# Use of cage dryer by groomer



## Anne Streeter (Apr 14, 2009)

I would appreciate opinions about putting Luci in a cage with a big fan blowing warm air on her. My groomer does this and I am wondering if this is standard practice. She arrives at the grooming table acting quite stressed. Is this OK? I either need to be reassured or I need to put a stop to it!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I have never gone to a professional groomer although what I do know the reason for cage drying is if you do not have the time to do it yourself. Havanese benefit from hand drying because you want to dry them from the end side out to get a fluffy coat that is what I have been taught for a show dog anyway.


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## CacheHavs (Aug 2, 2007)

I was a professional groomer for many years, and I would never put a dog under a cage dryer, for one it is or can be very stressful, and two a dog could die from it if left for too long. Trust me it has happened. I would personally find a groomer that will work on your dog from start to finish, I use to have a time for each client and the most a dog even spent in a create was maybe 10-15 minutes, while I was finishing another dog. And a dog the size of a Havanese should only take about 45 minutes to maybe 1 1/2 hours for the slower groomer. There is no need for a dog to remain at a groomers for hours on end.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Is this a heat dryer? There are some states where these are outlawed. With this kind of set up if the groomer gets busy doing something else the dog can get sick and even die. It gets very hot for the captive dog. The puppies and old dogs are at the highest risk. Even dryers with out a heat setting will blow hot air after awhile. Groomers like this set up because, they can do more dogs. If the dog is not introduced to this setup slowly they can be very stressed each time. Also for others reading suggesting your dog needs a pill to help her feel calm during grooming, is really unacceptable. One of my best friends lost her golden of 14 yrs after taking him to the usual groomer who drugged him and put him in the dryer for an extended time. He was not acting right when she brought him home, he had a very horrible few hours and the vet put him down. When the report came back it seems he had a stroke too much drug in system and dehydration. You need to be very careful about the cage set up.


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

Yay!!!! Heather for speaking up!


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

Anne Streeter said:


> I would appreciate opinions about putting Luci in a cage with a big fan blowing warm air on her. My groomer does this and I am wondering if this is standard practice. She arrives at the grooming table acting quite stressed. Is this OK? I either need to be reassured or I need to put a stop to it!


I would not allow that for your Hav or any dog for that matter, but a hav will get knots if not carful with the drying. Also, how scary for our little lovers.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I dry my own dogs and as much as they move around, I could only imagine a big tangled mess with them being stuck in a cage. A dog with a blowing dryer on him is very stressful. Who will comfort him? And, with Heat involved and stuck in one place and no place to escape.... ..I am getting stressed! I would be trying to get away. 

Ican only imagine what their mental status would be once they were out of the cage.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

wow. I had never heard of cage drying. It sounds terrifying. The various groomers I have ever used would blow out the dogs on the table.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

This sounds so cruel! I only took my guys to a groomer once, so I could get some tips on self grooming. They blew them out right on the table.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I would NEVER use a groomer who used a cage dryer for all the reasons that have been posted. If you do a search on the forum, you will find a thread on a dog (toy poodle if I remember correctly) who died in a cage dryer after a groomer inadvertently left him in there too long. That happened within the last year or so. 

As Robbie said, it doesn't even need to be a heated dryer... enough heat can still build up within a confined space to cause dehydration, and that's not even considering the stress/distress it causes the dog.


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## irishnproud2b (Jan 13, 2009)

When I was fostering Nancy's Finnegan, I took him to the groomer. When it came time to dry him, he began snarling and attacking the hairdryer. She was being oh-so-gentle, but he would only keep trying to bite the hairdryer. He was really freaking out! She finally had to put him in a cage dryer, but she and I stood there and watched, making sure he was ok. He didn't appear stressed - that's how he appeared when attacking the handheld hair dryer LOL. She said she doesn't like using it, so she probably knows how it affects some dogs. But Finnegan would have had to go home wet! Nancy says he's just fine with a hand held where she takes him. We have no idea what freaked him. I was there the whole time.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

irishnproud2b said:


> When I was fostering Nancy's Finnegan, I took him to the groomer. When it came time to dry him, he began snarling and attacking the hairdryer. She was being oh-so-gentle, but he would only keep trying to bite the hairdryer. He was really freaking out! She finally had to put him in a cage dryer, but she and I stood there and watched, making sure he was ok. He didn't appear stressed - that's how he appeared when attacking the handheld hair dryer LOL. She said she doesn't like using it, so she probably knows how it affects some dogs. But Finnegan would have had to go home wet! Nancy says he's just fine with a hand held where she takes him. We have no idea what freaked him. I was there the whole time.


Well, the dryer itself isn't so much the problem as improper (too long or too hot setting) use of the dryer. With you and her standing right there with him, you would have known and intervened if there were a problem. That's different than what goes on in most groomers where they are used. They are used to allow the groomer to go on to another animal, which takes their attention off the one in the cage dryer.


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## Kirby (Mar 7, 2011)

Now you have me wondering....I saw a big dryer by the cages when I went to pick Kirby up last time after his grooming. I never even put 2 and 2 together until reading this, as his groomer was talking away...I was paying and all. Do I just phone her up and ask if she dries him in cage? She will of course say no. When I bathe him at home, he's lovingly dried by hand and he loves the whole ordeal!

Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention Anne. I, like the others, do not like this idea AT ALL. I will not be taking Kirby to this groomer anymore if this is what she does! Reenie


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Yes, it is very dangerous when animals are left in cages with dryers on and the groomer leaves the room or is focused on another dog to groom or the groomer is busy with clients.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Just wanted to add--some big free standing dryers are not hooked to a cage. Where I work we have them and they set on the floor blowing air the temp of your breath (approx.) and are once in awhile used setting in front of a large dog run. Of course--this is different then at a groomer's because we are a vet office....that sometimes grooms,not strictly grooming where that is the actual business. With anything----I would guess it really has to do with how much you trust your groomer? I've never had Quincy professionally groomed,but I would not want a cage dryer used on him. However--a floor dryer in a big run would be okay by me.


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## Anne Streeter (Apr 14, 2009)

I am SO grateful to all of you for your responses. The grooming thing is new to me. When we were raising our kids we had Norwegian Elkhounds. The first time I took Luci to the groomer, I stayed for the whole process to make sure she was well treated. I did not like the cage -- she looked so pathetic in there but the groomer said that from now on she would be hand dried. So, I began dropping her off for the first hour - would make a Costco run, and be back in time for clipping. This time she was running behind and said to come back in an hour and a half for clipping. When I got there Luci was in that cage -(also for another half hour) and, as I said in the original post, very stressed when they brought her to the grooming table. To add to the drama, with one leg and her head to go there was a fire scare in the business next door and we were evacuated! That was the situation when I posted last night.
Today we went back to be finished and that went very well. She apologized for the scheduling problem. This will turn out well in the long run because, encouraged by all your comments, I asked the groomer if I could bathe, dry and comb her out at home. She said she had 2 other clients that do that and that I would have to be sure she was mat free. So we are going to try that.
I do not mind doing it at all and the fee will be $25 instead of $32. She also said that she would be ready to do her when we arrive - no crate time. Yea! Now I just need to learn how to express those anal glands! I think I can do it.
Here she is - in all her newly groomed glory!!


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## motherslittlehelper (Mar 18, 2010)

Oh, is she ever cute! Love the little black splotches in her white coat. And her face is darling.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I love the spots too! Kodi is a Belton also, so if he were clipped he'd have spots. Instead, he has candy cane stripes!<g>

Are you sure she NEEDS her anal glands expressed? Some groomers do it routinely, and some dogs really do need it. But many others don't ever need it.


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## Moe's Gram (Oct 9, 2009)

I love the cut!!! She is adorable!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Cute! Cute! Now, we have to teach you to do a clipper groom! You did all the other work! I have never done anal glands on either one of the boys.


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## Ninja (Nov 1, 2010)

She really looks so CUTE!! :biggrin1:


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## The Laughing Magpie (Aug 20, 2009)

She is a little doll.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

Lizzie was set for the groomer tomorrow and I read this thread and decided to call them and check about drying. She said they do use cage dryers, but the shop is so small that they can always see the dog. Well, I decided to groom her myself and it went well. I even got the hair between her pads done. She would not let me do her nails, so I went to another groomer just up the road who clipped her nails and combed out some chest mats. She said that she would do that for me when I brought her in for nail trims. Now I know that I can do this and I will not have to worry about her at the groomers. I am so attached to this dog-I hate to not be with her!!


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I know Petsmart and Petco both agreed to let me watch. You can learn so much and self grooming is easier than you think. There are way too many horror stories. I think my grooming skills get a little better each time


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I stay with Kodi when my groomer works on him too. She only does nails and around the edges trimming (feet and bangs) and she is WONDERFUL with him, but I still like being there. I do all his bathing, drying and combing out at home.


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## LuvCicero (Mar 31, 2008)

She is so cute and she has that look on her face like she knows it. I'm sure she will love for you to give a bath and blow her dry since that will cut out a lot of time being away from her Mom.


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