Nine reasons to try self-service suds 

By Nicole L. Czarnomski

Photography by  Kelvin Andow

Tub time can be messy and stressful for dogs and their owners. Dogs have an acute sense of hearing, so water blasting from a faucet or hot air roaring from a hair dryer can be frightening. Plus, a dog’s paws can’t grip the slick surface of the tub causing them to panic, scramble and splash around in the water.  And for humans, it’s a back breaking, knee aching experience.

Then, there’s the “zoomies.” Your wet dog zooms around the house, shaking and rubbing on everything in sight.

If tub time leaves you exasperated, Fluff N Buff Grooming and U Do It Dog Wash, both in Rochester, offer self-service dog washing stations with temperature controlled water. They charge $10 to $20 per dog.

Here are 9 reasons to bypass the bathtub at home and try the self-service scrub.

1. Dirty dogs welcome. Darilyn Franko, owner of U Do It Dog Wash, says she has a broad demographic using her self-service dog wash. “Police officers come in after hours to scrub their K9s. We also welcome hunters with their dogs and customers from the dog park.”
2. Big or small, we take them all. Fluff N Buff Grooming has two self-service tubs. “We have one tub for small dogs and one tub for large dogs,” says owner Tanya Leyson.
3. Leave the dog hair there. There’s less time bathing and drying your pooch when you brush them at a designated brushing station.
4. Suds are supplied. Leyson provides a tearless shampoo, a natural argan oil shampoo and an oatmeal shampoo. However, she suggests bringing your own if your puppy prefers a special brand.
5. Shake it off at the shop. Franko says she’s happy to have your wet pet shake and shimmy in her shop.
6. No clogged drains. “We have a special drain trap that catches unwanted hair,” Franko says. “The dog stands on a non-slip platform, and the hair falls down into the bathtub and into a drain trap. I come in and check at least once a day to clean out the self-service tub.”
7. No cleanup. Both businesses run a tight ship. They know it’s important to their customers to have a clean area to brush, bathe and dry their dogs. They keep the bathing stations clean, the drains unclogged and the brushing station free from hair and dander.
8. No appointment necessary. The self-service dog wash is open from
   6 a.m. to 10 p.m. “You can drop in anytime, seven days a week, 365 days
   a year. We’re adding a second station for your convenience,” Franko says.
9. No more back-breaking work. “The tubs are shoulder level; therefore no more kneeling over the tub. This takes the stress off you and gives you more time to build a relationship with your dog,” Franko says.