Is there anyone who actually enjoys giving a dog a bath?

Many dog owners use the bathtub, and it's a back-breaking job. The end result includes a dirty tub, a hair-clogged drain, copious amounts of water splashed on the walls and floor, and multiple sopping wet towels.

If your dog has a lot of coat, you'll spend many tedious minutes with a hand-held blow dryer.

Many dogs clearly don't enjoy getting a bath and that just makes the whole process even more unpleasant.

Look at your dog and be honest. Is your pet as clean and shiny as he or she should be? Does your dog have doggy odor?

Many people deal with dog baths in one of two ways: paying a professional groomer to do the job or doing it themselves, just not nearly as often as they should.

Now there's an alternative -- do-it-yourself dog washes. They're kind of like car washes, but they're for canines and they're indoors.

In Allegheny County, Ann Cipriani operates Woody's do-it-yourself Dog Wash & Pet Boutique, 5843 Brownsville Road in South Park. Jeanie Barrett operates Larry's Laundromutt, 201 Ohio River Blvd. in Sewickley.

Visit in person or online and the first thing you'll notice is the very large tubs. Dogs enter by going up a step or a ramp. Once in the tub, they are at the owner's waist-level.

Both dog washes supply shampoo and conditioners and an unlimited supply of warm water at just the right temperature. There are professional dryers that work so much faster than the dryers most of us have at home. They supply all the towels you need to finish the job and employees clean up the tubs and floors.

On a recent visit to Woody's, a golden retriever named Shannon was in a tub, calmly wagging her tail. There was a look on her face that could only be described as a smile.

It wasn't always that way.

"We used a hose in the driveway. In the winter we used the hose in the garage. She was always squirming around," said Chris McSwiggen, of Pleasant Hills.

"The water in the hose was cold. This water is warm. This is a lot better and a lot less stressful on everyone. This is our second time here. She seems to like it."

If you don't want the do-it-yourself experience, employees will bathe your dogs for you, for a higher price. Larry's also has a full-service groomer on site, and Woody's will offer professional grooming within the month. Appointments are needed for the groomers or the staff baths.

How often should a dog be bathed? That's a matter of opinion, though everyone knows that too many baths or too-harsh a shampoo can dry out dogs' skin and make them itch. Show dogs are bathed and blown dry before every dog show. Ms. Barrett said she bathes her own dogs about once a month, and her groomer said most dogs will do well and look good with a bath every 10 days. At both dog washes there are a variety of shampoo formulas to choose.

Groomers usually recommend that dogs with a lot of coat, including poodles and cocker spaniels, should see a professional at least every six to eight weeks. Ms. Barrett notes that some of her clients come in for a do-it-yourself wash between professional grooming visits.

At Woody's, a basic do-it-yourself bath is $10 for dogs under 10 pounds. Dogs 30 to 50 pounds are $14 and dogs more than 80 pounds are $20. The cost is an extra $15 to $30 if an employee does the bathing. There's an open house from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 30.

At Larry's the basic do-it-yourself wash is $15, or $25 if the staff does it.

Both businesses have extras too numerous to mention here, so check out their Web sites or stop in and visit.

Both dog washes also sell a lot of items that can not be found in big-box chain pet stores, including toys, care products, dog food and home-made treats.

Ms. Cipriani and Ms. Barrett, who have become friends, meet regularly and plan to team up and share rent on vendor booths at pet events.

For further information, including operating hours, go to www.woodysdogbath.com or call 412-714-4644.

For Larry's, go to www.larryslaundromutt.com or call 412-534-4052.