When it comes to making decisions on your dog wash equipment one of the very early questions is what style of dog tub to use.
There are two main styles to be concerned with here that go by different names but we'll call them a three sided model and a one sided model.
Which style of tub is best for you will depend on your business and your location.
Before spending a few thousand dollars on a wash tub be sure you know what you are getting and how it will affect your business.
By all means do your own homework on this, however, it seems that one style is the clear choice for a majority of dog wash businesses.
  The three sided model, also called a "walk around tub" is one that is attached to the wall of a space by one of the "small" ends, very much like a bed against a wall.
The ramp or stairs used by the dog typically enter from the short end not attached to the wall.
There are a few benefits of this style of tub over the one sided version.
For one this setup allows more than one person to have easy access to the dog that is being washed.
Secondly the cost for this style of tub is often less than a one sided made from similar materials.
These may be a benefit to your business and they may not.
  There are several characteristics to the three sided style, however, that many dog wash owners definitely do not like.
For example due to its open design the amount of mess per dog wash can be pretty high.
Hair, soap and water have three sides to fall out of making a bigger mess and more of a safety hazard.
Simply put water and soap on a floor is a potential problem.
Another issue is that of the safety of the dog.
Even with a pet restraint in place there are three possible sides the dig may partially or fully fall out of.
Lastly is the comfort of your customers.
With no "back wall" to spray against the possibility of water reflecting off a dog, or of the water missing the dog altogether, is pretty good.
If the next customer waiting to wash their dog gets accidentally sprayed once or twice their attitude about your business may not be all that good.
  For all of the negative reasons above the one sided dog wash tub seems to be the best answer for many business owners.
With a high splash wall on the back side and splash walls to the left and right the water, soap and hair will be contained more within the tub.
You'd rather have it in the tub than on the floor where you've got to clean it up, right? With only one open side it is also easier to safely restrain the dog being washed as the owner only needs to keep the dog away from one open side rather than three.
This is an important item to consider when looking at going into the dog wash business.