Shampoodle
Otto generally tolerates the bath, in part because we bribe him with treats. Also we think he secretly kind of likes having the dryer used on him.
After a few walks in the rain and mud had left Otto looking (and more importantly, smelling) not so fresh, we knew what it was time for: a good Shampoodling.
Shampoodle is a do-it-yourself dog bath/grooming place with locations in Delmar and Clifton Park. It's come up once or twice before, but we figured it's worth its own standalone mention. Because it's the best way we've found to give Otto a bath.
AOA's goodwill ambassador is a large dog, so he quickly outgrew easy baths in the tub at home. Also: he has a lot of fur. It gets everywhere when you bathe and brush him.
And that's one of the great things about Shampoodle. You give your dog a bath -- and they do all the cleanup. A DIY dog bath is $13. That includes use of a large elevated tub with a sprayer, brushes, shampoo, ear and eye rinses, a scrubber, nail clippers, towels, and the dog blow dryer. (If you'd like the Shampoodle staff to clip your dog's nails, it's $5.) There are discounts for multiple dogs in the same tub.
We've been taking Otto to Shampoodle for years. It makes it so much easier to give him a proper bath because of the amenities we don't have at home, like the oversized tub and the dryer (helpful for a dog as furry as Otto). And the staff have always been friendly and helpful. If there's one thing we don't like about the place, it's that sometimes it can get kind of hectic and loud if there are a bunch of dogs there. But most of of the tubs are in their own alcove, so it it doesn't get too bad.
Sure, a DIY dog bath is more work than dropping him off at the groomer. But it's also way cheaper.
In most cases you can just walk right in, no appointment necessary. Shampoodle also offers grooming services, by appointment.
Earlier on AOA: The auto clinic/car wash/dog wash
Find It
Shampoodle
266 Delaware Ave
Delmar, NY 12054
There's also a location in Clifton Park:
1535 Crescent Road
Clifton Park, NY 12065
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Comments
Everyone at the Bethlehem Dog Park is obsessed with Shampoodle. Most of them go straight there from the dog park on muddy days. My dog does spectacular flat-footed jumps out of tubs (large and small), so we bring him into the shower with a sliding door. He doesn't mind that and can't really get out.
... said Capitol to Capital on Jun 15, 2012 at 2:28 PM | link
Otto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
... said Laura on Jun 15, 2012 at 2:30 PM | link
@Capitol to Capital: It's a common post-Capital Hills destination in the winter, too. We've taken Otto there a bunch of times and seen dogs who were just at the golf course.
I don't know whether this would help with your dog or not, but Shampoodle has slip on collars that connect to a ring on the tub. It helps keep the dog in place if he shifts around a lot -- or makes a run for it.
... said Greg on Jun 15, 2012 at 2:42 PM | link
If you bring your own towels, you can save a buck.
... said chrisck on Jun 15, 2012 at 3:17 PM | link
Shampoodle has been a lifesaver for my two dogs: they hate baths and constantly try to escape. The setup at shampoodle prevents this and makes the whole process go much smoother.
... said Heather on Jun 15, 2012 at 3:36 PM | link
Everyone at the Bethlehem Dog Park is obsessed with Shampoodle. Most of them go straight there from the dog park on muddy days.
Wow, these people must have lots of disposable income.
single shampoodle = 2 weeks of kitty litter
... said Lu on Jun 16, 2012 at 3:46 PM | link
I told my son, Mason, that if he grows up and doesn't go to college that's fine by me - if he becomes a dog groomer. Not only is a bath and groom an expensive endeavor, it seems like Shampoodle is consistently booked weeks in advance!
... said daleyplanit on Jun 18, 2012 at 2:02 PM | link
Michelle was so accommodating and helped me out of a terrible situation with my grand dogs today. Raja and Lola had
jumped into black muck at Kinns Park in Clifton Park today.
They were covered in greasy black stinky organic matter.
Michelle fit them into her tight schedule and got them
sparkling clean and sweet smelling.
She allowed me to leave them for an hour while I tended
to the equally sorry state of the back of my subaru wagon
so that they would have a clean spot to lie down when
I picked them up.Thank you Michelle! You are the best.
I highly recommend Shampoodle.
... said Kendra on Jun 18, 2012 at 9:27 PM | link
My only gripe with this place is the way they do their pricing. $13 per dog, blanket fee. So bathing two yorkies is $26 even though it's less then ten pounds of dog. Bathing one mastiff is $13, even though it's over a hundred pounds of dog. I wish they charged by total weight, or even time spent in the bath.
... said arielle on Jun 20, 2012 at 6:53 AM | link
@ arielle -- I understand what you are saying about the size of dogs, but I'd suggest that another difference is long hair vs. short hair. I get my fairly large Rhodesian ridgeback mix (short hair) into the tub at Shampoodle and we are in and out in 5 minutes and don't leave a bunch of hair behind for staff to clean up. I do a very efficient shampoo (I bring someone to help me rinse her) because she hates the bath so much and I'd be pretty unhappy if suddenly I had to pay a big dog fee for our short time in the tub. Time spent in tub maybe, but I can see the simplicity of a one fee system for the business owners.
... said chrisck on Jun 20, 2012 at 10:10 AM | link