Working at the dog wash, yeah ...

In Portland, Mark and Greg Goodwin got the idea after hearing from a friend about a dog wash in the Baltimore area. “We just dove into it,” Mark said.

Their business features waist-high tubs with all the accessories close by — combs, shampoos, conditioner, perfumes, towels, hair dryer. There are eye wipes and ear wipes and even dental wipes with a minty scent.

It’s a simple concept. Customers are willing to pay from $8 to $16 — the price is based on the size of the dog — to let the Goodwins sweat the details.

Although some might consider it a splurge, it’s far less expensive than taking a dog to a professional groomer. On average, self-service dog washes charge 30 to 50 percent less than the cost of a professional groomer, according to Stephen Mart from PetGroomer.com in Yelm, Wash.

As with any good idea, there are variations on the theme. Some, like California’s U-Wash Doggie, offer professional groomers in addition to self-service washes. Others aim even higher, or farther over the top, depending on your point of view.

In Portsmouth, N.H., the Club Canine Dog Wash and Spa lets owners lavish their pets with blueberry facials and bubblebath paw treatments, even canine massage and Reiki, a Japanese stress reduction technique using touch.

“It’s a little new agey, I know, but people are doing it for themselves. Because their pets are also part of the family, they’re doing it for their pets too,” said Stacey Kimberly Rogers, co-owner of the business.

If that seems too serious, dogs can lighten up with a monthly “yappy hour” where they can socialize over a bowl of nonalcoholic, no-fizz, beef-flavored “Happy Tail Ale.”

“Fun is the operative word. You’ve got to have fun,” Rogers said.

Mark Goodwin agrees with the idea of having fun, but said reducing stress is important, too. He said he and his brother launched their dog wash idea partly because Mark was feeling stressed out by his primary job as an environmental consultant.

They’re trying to keep it fun, even though this is the busy time of the year because it’s getting cold outside.

As for Lafferty, she can’t imagine any other way of washing her dog and said she’d be at a loss if the Goodwins ever went out of business.

“We’d either find a new place to wash him, or we’d have a really smelly dog. Ultimately, we’d find a new place to wash him,” she said.

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