Plan for a long job with a Saint Bernard
A Saint Bernard is not a quick-towel dog, and treating the drying as a project in its own right is what makes it work. Bathing wets a deep double coat over a very large body, and the undercoat near the skin can stay damp long after the outer hair looks presentable. Set out several large towels, a brush, and a dryer with a cool setting before you start, lay down mats for grip, and let the dog shake thoroughly in the tub or shower stall first — one Saint Bernard shake removes more water than five minutes of towelling.
Work in a fixed order so nothing gets missed: neck and head, chest and front legs, back and sides, belly, then the heavily feathered hindquarters and tail. A Saint Bernard is patient by nature, but even a patient giant gets bored, so build in a short break and a drink of water halfway through the session.
Press water out of the thickest Saint Bernard coat first
Begin where a Saint Bernard's coat is densest, around the neck ruff, behind the ears, and across the shoulders. Press towels deep into the coat and hold them there a few seconds at a time so the absorbent fabric can draw water up from the undercoat, rather than skimming the top. Change towels as soon as one is saturated; pushing a wet towel around a dog this size just moves moisture from place to place.
Move on to the long feathering on the backs of the legs, the breeches, and the tail, squeezing sections gently downward. These areas mat readily if they are left damp and then slept on, so they deserve more time than the shorter coat along the ribs. Dry the belly thoroughly too, lifting the coat with one hand — a Saint Bernard resting on a damp belly on a cool floor can end up chilled and uncomfortable.
Bring in cool air and a brush for the undercoat
Cool air worked through the coat with a brush is what finally dries a Saint Bernard to the skin. Use a dryer on its coolest setting, part the coat with the brush as the air runs, and move slowly across one section at a time instead of waving the nozzle over the whole dog. Keep checking with your fingertips at skin level; if the roots still feel cool and clammy, that section is not done, however dry the surface appears.
Hold the dryer back from the skin and keep it moving, and never use hot air in one spot on a Saint Bernard, whose thick coat hides how warm the skin underneath is getting. Work the brush in the direction of growth once a section is dry to lift out loose undercoat loosened by the bath. If the dog sighs, leans into the brush, and relaxes, you have the pace right; if he keeps shifting his weight and looking for the door, pause and resume in a few minutes.
Do the final Saint Bernard damp check hours later
A Saint Bernard can pass a surface check and still be damp at the roots an hour later, so repeat the fingertip check at the neck, armpits, and groin once the dog has rested. Damp left in those warm, sheltered spots is what leads to that musty, sour coat smell owners notice the next day. A final light brush once everything is truly dry keeps the long coat from settling into tangles overnight.
Keep the dog off damp grass and out of cold draughts until the undercoat is dry through, which on a thick-coated Saint Bernard may take considerably longer than the session itself. Sharing the section list and the later recheck for your Saint Bernard through KinsLe with Care Teams keeps a second pair of hands from assuming the job ended at the first towel.