Ahh, winter in Seattle. The sun is not shining, the birds are not chirping (they’ve been washed away), and your local dog park/playfield is a mud pit. Guess who doesn’t care? Your floofer. And you, my dear wonderful pet parent, still need to take them out for exercise, right? So it’s a foregone conclusion that things are ’bout to get dirty. Luckily, there’s a market in Seattle for self-service dog washes just for that reason! Sniff out 5 of our fave Seattle spots to freshen pup your fluff.
1. Gigglechops
Book a large or small tub at this Interbay dog wash, and get up to an hour of time with an array of brushes, shampoo and conditioner, ear washing supplies, nail clippers, blow dryers, deodorizing products, and of course, treats to make it semi-tolerable.
Have several woofers you need to wash together? There’s a tub for that too! Service is by appointment only at this time to minimize the number of people in the shop.
2. Rub-A-Dub Dog Wash
Rub-A-Dub, the very first self-service dog wash to open in the city back in 1997, is a piece of Seattle history! Since then, the Greenwood shop has made it just about as easy as you can make washing a dog, and fur that we are thankful.
The self-service experience includes all natural shampoos and rinses, aprons, brushes, and other grooming tools, as well as doggy blow dryers and lots of treats! They even offer add-on services like nail trimming and gland expression (hey, shit happens). Book appointments online.
3. Wag N’ Wash
Queen Anne’s self-service dog wash says they want to give your puppo a “bathing experience fit for a canine king or queen!” Just what the dogtor ordered for your little nugget of royalty. Choose your level of wash from basic (just don’t tell her you’re callin’ her a basic b) to ultimate, with varying levels of aprons, brushes, shampoos, rinses, towels, and dryers. The ultimate wash comes with a leave-in coat shiner to get your kiddo lookin’ like a snacc! Walk-ins are welcome for the self-wash stations, though you may need to wait a bit if the shop is full.
4. The Wash Dog
At White Center’s favorite DIY dog bath house, you’ll get a whole bathing room to yourself and your pup, with warm water, an enclosed bathing station, non-toxic shampoos, ear cleaner and pads, towels, aprons, combs, and a pup ton more. They are currently operating at 25% capacity per King County regulations, so book an appointment ahead of time.
5. Rex Seattle
This Capitol Hill spot prides themselves in getting to know each individual dog to make sure to adapt to their needs and comfort as they enter into what can sometimes be a scary experience. My dog will jump into the Puget Sound in the middle of December after a ball, but if I try to bathe her with warm water in a tub with treats and friendly faces all around? Game over. She’s terrified. Rex gets it (even if I don’t), and their large tubs, professional shampoo system, towels, dryers, aprons, and brushes are all there to make your life easier and your pup’s less stressful. Rex’s operates first-come, first-serve, so be ready to wait if you get there at peak times.
Any of these Seattle self-service dog washes on your fren’s agendog? Give us a howl in the comments and don’t furget to tag #SidewalkDog in your bath time pics!
Featured photo: Autri Taheri
Sidewalk Dog’s mission is to help dog parents spend more time with their puppers by discovering and sharing activities they can do and places they can go—together! Sniff out our award-winning newsletter and Instagram, then join our Dog-Friendly Seattle Facebook Group.