Our Dirty Dog And Her Trip To The Dog Wash

There are a few key ingredients for a perfect disaster of a backyard. Take snowy, rainy weather and combine it with a lack of lawn, and what you'll get are patches of mud throughout your yard. However, add to that a generous helping of a dog that likes to dig, and what you'll end up with is something few care to brave: a dirty dog and a trip to the dog wash.

It was a particularly cozy January morning; the kind of morning that encourages you to do nothing aside from drink coffee and grab a blanket. It was still and quiet until that familiar sound pierced the air. It was the sound of Zoey, our 130 pound Rottweiler, shaking her dog collar on the porch, signaling that she'd like to come inside. As I opened our back door to let her in, I noticed something abnormal. The white cement was covered in brown spots. It wasn't until I walked outside that I realized these were no ordinary spots. These were muddy paw prints. My eyes followed the paw prints to the side of the yard, where, lo and behold, there lie the greatest mud puddle I've ever seen. My eyes followed the prints back out of the puddle and over to Zoey. To say she was a dirty dog would be a gross understatement. I knew at that moment I'd be trading in coffee and blankets for dog shampoo and a dog brush.

Dirty Johnson's Dog Wash, Dog Grooming and Pet Sitting is our favorite Salt Lake City dog wash. It's clean, reasonably priced, and the staff is always friendly. Although there is a groomer on-site, we like to use the self-service dog wash tubs. For larger dogs, like Zoey, there is a step ladder up to the tub. As you can imagine, trying to lift 130 pounds of unwilling fur into a tub is a less than enjoyable experience. It would have been much easier to lift small dog like a Shih tzu into the tub for a bath. Included in the price of the wash are a variety of products to utilize such as a FURminator dog brush (which we love because it gets so much of her undercoat out), shampoos, conditioner, a no-tears face wash for dogs, and even an apron for the owner. You will also have access to a doggie dryer. Basically, it looks like a vacuum hose but it instead blows out warm air at impressive speeds. This is an extremely helpful and much appreciated feature, as you can leave the dog wash with a completely dry and fluffy dog.

True to form, when we arrived at the dog wash, Zoey needed a little incentive getting into the tub. That's why there are complimentary dog treats at the register. Once in the tub, the wash was simple: apply shampoo and watch black and brown water rush down the drain. We used one of the fine-toothed dog brushes to remove excess fur. When the water finally ran clear, we grabbed several towels and wiped her down. We finished off her wash with the dryer. The result? A soft, shiny, spotless Rottweiler. If only we had a spotless patio, too!