Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November, and the evening dog walk that week will be a particular kind of walk: dark, wet, muddy, and punctuated by fireworks in the distance. Even if you time the walk to avoid the loudest displays, your dog will very likely come home damp, muddy and a little on edge. What happens in the ten minutes after you get through the front door matters — a calm, warm drying routine helps your dog settle for the evening, and it saves your floors and furniture at the same time.
Start calm, before you reach for a towel
Come in, close the door, and give your dog a minute. A dog that has just heard fireworks does not need to be bundled and rubbed straight away; it needs to know it is home and safe. Speak quietly, let it have a drink, and keep the house calm and warm. If fireworks are still going off outside, draw the curtains and put on some background sound, so the evening feels settled rather than startling. Drying is much easier once your dog has stopped panting and started to relax, and it is kinder too.
Dry in stages, not all at once
Work from paws upwards. Paws pick up the most mud and the most cold, so wipe or rinse them first, checking between the toes for grit and small stones picked up on wet pavements. Then dry the legs and belly, which are usually the wettest parts after a walk through wet grass, and finish with the back and ears. A drying robe makes this far simpler than a towel, because it stays on while your dog settles: it soaks up the damp, keeps your dog warm, and leaves your hands free to make a cup of tea. Towels slip, robes stay put, and that makes all the difference on a busy evening.
Our pick: the Drying Robe in Pink
The Drying Robe - Pink (£21.99) is a soft drying robe that slips on after a wet walk and absorbs the damp while your dog relaxes at home. At £21.99 it is a practical winter essential rather than a luxury — the kind of thing you reach for every single wet evening from November to March, and Bonfire Night week is the perfect time to start. Pop it on when you get in, let your dog settle in it for twenty minutes or so, and take it off once the worst of the damp is gone. Wash it regularly through winter and it will be ready for the next muddy walk.
After drying: settle for the evening
Once your dog is dry, keep the rest of the evening low-key. A quiet spot, a familiar blanket, a chew or a puzzle toy to focus on, and the curtains drawn against the fireworks outside all help a dog wind down after a noisy night. Avoid another trip out late if you can, and if your dog needs the garden, keep it brief and stay with it. A dry, warm, settled dog sleeps better, and so will you.
You can find the Drying Robe - Pink (£21.99) in our Dog collection, and our winter dog walks packing checklist covers everything else to take out on a cold, dark evening. Here is to calm Bonfire Nights and dry dogs.