Having a pooch can be the best thing because you have a companion that cares for you more than anyone else. What we often forget is the care. Dogs do stink, unless you are bathing them every day, and even though you have adjusted to the smell, there are guests who don’t like the doggy scent in general.
At the first place, you may consider washing your dog in the bathroom, but that can be more of a pain because many dogs don’t like being bathed and groomed. Also, large breeds are often tough to manage. What’s the simplest solution? Well, you can have a bath section for the dog, and if you think the pet washing station is going to cost you huge, you are mistaken. Here are some tips and some incredible design ideas that we will be covering in a series!
[Image- Parkyn Design]
Wash station place: Among the best places to wash your pet is the nearest area from where they enter the house. This can be the mudroom of the house or even the nearest bathroom corner. The main advantage is the fact that you can actually have control over the dirt, spots and mud that they bring in the house.
[Image -Doug Walter Architects]
Keep their shake in mind: If you know dogs and have taken them for bath on your own, it is most likely that the shaking of the body to get of water is something you have dealt with. While you are designing a wash station for the pet, you have to consider that the pet may leave almost part of the area wet and watery. As such, the surrounding walls and the flooring should not be harmed, so maybe you can consider tiling or marbling the area. However, when you don’t have the space, lock him in the garage to dry off!
[Image- Designs Dell’Ario Interiors]
Consider the basin option: If you don’t have space in the mudroom or cannot have a floor oriented washing station, you can choose for a basin style cleaning space. An additional option is to have a slab where you can dry him off after he is done with the session. The only constraint here is the space, because large breeds don’t fit in there! When you have a Chihuahua or a Maltese, this is an option to consider.
[Image- Morning Star Builders LTD]
Consider a space for the towels: Right after the bath, you have to dry your pet well, and therefore, having a towel hanger around can be a good idea. This will not only reduce the number of shakes that your pooch does for getting off the water, but the areas around the wash station will be safe from extreme water damage overtime.
[Image- Witt Construction]
Consider the need to have supplies handy: Your dog needs the same number of supplies in the washing area as you need in the shower room. From the conditioner to the shampoo and brushes, everything is best kept at arm reach because you want to end the session without hassles. For the same, maybe a few racks or a basket for the essentials can be a good choice
[Image- Orren Pickell Building Group]
Consider a hand shower: If you have a hand shower, you can clean your pet faster and easier than ever. What makes it even more worthy is you can wash the muddy paws without having given him a complete bath. For large breed of pets, using the regular shower doesn’t serve the purpose right, and you would need to reach to those corner areas of the body that are hard to clean.
[Image – Sharon Lewis]
Consider a step up option: We have spoken about how the upper level basin and the slab can be good for small pets. However, many times you don’t have the space to get a slab and the entire setup. In such cases, the best choice is to look for a step up option, which will help you stand straight and wash your pet. Again, this is more of a small pet solution because getting your dog on that space can be tough when he has weight as a problem.
[Image – Direct Home Design]
Check for professional bathing sessions: If you can afford, there are ready to use bathing stations for pets, although, the cost can be bit on the higher side. At the same time, you have to work on getting the space right because when the dog is of a large breed, the entire salon for him is also large.
[Image – Schachne Architects & Builders]
Get a dog tub: When you want your pooch to enjoy the best of luxuries, there’s no way that you can do without the dog tub. Expensive and quite endearing, this is session that your pet is going to love. What makes bath tubs for pets more worthy is the fact that these are often large, allowing pets to take a splash as and when they want. You can look for models that are non-slippery and doesn’t work in the way of letting him enjoy himself. Depending on the bathroom size you have, the choice can be different.
[Image – Phil Kean Designs]
Get the station: When you don’t have the space inside the house, you can create an area in the yard to wash, which works in more ways than one. You don’t need to spend a huge amount for the construction, apart from tiling the walls and floors and adding on a hand shower. This is also good for ensuring the cleanliness of the house is maintained, which otherwise seems to be a tough job.
[Image – TR Building & Remodeling Inc.]
Create right pathway to the doors: Your little dog takes in all the mud from the yard to the house because the area is raw. If your wash station is inside and you don’t want to litter the house with muddy paws, the best solution is to have a pathway that is designed to reach the doors. This will get off most of the wet dirt away from house.
[Image- Witt Construction]
Get a theme: For most of us, dog is family, and just like you would love to get your bathroom ready with the right theme, you can even get the same for your dog. There are so many different options available for creating a doggy theme, which includes having stickers, toys and small floating objects for the pool or tub he has.
[Image – Smith & Vansant Architects PC.]
Design your own theme: One of the best ways to design the doggy wash station is to get an area done that suits the best. From having space in the laundry room to the more convenient room close to the dog entry, you can choose areas and bath elements that suit your needs to the core.
Getting the right wash area for pets is more about getting the smaller things right.
