If you're a bonafide dog lover, today's blogpost might be for you! I'm currently working on a new construction project where I'm designing a mudroom/craftroom/laundry room ALL in one. This space will serve many functions for a busy family of four, not the least of, is which to wash their large and small dogs. Yep, this work-horse of a room will include its very own dog shower!
Like many dog owners, the homeowner has been washing her dogs in a bathtub because there is warm water and containment. The problem is, when the pups are muddy, they track it all the way through the house on their way to get clean and then there is a mess to clean up in the bathtub.
Not to mention, it can be a little hard on the back while kneeling on the floor and leaning over to wash.
And so... the client shared a some inspiration photos and I found a few tips along the way.
#1 MEASURE YOUR DOG
When designing a dog shower, the first step is to measure the length and height of your dog to see what size shower you actually need. Whether or not you have big or small dogs makes a big difference.
#2 CONSIDER AN ELEVATED SHOWER
There's no reason to break your back while washing the dog. Elevated shower beds are the way to go! You can determine the best height but depending on the size dogs you have, anywhere from 20" - 24" is a good rule of thumb for the shower floor in my opinion.
#3 ADD PULL OUT STAIRS
If you elevate your shower height, you might want to add pull out steps or stairs to help your dog climb. These can be tucked away in drawers right underneath. We love this idea so much, I incorporated it into the dog shower design shown below.
#4 INCLUDE EXTRA STORAGE
You definitely want to include a place to store all dog washing supplies like soaps, brushes and towels. This could be in a cabinet next to the shower or underneath if you have room. You may even want a hook or two for wet towels to dry on.
#5 INSTALL SHOWER HEAD WITH HOSE
This is probably a no brainer, but every dog shower needs a wand or hose for reaching all sides and thorough rinsing of Fido. Depending on the size of your dog, make sure the hose is long enough to reach.
Below is the elevation of the dog shower design which is roughly 48w x 24d x 60h. Because we want to do a fun wallpaper in this room, I am running the tile higher... up to 60" to prevent water splashes but the glass will only run to about 48" high so that the client can easily reach over to wash the dogs. Pull out steps will be hidden in drawers on the right underneath the shower entrance and supplies will be stored in the drawers to the left. We also decided to put the hanging bar for wet laundry over this shower as well because it makes sense to catch drips and can be used to hang dog towels. Don't worry it will be high enough so no head banging!
Here is a 3D view, which is totally preliminary as no materials have been selected yet... meaning specific tile, wallpaper, etc.. :) I'll share this entire room with you once it's complete! If you are designing your own dog shower or have one already, please share it with me. Thanks for reading this week's blogpost.
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