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Above: Jeannie Streilein, a groomer at Bark n' Bubbles at Massaponax, gives Hershey a bath. Bark n' Bubbles is the first self-service dog grooming business in the area. Customers can wash their own dogs or leaving them with the groomers. |
By CATHY JETT
IRED OF LEANING over the tub to get Fido squeaky clean, only to have him shake wet fur all over everything?
Three area businesses now offer a relatively inexpensive, hands-on solution.
For about $15, they'll let you plop your pooch into one of their waist-high tubs, tether him to it, and use a hose and complimentary shampoo and conditioner to get rid of all his dirt and dander.
They'll even give you a waterproof apron to wear and let you use their towels and professional grooming dryers so the pup doesn't catch cold on the way home.
"Our motto is, 'Clean your pet, leave the mess, we do the rest!'" said Wanzer Smith, co-owner of Bark n' Bubbles, a self-service/full-service dog wash near Lowe's in the Southpoint II retail development at Massaponax. It opened last fall.
Smith got the idea for Bark n' Bubbles from his wife, Lys Mata-Smith, who ran across an article about a self-serve dog wash while surfing the Net. They researched the idea and discovered that there was a demand.
Such businesses have become increasingly popular since they started popping up in larger cities several years ago, according to Jeff Reynolds, executive director of the Clark, Pa.-based National Dog Groomers Association of America Inc.
"They're for the general public that wants to bathe their pets themselves without a groomer," he said.
The biggest demand, not surprisingly comes from owners of medium and large dogs, such as Labs and golden retrievers, who are harder to fit--and keep--in the family tub, according to Petgroomer.com, a popular Web site for groomers.
Some of the people taking the plunge into the self-service business are like the Smiths, who were looking for a business they could start and expand. He majored in business at Bridgewater College and was running B&K Kitchens on Lafayette Boulevard for his dad.
"It was time for me to get out and spread my wings," Smith said.
His wife continues to work as for Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg as a MRI technician, but helps out at Bark n' Bubbles part time.
Others offering self-service dog washes are like Laurie Williams, a groomer, trainer and doggie day-care owner who added several self-service tubs at her business, Pup N' Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center on U.S. 1 last summer. And Kim and Ken Weick, breeders and trainers who included self-service tubs along with full-service grooming at their newly opened store, Tender Touch Pet Spa & Boutique on Chatham Heights Road.
Both Pup N' Iron and Tender Touch are in Stafford County.
"When I told other groomers what I was planning, they said I was crazy," Kim Weick said. "I said, 'Why not? It brings in people who normally wouldn't go to a grooming salon.'"
Williams said she thinks she was the first to offer a self-serve dog wash in the area. Called Pup N' Scrub, it's part of Pup N' Iron.
"It's really a big hit in most areas, but there were none here," she said of self-service dog washes. "I thought it definitely was needed."
As a professional groomer, Williams knows first-hand how bathing a dog in a waist-high tub spares her back the aches and pains of bending over a regular bathtub. And she figured others would enjoy the experience, too.
"If people are comfortable, they're more likely to bathe their dogs," she said. "It's not comfortable bathing dogs in the bathtub, especially larger dogs. Not to mention that you get soaked and the dog is slipping and sliding in the tub."
Both Pup N' Scrub and Bark n' Bubbles use stainless-steel tubs created for the professional groomer. Tender Touch, designed to be more of a spa experience, uses regular white bathtubs that have been raised to waist height. The bottoms of the tubs have a pebbly texture that helps dogs keep their footing.
Kim and Ken Weick gently lifted Zoey, their pregnant German Shepherd, into one of the Tender Touch tubs on a recent afternoon to give her a bath. Stairs that hook over the tub's edge also are available.
Kim Weick filled the bottom of the tub with water, then added shampoo. A device in the tub sucked up the shampoo and sprayed it out a hose with an adjustable nozzle.
"It pushes the shampoo bubbles down into their fur," she said of the device. "It feels good to the dog. It's actually like a massage for them."
The self-serve sessions also are turning into something of a family outing, the area business owners say. Parents are bringing in their kids, who get to help.
"It gives people an opportunity to interact with their dogs," said Williams. "I think it's a bonding experience. It makes [the bath] more comfortable for the owner and the dog."
All three places also offer services such as ear cleaning and nail clipping for an additional fee. And Williams plans to hold workshops to show people how to do these things themselves.
Eventually, the owners of Tender Touch and Bark n' Bubbles plan to open more locations.
"There are plenty of dogs in this town for everybody," Smith said.
To reach reporter CATHY JETT:
Email: cjett@freelancestar.com
