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I’m a fan of any DIY project that makes an unpleasant household chore easier, so I knew that I needed to share Cheryl Esser’s elevated dog washing station as soon as I spied it on Instagram.
“We’ve had our dog for about 3 years now and it has always been a struggle to give her a bath. She hates them,” says Cheryl Esser, the designer and creator from OurCountryCoastalHome. “We used to use the bathtub, but she wouldn’t stay still in that one. We ended up having to use our outdoor pool shower as it was easier to clean after but it was always cold and uncomfortable for all of us.”
So when Esser was working on the design of their garage, she was inspired to carve out a space in there to create a dog washing station. Her dog is “definitely calmer when she’s up there as it feels like an enclosed space,” says Esser, “and it almost seems like she enjoys bathtime now and so do I. It’s been a game changer ever since.”
Starting at the Right Height
When designing a home project, always spend some time thinking about how you’ll interact with the project when it’s done. When Esser was designing her dog spa, she intentionally raised the shower area so it would be easier to bathe her pup.
“I made it elevated purely because the part I hated the most about giving her a bath was the fact that I had to bend down,” says Esser. “Having it elevated allows me to comfortably wash without any struggle and it’s priceless.”
Before designing a dog washing station, make a list of all of the items that you’ll need when you are washing your dog. It might be easier to make this list right after washing your dog, as you’ll have all of those items out. Then, you can make sure there is ample room to store everything you need nearby, and maybe room for extras.
“We have added a shower rail with three different water settings,” says Esser. “One of the bigger drawers is for all the bath accessories, shampoos, brushes, and grooming kit. The bottom drawer is for towels.”
Using Every Opportunity for Storage
Think creatively when designing a dog washing station, and don’t just build what you’ve seen everyone else make. Your needs may be different than others, and there may be an opportunity to create additional storage above, like in Esser’s design. “One thing I have added that I haven’t seen anyone else do yet, is add overheads above. I thought it was a bit of a waste of space to not have anything above it,” says Esser.
“I just had to make sure that the overheads I added were waterproof so I used some metal cabinets,” says Esser. “As they were pre-fabricated and bought off the shelf, these overheads are actually what determined the overall width of the dog bath and then I worked my way from there to build the rest of it.”
What’s a spa without refreshments? Esser added drawers for her dog’s food and water underneath the shower portion of the dog washing station. “Being able to have everything for her in one part of the garage has allowed me to organize all of her things together,” says Esser. “And having the food and water bowls hidden away when not in use is such a bonus as they were always just lying around the kitchen floor and I hated it.”
The Only Thing These Pet Owners Would Change
This dog spa was well-thought-out, and seems nearly perfect. There’s just one thing missing that could make it even easier to use for both dogs and their humans.
“I absolutely love it as it is now, but there is one thing…I had to choose between having the dog bowl station or having a set of stairs for her to climb up,” says Esser. Since there aren’t integrated steps or a ramp, her dog uses a foldable dog ramp that’s stored on a peg board next to the dog spa.
