# Bathing Spoos



## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I'm dying after bathing my spoos. My back is in so much pain I want to pass out. With the weather warm, I'm using the backyard and water hose but that doesn't help. Apart from spending hundreds of dollars on a raised tub, how do those of us that have weak backs bathe a spoo without falling over? Could I take the table out there and use it instead of just having them on the ground? I know my table is made from wood so would it not rot?


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## Aidan (Mar 4, 2009)

A friend of mine was able to find just a regular bathtub on craigslist for pretty cheap and her husband built her a stand type thing for it and she keeps it in her backyard. I suppose you could search around for something like that and have someone build it for you. It would still cost some money but not nearly as much as the tubs you see in groomers magazines.

This isn't hers but i found it on google

http://www.sunsetreflections.com/Harman/images/TP106WestSeascapeDogTub.jpg

Bath Central Dog Tub | Dog Bath Tubs | Dog Tubs and Washing Accessories from FetchDog

or maybe buying something like that would work as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive tubs?


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Wow that first bathing station is really neat. Out at the humane society they have a regular bathtub (the type that is a wall and tub in one piece) with a hose but it's raised up so that you don't have to bend over. I wonder if that would be difficult to install?


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## Rockporters (Jan 14, 2010)

The bathtub is the worst for bathing! My back, knees and all are sore after. Not to mention that usually Jasper sneaks out with a bit of soap on the side I can't reach well.

I went searching for an alternative. Not ideal, but I'm thinking I could replace my laundry sink with one of these:

Swanstone 23.375 In. x 45.375 In. x 33.625 In. Laundry Tub in White - MF-2F at The Home Depot

http://www.homedepot.com/Bath-Bathr...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I'd trim down the middle divider. And I'd have to drill the sink holes a bit differently so that we could use a tall faucet/sprayer. We'll see, still an idea in progress LOL.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

That's a great idea except I have no laundry room sink. The laundry room is large enough for a sink but there isn't one there. I wanted to set up shop in the garage but I cannot figure out how to do a drain out there.


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## Cameo (Feb 5, 2010)

You can find those plastic buffet tables that fold up at wally world for about 40 bucks. THey are adjustable in height and are VERY sturdy (easily hold a 50 - 60lb dog). Put a rubber mat down on it and wash away  

I really like that outside tub! 

My tub was about $100 at Lowe's and it was built up with 2x4's that raise it up off the floor, but it's higher than what I would recommend if your only doing large dogs. Another thing you might look for is an RV type shower stall base. Put it up on cinder blocks or other raised base. They make a great "tub" because the dog is not down IN it and that makes it easier to reach the low spots


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

KPoos said:


> That's a great idea except I have no laundry room sink. The laundry room is large enough for a sink but there isn't one there. I wanted to set up shop in the garage but I cannot figure out how to do a drain out there.


If you do let me know. My old house had the perfect set up.............ahhh. I seen your post I thought OMG I am not the only one lol!! I am telling you doing 2 dogs at home is a good chunk of the day with all the clean up too. My BF is all for using the garage but again no hook ups. I do have a water hose hook up right outside but that would be cold water.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

Olie said:


> If you do let me know. My old house had the perfect set up.............ahhh. I seen your post I thought OMG I am not the only one lol!! I am telling you doing 2 dogs at home is a good chunk of the day with all the clean up too. My BF is all for using the garage but again no hook ups. I do have a water hose hook up right outside but that would be cold water.


I need to ask a plumber how to rig warm water because my hot water heater is in the garage and my laundry room is right off from it. I think if I had a large tub they would create the warm water by both hot and cold connections together but I don't have a way to drain it.


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

I have been bathing Vinnie up on a grooming table in the shower for almost a year now - no problems with the table... yet :biggrin:

I would love to have an elevated tub - we have two of them at work (we use them as sinks in the kennels and bathe the occasional dog in them).


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## frostfirestandards (Jun 18, 2009)

I have a booster bath, it was 150-180 and then I got the tropic shower that hooks to my hot/cold washer connections (my laundy area is in my garage) I put the drain hose under the garage door, and wash away. I have had a couple people see the water running out from under the door, and they knock on my door to let me know that my garage is "flooding" but other than that it works well. 

In my old house, I would wash Kaden up on the grooming table in my shower stall, my table's core is wood, but I just set it on its side when I am done with it.


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## Fluffyspoos (Aug 11, 2009)

We bathe our big dogs on the floor in a room with a drain in the middle of it in our salon. It only gets tiring if you like.. have big dogs all day. We have a bucket to sit on and it's not so bad then.


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## Trillium (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm no help on this one as my back aches with yours every time I have to wash the girls in the tub groan!!!! But I've been at Arreau's and she has a older tub that she has elevated and installed right in the laundry room. Its wonderful and I'm so envious.


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## *tina* (Jan 3, 2010)

My mini is too big for the kitchen sink, really, so he is really uncomfortable when we use it to was him, so instead, we humans are uncomfortable in our poorly designed bathroom using the tub. I told my husband, when we buy a house, we are putting an elevated tub in the laundry area and putting a hose to drain into the washer drain.


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

if you have a shower with a detachable shower-head-on-a-hose thingy, you can put a small cheap table right inside the shower stall and have them up on there like AgilityIG does... 

Kpoos, can you not connect a (large diameter) hose pipe to the outlet and just stick the end out the garage door into the garden for when you bath? You can roll it up and sit it in the tub when your'e not bathing so it doesn't run across your garage all the time, but it saves putting a drain in!! But if you're going to plumb it into your existing water pipes you might as well plumb the drain in too!


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## Pamela (Sep 9, 2008)

when I bathe them outside I stand them on a vinyl bench that I have on the deck and that saves my back - I also use a RapidBath system which definitely helps with the legs (that is where the bending comes in) I find with the Rapid Bath that I still want to lather up their coat with my own brand of shampoo but I don't do the legs - in winter I use my jacuzzi tub again with the rapid bath - and sit on the tub edge - wear a bathing suit lol - and do the same. I find that what really kills my back is the drying with the towel of the legs again and the feet - so much hair!!!! lol I have heard that there is a dog wash at a local car wash - ha ha - maybe try that! But really - the drying off is the worst for me - I don't use a dryer - they just wouldnt stand still for that and it take soooo long! I try to keep them short.


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## pudel luv (Jan 23, 2010)

KPoos ... the key factor in saving your back is bathing at table height. As suggested by Cameo and a few others, we use the heavy plastic buffet size folding tables from Costco or Sams and carry them around where needed. They will fit in many shower stalls and are also great for outside. We also use a rubber mat which we purchased from Pet Edge. The advantage of the free standing table is that you can get completely around it and take it outside when the weather is nice. We have two of these tables and just used both yesterday for bathing and grooming our two spoos.

One day, of course, I would LOVE a more permanent set up


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## BlueSpoo (Mar 29, 2010)

If my back is getting achey (as usual), in a different solution direction, I have delegated to my 9 yr old, who actually enjoys the process and does it well (bathtub at home). 

When the heat is atrocious we all get outside & get wet doing it together. It is useful to have junior spoo handling help! 

(And since I'm the poop-scooping, brushing, combing, toe-grinding face shaving-foot trimming-sanitary trimming between grooms gal, no one is complaining about division of labor, lol.)


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## Savannah (Jan 15, 2010)

I found this table for $189.00 w/ $35.00 flat rate shipping. That's still not cheap, but it looks like a pretty nice tub and it's not as expensive as many I've seen.
I think in the end your back is worth it--after all, you're going to have those poodles for a long time, and that's a lot of baths in the long run.

Booster Bath - Lightweight, Portable and Affordable Dog Bath!


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## mightykale (Apr 25, 2010)

After years of killing my back, I finally bit the bullet and bought a bathing systems.

I used to groom for an Afghan Breeder and she had one of the early Hydro-Surge systems. It made life so much easier. So years later - after using my bathtub and and hand held shower, it was still taking an hour or more for baths on my dogs (they weren't even in coat!). I finally spent the money and got the Oster system. Baths and conditioning now takes about 15 minutes (usually two rounds of shampoo and conditioner) - don't know why I waited so many years to get one. :doh:

It is a life saver. After baths, I let the dogs run around for about 5-10 mintues outside (the AZ sun works wonders) and they they jump up onto the grooming table and they are groomed standing up. This saves my back from so much wear and tear


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## redcricket (Dec 5, 2009)

I found this pic while searching the web one day......this is my dream room!! LOL! I would love to have something like this in my laundry room!


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

i found a self serve doggy wash- i was going to set up one at home... and still might in the new place- but for $8.00 i can get my medium dogs bathed (shampoo included if i want to use it- a force air dryer that rocks to use- a grooming table to use- charged by the dog not the time - we have one based on time as well (at the car wash *L*)


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

I want one of those to start up here in the area! I wish I had the investors to start it myself. I think this is a great invention.


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## neVar (Dec 25, 2009)

yup it's great the one in the car wash is fabulous becuase super long hours. Only problem is their dryer sucks- it's just tthe exhaust off of their vacuum system. ... doesn't warm up and takes FOREVER when blowing out an aussie coat (haven't done a poodle on it yet) 

The other one is a grooming shop who sells raw foods. and has four self serve bays. All are just raised older wall tubs. she's got two grooming tables and one dryer- definatly not s 'fancy' as the car wash one (all stainless steel tubs 3 of them different heights- they added a floor one which is great for my old guy who will NOt DO ramps- and weighs 75 pounds so i have trouble lifting him up)


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## Cameo (Feb 5, 2010)

redcricket said:


> I found this pic while searching the web one day......this is my dream room!! LOL! I would love to have something like this in my laundry room!


That tub is really nice, but with large dogs, not very practical if you don't want to clean up TONS of water that will get EVERYWHERE! Small and medium sized dogs would be a breeze (except for the height maybe), but those big S'poos are notorious for wanting to hang their head over the side of the tub and the splashing water from the spraying completely wet your wall, counter tops, and the floor. It IS a really nice looking area tho


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

i ended up standing in the tub w/ temperance the other day while i was bathing her! it was easier. i swear, i wonder if i could shower with her and it be easier. LOL.


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## partial2poodles (Feb 11, 2010)

My husband is remodeling a basement for a rich lady with a gold retriever that I keep shaved down for her. She hates hair and mess....so he is building her a raised dog shower in her basement right near the laundry area and close to the cellar door. This is nor ordinary basement and the house is like a mansion. But the fact is, that for about $300 or less you can build and tile one yourself. I will take photos when its done being tiled. This one is how I bathe large and small dogs in my shop. The small dog tub came from a hotel and was $100 for a one piece unit with fixtures. The walk in was built using tiles found in the Bargain Bulletin for $60 and we got hundreds of pieces of these odd shaped beige tiles....they work perfectly.


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## *heather* (Jul 30, 2009)

this one's $179 at petedge

http://www.petedge.com/product/Portable-Booster-Bath-Tubs/44069.uts


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## *heather* (Jul 30, 2009)

I've been searching for a bathing solution at home too!! That one from PetEdge looks like a good option... but the other idea I had is keeping my eye open for an old claw foot tub or antique tub of some sort... here's one I found that I like.... 









my groomer has a cool set up with a old claw foot tub, the outside is painted a funky colour, and it's raised up on a platform of some sort... I want to see if my hubby can put something like that in my laundry room to replace my laundry tub... we'll see! You could even put it on top of a cupboard of some sort to store shampoo's and supplies... something like this... as long as it's strong enough and sturdy,


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## flyingduster (Sep 6, 2009)

the only problem with the claw foot bath heather, is that it's very deep, and no matter how high up it is you'll be having to reach way down into it. Better to have a bath with lower sides; doesn't need to be an old claw foot bath, why not a normal bath???


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## Cameo (Feb 5, 2010)

I think the antique style tub would be very cool  You could build up the bottom with some sort of tub rack or something to keep the dog UP in the top part of it, like Jodi Murphy did in one of her video's.


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## KPoos (Aug 29, 2009)

*heather* said:


> this one's $179 at petedge
> 
> PetEdge: Portable Booster Bath Tubs


I like this tub and it will probably end up being my first dog grooming tub. Since I'm bathing outside right now anyway, might as well save my back in the process.


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