Is a Dog Towel Really Necessary?

Most dogs – even those who enjoy bath time or swimming – freak out when they are wet. Many dogs will head directly from the bathtub to the closest piece of fabric or carpet they can find, where they’ll begin frantically rubbing their body all over it.

So, no; you don’t need a towel for your dog. But if you choose not to use one, you’ll probably want to check out some reviews about new bedsheets and couch covers, as it is sure to use these items in lieu of a towel.

He doesn’t care what he rubs his body on – he just wants to be dry!

But aside from protecting your linens and whatnot, there are several reasons to give your dog his own towel. For example:

It’s probably a bad idea to share a towel with your dog. Unless you wash your dog’s towel after every bath, it’ll probably develop a bit of a permanent dog odor over time, which could compromise your normally fresh-as-a-daisy smell. You don’t want your coworkers (or heaven forbid, your hot date) thinking you smell like a kennel. Having a stinky dog smell all over your apartment just isn’t very fun.

They cost about the same as a human bath towel does. Because you don’t want to share a towel with your dog, you’ll have to give him his own dedicated towel. But even an economy towel from the local big box store will cost about the same thing as a pet towel, and towels designed specifically for your pet’s fur will work better and last longer than a towel made for people will.

Towels made specifically for pets work better than normal towels. Most towels designed for dogs (or other furry pets) feature special materials that will help wick away the moisture more effectively, and several models feature hand pockets, which make it easier to grip the towel while drying off your pooch.

Dedicated pet towels help you contain your dog’s shed hair. Chances are, if you use a normal towel to dry your dog, you’ll just chuck it in the hamper after you’re done. This is likely to cause your laundry to be coated with a layer of fur. However, you’ll probably wash and dry your pet’s dedicated towel separately from the rest of your stuff, which will keep everything hair-free.

Pet towels are great for owners and pets on the go. You can also use a pet towel to help wipe down Fido after playing at the local park or splashing in the puddles during a walk. And because most pet towels fold up quite compactly, you can just stuff one in your bag or car.

Good pet towels absorb more water than traditional towels do. Your dog’s hair will hold a ton of water, which can cause most traditional towels to become saturated very quickly. However, most microfiber dog towels will absorb several times their weight in water, making it easier to dry your pooch.

Most pet towels dry quickly. Even though they will hold more water than most terry cloth towels will, high-quality pet towels are usually easy to wring out. They may not be completely dry after doing so, but they’ll usually be dry enough to store easily without soaking your dog’s gear bag.