On Christmas Eve, squeezed in between the regular stuff of last minute shopping, cooking, wrapping presents and housecleaning was a appointment to wash George. I say “wash George”, not get George washed because that is exactly what it was – me washing him, not the groomer doing it.

My friend Ellen and I took George to a place called Happy Clean and Smart where they have a place for customers to wash their own dogs. I’d seen such places before in larger cities and thought it was a great idea, but only learned recently that we have one here locally.

George is such a tender little soul and so frightened by everything, especially anything new, so I thought he would feel better about being washed by me than by a stranger. He’s been to the groomer’s before and I always hate to hand him over to strangers, no matter how skilled they are, because his little body quivers and shakes so much. The self wash option would only be a wash, no nail trimming, no teeth brushing, no hair cut, so we’ll still have to go to the groomer’s occasionally. But for Christmas eve, self wash was on the agenda!

Ellen and I entered into the salon-like facility and were instantly impressed. The spa employee showed us around and explained how to use the equipment. Happy Clean and Smart provides the shampoo, conditioner, towels, and dryer, so all we had to do was show up. We were given a portable shelf to put over the bathing sink so we wouldn’t have to bend over so far to wash George. The portable shelf also provided security for George as it was textured and more comfortable for his feet than the bare sink.

Lots of suds and scrubbing and cooing later, we rinsed him well and moved him over to the drying table. The blow dryer there is much more powerful than my blow dryer at home, so we were able to dry down to the root of his fur and warm his skin. We got him fluffy dry and then dressed him in a fresh, clean sweater.

For $12.00 and one hour, we got a happy, clean dog. The bonding and good time together was a bonus. When we got home, George had puppy energy and seemed pleased to show off his new and refreshed little body. He puppy-trotted all afternoon and turned circles like a professional canine model on the runway.

I definitely recommend the self-wash option for bathing your dog!