A DOG owner from Fraddon has developed an innovative dog drying towel after struggling to dry her own rescue dog after muddy walks and bathtime.

Leanne Rossin, founder of Bark and Beau, came up with the idea after finding that ordinary bath towels simply were not designed for energetic dogs who struggle to sit still.

Leanne owns an adolescent German shorthaired pointer rescue dog called Darcy and says drying her after beach and countryside adventures had become a stressful two-person task.

Using a standard human bath towel only made things worse as sand clung to the fabric, dog hair stuck in the fibres and the towel took far too long to dry, leaving a ‘damp dog’ smell lingering in the house.

Determined to find a better solution, Leanne developed a microfibre drying towel with built-in hand pockets, allowing owners to keep hold of their dog while drying them at the same time.

She researched suppliers, refined the product over several months and launched ‘Bark and Beau’ while continuing her part-time role in customer service and pick, pack, dispatch for a Cornish confectionery company.

The business logo was based on Darcy and is embroidered on the towel pockets and the storage bag. Choosing the right fabric took time, but the quality of the product was important to get right.

Since launching in November, Bark and Beau has shown strong early demand and already has customers that include dog owners as well as pet professionals such as dog walkers and a local mobile dog wash company.

Leanne said: “Darcy is an active dog and is always on the move. She loves swimming, but drying her after a dip was starting to become a problem. It would always be my husband or I holding on to her, and the other one trying to dry her. It was quite stressful for all of us and we dreaded trying to get her dry. It felt like a physical challenge, and I knew I had to find a calmer solution”

“Human bath towels are not designed for dogs; they are perfect to be soft on human skin, but not ideal for dog hair. Dog hair gets stuck in the long fibres, and can cause them to hold onto the ‘damp dog’ smell. Other issues with bath towels are how big they are and how long they take to dry once wet. Human towels tend to be light colours, which might be great for humans, but not practical for dogs because they always look dirty".

According to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, around 36 per cent of UK households own a dog, meaning millions of owners regularly face the challenge of drying wet, muddy pets after walks and bathtime.

Leanne added: “Our dog drying towel has been really well received since we launched. The hand pockets have literally been a game changer for many of our customers. The microfibre material traps less dog hair than normal towels, therefore it doesn’t hold onto the ‘damp dog’ smell.

“Of course, the main attraction of microfibre is that is absorbs moisture effectively, and it dries quickly. Overall, we have found using our towels is a much less stressful experience for human and dog and our customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Your dog might still dislike bathtime, but our towel has helped the drying process feel less chaotic.

“Each towel comes complete with its own embroidered microfibre bag, which is ideal for putting the dirty towel in when returning from a muddy walk meaning the dirt is contained and not in the boot of your car. Both the bag and the towel can be machine washed, and once dried, they are ready for the next adventure.

“We selected colours that are suitable for canine use because we know that light coloured towels never look clean once they have been heavily soiled by frequent use on dogs.

“We’re looking forward to going to local dog shows this year and showing our product to more pet parents."