Grooming Shop:




Grooming Shop Area - (photo spliced together)
We got a "friend of a friend" to save money to pour the cement floor which was a horrible mistake.
The floor ended up being all uneven and rough in spots and not draining to the garage door.
As a result I was unable to tile it the way I wanted and instead painted it, which of course wears.



~ New 2015 ~
We updated our Grooming Shop to include a
$4,000.00 US Stainless Steel Shor-Line Versa shower tub I found used on Kijiji for $1500.00
It was just missing rubber stripping around the door entry ($60.00)
steps ($900.00) and raised grid flooring ($90.00) and the back tie bar ($50.00)
I opted to not use the sprayer attachment, preferring my own washing machine hose and garden hose nozzle
I will be putting dry-deck rubber grid on the tub floor to finish it off.
and a new Thorinox double stainless steel sinks to replace my plastic laundry tub
I will be adding on higher legs so less bending over, into the sink, for me to clean dishes.
On the grooming shop floor I also added rubber grey "G-Flooring" from Walmart (free shipping to store)
putting the ribbed side "down" for ease of cleaning. So much nicer to stand on to groom and much better looking.



Next I will be adding stainless steel shelf above the tub to put my force air dryer and my shampoos
My Ultimate dog Washing system is housed beneath the tub in a bucket, until I need it.






Ultimate dog Washing system
In 2013 our Groomer was asking about a recirculating dog wash system to cut down on her bathing time.
After researching online we discovered that various units came up short on functionality.
So I designed and I am now selling my "Ultimate Dog Washing System"
because I figured others might want an effective, quick and easy way to bath dogs and
not pay a small fortune for a system. We are selling our units for $250.00.
http://www.puppybox4u.com/Ultimatedogwash.html




Chris Christensen - Kool Dry Dryer, Variable Speed
I got talked into purchasing one of these at a dog show.
Total garbage, I would not recommend it.
I liked that it was a closed unit, no air blowing out the rear making a mess.
however I find it is as, or maybe not as good as, my 15 year old metro air force blower.
it does have a nice long hose and decent length cord though, and I will take this to shows
$375.00




Nothing compares to the velocity or force of the Laube forced air dryer.
I love the new longer hose too !
I put this dryer above my booster bath on a shelf and I blow everyone while in the tub
I also plug this into a power foot control, so that I don't have to reach for the on/off switch.
After I towel dry, I will use this to blow the majority of the water out of the coat.
$270.00



Double K - Challengair 9000II Stand Dryer
I love stand dryers and i have to admit I miss my old oster one that got very hot
as did the best finishing job on my Poodles. however seems today most dryers don't get that hot.
I have been pleased with this one, as I can use for table work or put against a cage to dry a dog.
I did change the wheels with better ones from Princess Auto
Refurbished from Ren's Pet Depot: $469.95




The XPOWER B-18 X-TREME Stand Dryer Pet Stand Dryer by X-Power
Specifications Volts /Cycle 115 V /60 Hz Motor, 1/3 HP, Electrical Use 18 AMPS Max.
Airflow (volume), 380 CFM Air Speed, 6,300 FPM Speed Control, Variable Speed Control Cord Length & Gauge 13 ft.
Excellent customer service, with instant answers
It does get very warm on "Low" speed and cooler the higher the air flow.
Concerned I called customer support and was told that the air warms as it passes heating coils
so of course the slower the air passing the warmer it will get
So I love the force of air for sure ! However I wish on high air speed it would stay warmer. Overall very nice unit
From Amazon $600.00


Fridge in the shop, is ideal for storing frozen pigeon wings, vaccines and water or softdrinks
Radio to keep the dogs and I entertained and microwave for my cold coffee to be warmed up
I would have put a tossimo coffee maker out there but thought it would get too much hair in it.
I did put a telephone out there as serves duel purpose of my husband being able to page me.
Separate 220 amp electrical panel which I thought was "overkill" at the time
I'm glad that we went with the bigger electrical panel as 8 years later I've upgraded
to ductless Air Conditioning unit and needed the breakers.



I set up 2 of these grooming tables so that one dog can be brushed out while the other is blown dry
Arms and nooses are essential to keep dogs in place and from jumping off of table
Doesn't matter if your breed is long or short coated they need to be groomed on a table
I also set up a couple cages so that I can choose to dry a dog in the crate



*Video of R. Rover Hydraulic Grooming Table



I found I needed 2 tubs, one for dishes I might be drying and one for bathing pups
I found the laundry tubs were too short and killed my back when I was bathing pups so I added
PVC pipe to raise the height of them and it was well worth the effort to do this as saved my back.
I also bought the faucets that were arched higher, so I could easily fit buckets under the faucets.

I also attached a laundry hose (for hot water) and regular garden nozzle and a diverter switch to enable
me to keep set temperatures while bathing but also stop the flow of water when I want to.
To allow me to use the laundry hose I had to buy double male and or double female connectors in brass.
I bought the longer hose so that it reaches the booster bath next door to the laundry tubs




8 years later our Paloma Gas "on demand" water heater from Home Depot is going strong, saving money and space
I did find it essential to have hot water and this on demand system never runs out
has instant hot water and does not take up any floor space
I also wall mounted a pressure washer there to be out of the way and also I can use it all year long
as is kept warm and dry inside


We also bought a


Booster Bath available at Costco $159.99 Item # 901529
Also at Walmart and PetEdge
Which is good because you can move it around and pull it out from the wall
when you wish to use it as you can walk around it to bath each of the dog's sides easier
but it could certainly be higher off of the floor (buy the leg extenders) and could have higher sides
as water still splashes out if a dog's heads hang over or if you do not cup the nozzle with your hand
to preven water splashing off of the dog and spraying everywhere
you also have to have the drainage hose lower to drain out, you can't put it into a laundry tub as is too high
We were unable to get a permit to have in floor drains, so we had to drill a hole in the wall and
put our hose through that (lined the hole with PVC pipe and calked around that) to the outside, which 8 years later is working fine for me.



I wanted to keep my booster bath as I can move it around.
But I didn't like water going everywhere so I took a plastic corrugated sheet
split it so that I could wrap it following the tub's contours and fastened it to the booster bath.
Now all the water stays in the tub ! Not pretty but it works perfectly.




We also put Stanley Garage Workshop Cabinets along the walls and on wheels.
I used the drawer model one, which holds the dogs grooming supplies
and cabinet style holds other dog equipment such as dishes out of view.
I paid extra to add wheels on the bottom so spring and fall I can wheel out to clean the floor or change around.
I also wanted some counter surface to work on which this provided.
These we bought at Home Depot but Walmart USA carries them.
They also look like modern stainless steel and magnets to stick them
but I ljust liked the smooth front which is easy to clean.



On the ceiling I also fastened and plugged in, Automatic Retracting Cord Reel
so I could reach power when I groom a dog and it is nice to not be tripping over cords.
Great investment !




Gas radiant Heating system we got at a deal at around $1,000.00
After 8 years I can tell you if you are standing grooming a dog, you will be hot, but dogs near the floor
just get the ambiant heat that is in the building. A lot of people are now using infloor heating systems
and to me this does seem more effective.




For 6 years I used window AC units because it gets hot when hair blowers are going
however I found that they didn't last, were noisey, seemed to aplify noise to the outside
and we lost a window view all summer long and install and put away at change of seasons.
So I looked around and discovered "Ductless" AC split units that do not require Duct work
We got a 1 ton unit and the prices range between $1,800.00 - $2,400.00
After a year of using the Ductless AC, I did upgrade to a larger unit, because, it does not get my shop as
cold as a window unit has done in the past. The filters in mine also need weekly cleaning as get totally filthy
with dust, not evident anywhere else in my otherwise spotless building. So not sure this was the best investment.
I have also since, seen these in a few restaurants and the owners say they find the same thing as I did.
I have only had this since 2012 so I will update after a couple years to see how I feel about it.


~ Click to view Grooming Tips ~

OTHER OPTIONS:



Master Equipment PolyPro Grooming Tubs
$799.00



Master Equipment Groom Essentials Kit $249.00



Scrub-A-Dub Dog Tub with Sprayer
Available at Fosters and Smith
outside measures (includes lip) 23" W x 43" L x 18" H. For dogs up to 100 lbs
9N-604 Dog Tub $159.99