DOGS MAKE A MESS during bath time. These pet businesses welcome it, provide direction and supplies, and even clean up after. Check out their DIY bathing setups, all of which are profitable and produce the cutest photo opportunities.
Firehouse Pet Shop
WENATCHEE, WA
Allen and Jennifer Larsen assign an employee to their firehouse-themed, three-tub DIY bathing area. This staffer walks newbies through the process, gets them started and checks back mid-bath, as well as cleans up after and does laundry. An instructional video also plays on a loop, and a chalkboard sign displays the menu and tips.
Self-baths cost $12 to $20 per pet, depending on weight, with nail trims an additional $7. Income ranges from $4,500 to $6,800 monthly. K9 officers bathe for free.
TOTAL COST: $7,200 | TUB SOURCE: New Breed Dog Baths
TIP: “Offer a frequent bathing card, free baths to first-timers or new adoptions,” Jennifer says. “It gets them in, and then they are hooked. Giving away a bath here and there reaps huge rewards — almost everyone says they will never wash at home again.”
Advertisement
Just Fur Pets
SPRINGFIELD, VA
Marcia Cram inherited a three-tub bathing area when she opened her store 15 years ago, and has since upgraded decor and equipment. Groomers and customers alike use it, with the latter paying $22. Income totals $1,230 monthly.
REPLACEMENT TUB COST: $1,800 | TUB SOURCE: Groomer’s Best
TIP: “Don’t go cheap on the gauge of the tub. No one wants the tub bottom to flex and make noise under a dog’s feet.”
Animal Connection
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
Pattie Boden designed and had her DIY bathing suite custom built. It matches her store’s country vibe and caters to large-breed and senior dogs.
“We included a wide stair step in between the tubs to make it easier for them to enter.”
Self-wash costs $15 to $25, depending on weight, and brings in $2,500 monthly. Her favorite bathing story involves the girls who planned a birthday party around washing their Great Pyrenees.
“That was so cute! Those girls had a great time.”
TOTAL COST: $10,000 | TUB SOURCE: Custom build
TIP: “You’ll need more towels than you ever expected. When you tell people to leave the mess, they take that as gospel truth!”
Bath & Biscuits
GRANVILLE, OH
DIY bathing was part of Danielle Wilson’s original concept for her business. It has proven a success, pulling in $6,000 monthly. She kept costs low with a rustic theme and by building the tubs themselves.
“I designed the tubs, and my husband built them. They are horse troughs with Trex decking for where the dog stands, so they’re never standing in water.”
Dog owners mainly use the tubs, but 4-H Club students have brought in goats, pigs and even a miniature horse during fair season. Wilson lets them self-wash for free and charges regular clients $20. Nail trims are included.
TOTAL COST: $500 | TUB SOURCE: Local feed and hardware store
TIP: “Think outside the box. Who says you have to use those expensive pet tubs?”
Advertisement
Belly Rubs N Suds
ASHBURN, VA
Teresa Hogge created a spa-like atmosphere for her DIY bathing clients, who get a first-time tutorial that covers proper care of their dog’s coat type. She charges $15 for bath only and $25 with nail trim, adding up to $2,500 in income monthly.
“Plus, I find my self-wash clients are very inclined to make purchases from our bulk cookie bar, chewy bar or decorated cookie case.”
Hogge also recently introduced a monthly Suds Club Unlimited Self-Wash Membership for $29.99. Service and working dogs bathe for free.
TOTAL COST: $6,000 | TUB SOURCE: New Breed Dog Baths
TIP: “Treating self-wash as its own income stream, and planning, advertising and caring for it as such is the key to success. You can’t just add a self-wash and hope it makes you money.”
Bubbly Paws
TWIN CITIES, MN
Self-service baths make up 50 percent of income at these stylish dog wash stores. Keith Miller offers this advice to those adding a DIY station: “It’s more than just putting in plumbing and tubs. Ventilation is a huge issue. You need to make sure the air is always fresh. It can get stinky fast. Plan for water. Anything in the store will get wet. Seriously, nothing is safe. Make sure you have anti-slip flooring. I highly suggest a hair trap to keep all that hair out of the plumbing system. This small box, which is super gross to clean, can save thousands in plumbing expenses down the line.”
Self-wash runs $14 to $27, depending on weight.
“Every time a Newfie comes in, I cringe. They are sooooo hairy, and we are pretty sure not to make any money on them. Ha!”
PER-TUB COST: $4,000 | TUB SOURCE: New Breed Dog Baths
