So, what is the best way to wash a dog?
I have read some really heated debates on this subject on some of the grooming forums.
By Hand, or Recirculating System?
I have tried so many different systems over the years, and I always go back to hand washing.
I can't help it.
Even with the recirculating system, I would still scrub the dog with my hands. lol
I just don't feel like I have really cleaned a dog until my hands have been all over it.
I also want to feel every lump or bump so that I can inform the owner.
I want to feel when the dog is clean.
Yes, I think you can feel when a dog is clean, even when the shampoo is still on the dog.
Anyway, I am not going to debate the hand washing vs recirculating systems.
I feel you should use whatever you feel gets the dog clean, and not judge someone for what they like to use.
The bottom line...a clean dog.
I have been looking for a shampoo dispenser.
Right now we use small squeeze bottles or pump shampoo right out of the gallon.
I feel that pumping the shampoo out of the gallon jug is wasting shampoo, and mixing the little bottles all day is time consuming.
So what the heck do I want?
I want something that I could mix up enough shampoo to bathe 4-5 small to medium dogs or 2-3 large dogs before I have to fill it up again, and before the shampoo gets cold.
Why so few dogs?
Because I like the shampoo to be warm when I apply it to the dog.
I think it makes the bath more pleasant for the dog.
I don't mind mixing shampoo a couple of times a day, I just don't want to do it before every dog.
The pet grooming industry makes a number of shampoo dispensers, and I have tried a lot of them.
Some, you fill a large 5 gallon (or more) tank with a shampoo mix at the beginning of the day, so it is ice cold before you finish using it.
Some, mix warm water with the shampoo as you are putting it on the dog.
I have tried two of these types of systems, and both of them had constant problems with the shampoo lines clogging up.
They also shot the water on the dog with so much force, that half of the soap and water shot back onto me.
The force of the shampoo and water mix also scared small dogs.
Well, I think that I found something that I like.
I can mix up a gallon of really warm shampoo, and spray it straight onto a dry dog.
The nozzle has just enough pressure to push the shampoo into the dry coat, but not scare the dog.
It took me only seconds to apply the shampoo to one side of this dogs dry coat.
Then I could scrub with my hands to my hearts content. :-)
That is all I want, a simple, quick way to apply the shampoo.
The small gun applicator fits nicely in your hand.
The spray is wide enough to cover the dog quickly, but narrow enough to also use on the face.
I can get very close to the dog without the stream of the shampoo spraying back on me.
So, what in the world am I using?
A Roundup Premium Sprayer.
It is a pressurized sprayer.
I bought the 1 gallon sprayer to test it out.
This weekend I will be buying the 2 gallon sprayer for my most used shampoo.
The one gallon sprayers will be used for shampoos that are not used as often, and for Creme Rinse.
The applicator gun fits comfortably in your hand.
It also comes with a long extension wand for the applicator gun.
Way too long to use.
It also locks in the on position if you have a large hairy dog that will take a little while to soap up, and you don't want to have to squeeze the handle to whole time.
It comes with three nozzles.
I am using the red, high volume fan nozzle.
I know that this is not for everyone.
But, if you are like me, and you like to hand wash only, this is a great way to quickly apply the shampoo without paying $400-700 for a shampoo dispensing system.
I bought the 1 gallon sprayer for under $20 at Wal-Mart.
I wish I had had this in my van when I was mobile.
I was always trying to find ways to save water in the van.
I would mix a couple of gallons of shampoo before I left the house, and then pour some shampoo out into a smaller bottle to put it on the dry dog.
I always hated that some of the shampoo mix would go down the drain while shampooing the dog.
The sprayer sprays the shampoo into the coat just enough that there is very little waste.
I like it .
It is easy to use, and easy to clean.
One other thing, if you do deside to try it, do not make my mistake and get the cheaper version.
The Roundup brand has the better pressure and the better applicator gun.
Believe me, I learned the hard way.
Oh, before I go.
Look what I got today.
These were from a new customer.
She brought them when she came to pick up her dog.
She was so impressed with the way I talked to her when she dropped off her dog, and with the way I treated her dog in the lobby that she bought me these flowers.
I was so surprised when my husband brought them back to me.
"What are those for?" I asked him when he brought them into the grooming room.
"Sunshine's owner brought them for you," he informed me.
"Why? She hasn't even seen her dog yet," I said, confused.
"She might not even like what I did," I told my husband.
"She said she liked how you treated her and her dog when she came in," he informed me.
Wow, that was better then a tip.
She really made my day.
Oh, and she liked how I groomed her dog too. :-)
Happy Grooming, MFF
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