I went to Pet Supplies Plus for reasons that had very little to do with supplies and everything to do with a 90 pound philosophical contradiction of a dog, a Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, and Great Pyrenees mix who appears to have been assembled by committee that wasn't interested in each other's feedback.
Five stars.
The store itself appeared well stocked, though I did not linger among the aisles long enough to judge the economics of kibble. I had a mission. My dog loves water. He does not love bathtubs. As previously mentioned, he is a giant animal and can jump like a kangaroo. This is the sort of paradox that ruins an afternoon.
So we tried the self service wash.
Fourteen dollars for a single wash, or five for forty. A sensible system. We chose one, in case this turned into another lesson in futility. Instead, it turned into something as close to joy as bathing a reluctant animal can hope to do.
The employees were disarmingly kind. They asked about our dog as if he were a minor celebrity, which given his genetic resume, may not be entirely wrong. They asked how many towels we wanted, which is the kind of question that suggests experience. Then they walked us back and explained everything without hurry or condescension.
There are three wash bays. Large, enclosed tubs with doors, the sort of setup that quietly eliminates escape plans. Leashes are attached to the wall. The sprayer works like an old self serve car wash. You turn a dial and receive rinse, shampoo, conditioner, all arriving with reassuring competence. The water temperature is not adjustable, yet somehow perfectly comfortable. There is even a dryer hose, which my dog tolerated in the way one tolerates taxes.
It still required two humans. Some laws of nature cannot be broken. But what is usually a soapy wrestling match became something orderly, almost civilized. We left with a clean dog and a sense that the problem had been solved, at least temporarily.
We will be back. Next time, I won't hesitate; I'll buy the five wash card and accept that, in this small corner of Hamilton, the system works. read more