Love Your Dog - Why Rest and Recovery Matter More Than You Think

Dogs are the original hurkle-durklers

“Hurkle-durkle” is a Scottish word with real roots. It dates back to the 1800s and describes lingering awake in bed when you should have got up. It's not sleeping, not rushing, just resting quietly and letting the day begin slowly. It is intentional rest.

And when you think about it, dogs have been hurkle-durkling long before we ever gave it a name.

Dogs understand rest instinctively

Dogs do not feel guilty about slowing down. They curl up. They stretch out. They lie in the warmest spot they've found and stay there.

They instinctively understand something we humans often forget - that rest is not wasted time. It is part of living well. After movement comes recovery.

Guidance from organisations such as the Royal Kennel Club highlights rest and recovery as essential to a dog’s overall health and wellbeing, particularly after activity or exertion.

After adventure comes recovery

Walks, swims and muddy paws - adventure is part of a dog’s life. But it is only half the story. What happens afterwards matters just as much.

That transition from outside to inside, from activity to rest, is where comfort really counts. When a dog stops moving, their body begins to cool. If they are wet, that drop in temperature can happen quickly. Wet fur loses its insulating effect, allowing heat to escape more easily.

Supporting your dog’s recovery after walks

Helping your dog recover properly does not need to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional.

• Keep them warm once they stop moving
• Avoid rapid temperature drops after getting wet
• Allow time to settle and rest without stimulation
• Let drying happen gradually and comfortably

These small steps support your dog’s natural recovery process.

How Dogrobes help

Drying your dog properly is about more than removing water. It is about helping them maintain body temperature and recover comfortably after activity.

Dogrobes are designed to support that process. Made from our unique dual-loop towelling fabric, they work in two ways at once - drawing moisture away from the coat while trapping warm air close to the body.

This allows your dog to dry while staying warm. It's always easier for a dog to stay warm than it is to warm up once cold.

A shared rhythm between dog and human

Living with a dog changes the pace of your day - if you let it.

You notice when they settle. You pause when they pause. You begin to recognise when enough is enough.

Research into human–dog interaction shows that time spent calmly with dogs can influence stress-related responses in people, reinforcing the value of slow, shared moments together.

Slower breathing. Less stimulation. A sense of calm that carries across both dog and owner.

Dogs show us how to slow down

While we hurry, dogs pause. 

While we push on, dogs settle.

They do not fight their need for rest - they lean into it.

Watching a dog fully relax, stretched out and completely at ease, is a reminder that slowing down is not something to earn. It is something to allow.

A dog resting after an adventure is not doing nothing. They are doing exactly what they need to do.

When dogs get older, comfort becomes essential

As dogs age, they can become more sensitive to cold, making warmth after activity increasingly important.

Supporting older dogs means paying closer attention to how they rest and recover, ensuring they can stay warm and comfortable without effort.

This is not indulgence. It is simply responding to your dog’s stage of life with care that makes sense.

Love Your Dog this February

Loving your dog is not just about the walk, the adventure, or the excitement.

It is about what happens afterwards. The quiet moments. The recovery. The comfort.

Dogs have always known how to rest well. Maybe the best thing we can do is follow their lead.