• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Just Bathed in Love: Self-Serve Sites Can Help Make Dog-Washing Fun.

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 March 2006, 12:01 CST

By Guy Keeler, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Mar. 7--The trouble with being a dog, especially for big bruisers who shed hair and love rolling in the dirt, is that humans don't like to share their bathrooms with these guys. Many people would rather drag a big dog to the backyard for a shivery garden-hose shower than let him shake soapy water over spotless tile and mirrors. Fortunately, there's a gentler way to keep dogs clean without messing up the house. Simply take your pet to a self-service dog wash, where the water is warm, the shampoo is free and pet owners get to leave the dirty mess behind for others to clean up. Self-service dog wash facilities are popping up around the country these days as part of a trend toward do-it-yourself pet care. Judging from the response of several dogs who recently got baths at Petco in Fresno, the idea is the next best thing to a spa experience for man's best friend. Parker, a Yorkshire terrier owned by Alejandra Perez of Fresno, is making his first visit to the dog wash. He seems apprehensive as Perez lifts him into the waist-high tub and fastens a grooming noose around his neck to keep him from jumping out. Though his eyes look worried, Parker soon relaxes as Perez soaks him with warm water from a hand-held spray nozzle. "This is a lot easier than washing the dogs at home," says Perez, who also brought her West Highland white terrier, Addison. "You don't have to bend over and hurt your back." Dogs who are too big to be lifted into the tubs can walk in on ramps. Although getting a bath may not be first on their list of favorite things to do, they enjoy the love, attention and security that their owners provide. Liesle, a German shepherd who also is making her first trip to the dog wash, rests her paws on top of the tub and looks like she wants to jump out. But her owner, Juliana Gomes, 14, of Fresno, quickly puts her at ease with a thorough, sudsy massage. Meanwhile, Juliana's mother, Grace Gomes, has her hands full with Harley, an 80-pound Labrador-Akita mix who stays pretty clean as an indoor dog but still needs a bath every three months. "He just got too big for the bathtub," Gomes says with a laugh. "It's been wonderful to bring him here. It's also good for the dogs to get a bath from someone they know."

Harley waits patiently as Gomes scrubs his healthy black coat. But then the water gets a bit much for him, and he sends everyone ducking for cover with a mighty shaking of his shoulders. Getting wet is part of the routine during a visit to the dog wash. "Wear some old clothes and don't plan on going anywhere after you give your dog a bath," says Cathy Byrnes of Fresno, while washing her dog, Teddy Bear. The dog wash provides aprons for pet owners to wear, but it's virtually impossible to avoid a little splattering, especially when the tubs are full of wet dogs who want to be dry. After Harley's bath is done, Gomes leads him over to Liesle's tub to check in with Juliana. They arrive just as Teddy Bear's fur reaches critical mass for water content. Without warning, he lets loose with a vigorous shaking that sends water drops flying all over Gomes and Harley. "I'm so sorry," Byrnes says. Gomes laughs. "That's all right. We know what you're doing." Neither Harley nor Teddy Bear looks forward to bath day. "Harley loves to ride in the car because he thinks we're going to the dog park," Gomes say. "But when we pull into the parking lot [at Petco], he starts whimpering." Byrnes says Teddy Bear always knows when it's bath day. "He wouldn't get in the car today," she says. "I had to bring his treats." To dry their dogs, owners can use towels or an electric blow dryer. Teddy Bear gets the towel treatment after his bath and seems to enjoy the nose-to-tail rubbing and fluffing. "This is better than air-drying any day," Byrnes says. Hannah, a chow owned by Linda Medel of Fresno, calmly takes her place in the tub and waits patiently for her bath, even after the grooming noose slips off her neck and she is free to jump out. "She likes bath day," says Medel. "It's something we can enjoy doing together." Going to the dog wash is more fun for dogs than getting hosed down in the backyard, Medel says. And it's more personal than turning a dog over to a groomer. "On Saturday, you wash your car and then you go wash your dog," she says. "Just make sure your dog is dry enough so you don't make any puddles in the car on the way home." The Petco self-service dog wash is open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Cost per dog is $10 on weekdays and $12 on weekends. Self-service dog washing also is available for $10 at Pet Extreme in Clovis and the Sudsy Mutt in Fresno.

"You don't need an appointment, but we do require that pet owners show proof that their dogs have been vaccinated," says Lissa Singleton, manager of Petco's grooming service. "The dog wash is a fun way for people to bond with their pets and you get to leave all the mess here." The reporter can be reached at gkeeler@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6383. Alejandra Perez blow-dries her dog Addison's hair at the Petco facility. Alejandra Perez blow-dries her dog Addison's hair at the Petco facility. "This is a lot easier than washing the dogs at home," she says. Diana Baldrica / The Fresno Bee

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Fresno Bee

More News in this Category