How to Dry a Dog After the Beach

The beach is the easy part. It's the drive home, the hallway and the couch that need a plan.

A beach day leaves three things on your dog: salt, sand and a lot of water. Deal with all three and you'll have a more comfortable dog and a cleaner house. Here's a routine that takes about ten minutes.

1. Rinse off the salt and sand

Salt water dries into the coat and can leave skin itchy and dry, and sand works its way into skin folds and between the toes. A quick rinse with fresh water before you leave the beach, from a beach shower or a bottle of water in the car, gets most of it off.

Pay attention to the belly, armpits and paws, where sand collects.

2. Get the water out of the coat

Squeeze the coat with your hands first, working from the neck back. Then towel them off or put them in a drying robe.

A drying robe does the same job as a towel but keeps working after you stop. Pop it on at the car and your dog dries in it on the way home, instead of on your back seat.

3. Dry the ears properly

This is the step most people skip. Water that sits in the ear after swimming can lead to ear problems, especially in dogs with floppy ears.

Gently wipe the outer ear and its folds with a soft cloth or an ear wipe. Never push anything into the ear canal itself. If your dog keeps shaking their head, scratches at their ears or you notice a smell, see your vet.

4. Check the paws

Hot sand, shells and rocks are hard on pads. Spread the toes and look for cuts, grazes, or anything stuck between them: grass seeds, burrs, a sliver of shell.

A small graze can be cleaned and covered. Anything deep, bleeding heavily or making your dog limp needs a vet.

5. Wipe the eyes

Sand and salt spray end up in eyes too. A gentle eye wipe around the eye, not on it, clears grit and tear staining.

6. Brush once they're dry

Once the coat is fully dry, a quick brush lifts out sand you missed and stops it matting, especially in long or double coats.

A few beach-day basics

• Bring fresh water. Dogs who drink seawater can get sick, so offer fresh water often.
• Test the sand. If you can't hold the back of your hand on it for a few seconds, it's too hot for paws.
• Think about the sun. Pale noses and thin-coated ears burn. Here's our guide to dog sunscreen.

The After-Beach Bundle

We put together the three things we reach for after a beach day: a Cocopup drying robe, Filta-Bac sun cream, and probiotic eye and ear wipes. It ships in one parcel. See the After-Beach Bundle.

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If you're worried about your dog's skin, ears, eyes or paws, please see your vet.