So...Mishka loosk so handsome after his bath. Found a self serve place that is commutable to the boonies. BUt I have NO idea what to look for.

http://marketstreetlaserwash.com/images/88.jpg

Also..fairly certain Ami is going to howl, whine, claw and "squirrel" to the best of his ability...any hints? He has just about finished his coat blow (the only time, for a few weeks late Aug/Sept that he actually looks reminiscent of a Siberian Husky - he is lithe and lean and you can see his body lines. The rest of the year its either "big bear" "fat old lady butt" or, as Meredith pondered "malamute") Usually he gets spot washed and brushed - lately, I've been able to brush most of him (except for his right rear upper leg where the pine pitch has glommed everything together) so I'm thinking I might be able to manage this. Am I delusional?

I had to go back and look - my first reaction is "I wish we had something like that here!" My only concern is that I see nothing that you can clip a lead to to keep him from just jumping out.

As far as that pine pitch goes, you know that it's not going to wash out without some help - turpentine or kerosene applied to the pitch will help (shades of climbing pine trees in childhood, I always had pine sap in my hair!).

Delusional, well, not really, it looks like a great place - but rotsaruck getting him to hold still for it!

Look carefully, Al - there is a short lead attached to the tub below the faucet. I've read that butter or peanut butter will get the pine pitch out (tried on my hands and it worked ) The only reason I haven't used it on him yet is that he has suddenly taken to watching movies with us...stretched out on the oriental rug with the white background (what was I thinking...WHITE ). Also sleeping on our bed...not places I want butter/peanut butter

The only thing I see that I wouldn't like is the dryer is right there at the tub. Very self wash we go to they have separate dryer/grooming tables. I can see trying to do it in the still slippery tub would be annoying.

Okay, I saw that but didn't see it. Yeh, I like that setup ... Though like Sarah says, trying to dry him in a wet tub could be interesting. I also understand conservation of space in their setup ...

Peanut butter, I've heard that, too ... but all I ever has used on me as a kid was kerosene so that's where my mind went. Peanut butter would be a lot better since, one hopes, it would come out a lot easier.

Hmm...Sara I did not think of that. Perhaps bring a bunch of towels to mop up the tub between wash and dry? I also am highly skeptical of using a dryer on Ami. He freaks and heads to the hills with vacuums, dremels, mixers...anything the buzzes.

Al - husband suggested lighter fluid - I said I AM NOT PUTTING LIGHTER FLUID ON MY DOG

Husband just laughed. Harruumphhh.

Then there's this one - a bit further away but the Wednesday special looks really good (10. - I have no clue what the prices for this sort of thing are...)

http://www.nobarksaboutit.com/self-wash.html

I just gave both of mine a bath Amy. I had NO idea what a HUGE baby I raised in Kohdi!!! Just getting him in there was a PITA, then the whimpering and woo wooing, half with no voice left, it was pathetic. But, they both look SO pretty right now!!! I did them both in my shower, and Kohdi cooperated without knowing he was cooperating by standing up and using the towel bar thing on the door to support himself, I was able to clean him and rinse him really good in that position, although in his mind he was gonna try and climb over the door (?). Now...just gotta keep them both out of the dirt I would like atleast one day of them being super clean

yeah, I'm a bit wary. When Ami had his heartworm test, she had to shave a patch on his leg (his fur was thick and longer than the needle ) He was fine once for the needle - but the shaving OMG, you would have thought he was being disemboweled, quartered and drawn. He wailed, howled, pissed and moaned. They told me at the shelter he was quite the drama queen when the bathed him just before he left. So I'm fairly certain that, once I get up the nerve to actually do it, that we will be remembered. But hopefully, not barred from the premises

The place in Ithaca looks pretty good - they provide all the soaps/shampoos etc and will even send a groomer in to remove a mat or two or trim nails (for the moment, no mats BUt lots of little tiny green seed balls ) And they don't require bordetella. I'll just have to time it a day or two before he's due for his next flea/tick spot on. There is just no way I can do it in either of my bathrooms - one is a shower only with carpet on the floor and the other is the new acrylic Kohler deep tub I installed a few years ago - it would NOT stand up to Mr. Dog's "digging'" which is what he did in the hotel bathroom (porcelain, thankfully or we would be buying a new hotel bathroom ) All I remember of that experience was the 2" of water all over the floor - fortunately, being designed for "pet friendly" there was only tile, no carpet.

Good luck on keeping them clean...maybe take pictures so you can remember how it looks

Either of those are nice! The one at Petco, I didn't even get to put Mishka in a tub. I just clipped him to the wall and bathed him and dried him on the floor.

I'm not sure that's how it's supposed to go but it worked (my back hurt afterwards though). Honestly, I think I'm going to save up and buy an HVD because I can bathe Mishka at home but just wanted to use their dryer. Lol.

If it helps, my Anya used to be terrified of the dryer until we used peanut butter. My husband would hold a stuffed kong with peanut butter while I dried, and she would lick at it the whole time and be blissfully unaware.

Now I pull out the dryer and she runs to the drying spot and flops on her side--she loves being dried and goes into a trance.