FAQ: Dirty Dog Self-Serve Dog Wash

faq

Do we need to bring anything with us (i.e. shampoo, towels, etc.)?

Nope. All you need to bring is your dirty dog. We provide you with everything else: shampoo, conditioner, brushes, towels, ear wash, nail clippers and even an apron to keep you (somewhat) dry. For special needs (dry coat, fleas, etc), we have "specialty shampoos" for an extra $2.25. Of course, if you have a certain shampoo that you really like or that your vet has prescribed, feel free to bring it with you. But remember, if you're ever out and about (say after the muddy dogpark!), you can always just stop here on your way home. Everything is here for you. A couple of notes about things people have asked:

Why do you only have small towels?

In an effort to have to do less laundry, we only provide small towels. However, we have HUNDREDS and you are free to use as many as you need. If we were to provide large towels, we would have to do about 6x the amount of laundry and at 45 minutes per wash and 45 minutes per dry, well, you can see the issue...not to mention all the additional water we would have to use (thinkin' green!).

The shampoo that you provide seems "watery". Why is that?

The shampoo that we buy suggests that we dilute it 16:1, however, we only dilute it about 3:1 or 4:1. The reason for this is to make it easier to completely rinse the shampoo out of your dog's coat. If you don't get ALL of the shampoo off your dog it can cause your dog to become extremely itchy. Again, we don't have a limit on how much you can use, so have at it!

My dog is shaking. Is he cold?

Most dogs shake because they're nervous the first few times they get a bath here. The water temperature is pre-set at a SAFE degree for the dogs (around 100). While it may not be the "steaming" shower that we humans like to take occasionally, we would be horrified if a dog was burned or suffered from heat exhaustion. In addition, hot water drys out a dogs skin and will lead to increased itching and general discomfort. Think about how your skin feels after a really hot shower...and unfortunately, there really isn't a "skin lotion" for dogs yet. Remember, dogs are NOT people--they'll get in freezing cold water without thinking twice!

Why does full-service grooming take so long?

Where to begin? Well, first it would help to understand the process. You see, everything is done in shifts, so while one dog is drying, another is having his/her haircut and another is having a bath-- in other words, dogs are not each groomed from start to finish one at a time. It would be MUCH more expensive to do it that way for you guys. Also, we never know exactly how long each dog will take until the groomer actually gets to see and touch each dog-- hair is different, there are mats, and some dogs just aren't as "agreeable" with the whole grooming thing. However, in an effort to shorten the time your pup is here, we stagger our drop-off times. Keep in mind that those are "drop-off" times and doesn't necessarily mean that is exactly when we'll be able to start on your dog. Our goal is to get your dogs in and out of here as fast as possible, while making sure the quality isn't compromised. For more information on what to expect, click HERE