ways To Dry Your Wet Dog While Camping
Air Drying
This is the most convenient method for drying a dog, but it only works if the sun is out and there’s no rain in sight.
To do this, all you have to do is tie your dog in a nice and dry area with shade and water. From there, you just have to wait for your dog to get dry. Your dog will shake, rub themselves on the ground, and they will dry up naturally.
Using A Chamois
If the weather isn’t cooperating, or you have to get your dog dry quickly, you can use a chamois or an aqua orb towel to dry your dog.
These materials absorb a lot of water, and you can wring all of that out to dry it. If you have a chamois on hand, all you have to do is rub your dog down and wring the water out after.
Dog coats are thick and tend to absorb a lot of water. So be ready to do this a couple of times before your dog gets dry.
However, this method can dry your dog quicker than air drying, and it can be very helpful if you need to dry your dog right away to let it into the tent or car.
Towel Drying
This is the method that will require the most work. But if you can’t air-dry your dog and don’t have a chamois or aqua orb towel on hand, this might be your best bet.
You’re going to need multiple towels for this, as towels tend to get very heavy and soggy as they absorb water, and they’ll also become less effective.
Using a towel to dry your dog is about as straight forward as it gets. Simply rub your dog’s coat with the towel, and when the towel gets too wet or heavy, replace the towel and repeat.
Make sure to rub down all of the dog’s body parts so you don’t have any wet spots. And when you’re dog is a bit dryer, you can also brush its coat while towel drying.
This will remove tangles, help the coat dry easier, and your dog will have a very beautiful coat afterward.
Additional Tips
Train Your Dog To Avoid Getting Wet
You can train your dog not to get wet by teaching it to avoid wet spots like puddles and not to run into bodies of water without your permission.
You can also teach your dog to find shade when it starts raining, that way wet dogs while camping will be much less of a problem.
Be Prepared For A Wet Dog
Even if your dog is very well-trained, there is still a chance that it might get wet while on a camping trip.
So make sure to bring a leash to tie your dog, ready a shaded area where it can air dry, and you can also bring chamois and towels that you can use to dry your dog up right away.
Prepare A List Of Activities For When It Starts Raining
Another way to make sure your dog won’t get wet is to be prepared for rain.
That means having a plan as to where to put your dog when it rains as well as having a couple of activities and games you can do with your dog while it rains.
This can help ensure your dog won’t get bored and start playing in the rain without your permission.
Conclusion
And that’s about all you’ll need to know about drying a wet dog. There isn’t much to it, and if you have the time, you can simply tie them up in a nice area and wait for nature to do its trick.
And if you dry them up quickly, you can do it without using that many materials-especially if you’re prepared.
With this knowledge, you won’t have to worry about a wet dog joining you in the car or tent while camping, which can ensure a great time for you and your furry friend!
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