Murphy’s Paw

I love to bring Kiwi, my dog, here for a bath. Kiwi on the other hand hates it. Oh she is all happy at first because she gets to go for a ride… and usually who ever is behind the counter will have a happy smile and treat for her… but then we walk around the corner and she sees the tubs… yep…smelly beast is about to become a pretty princess and she is not happy any more.
The tubs are raised off the ground with easy steps to lead your dog up to the platform and down into the tub. All of the tubs have a rubberized platform in the bottom so poochy can stand and shake safely without fear of slipping. The water temps are preset so all you have to do is grab the shower head, turn it on and wait for a second for it to get up to temp, and wash away. They thoughtfully provide a short leash and hoops on the wall to secure your pet to so they can’t escape (much needed for my Kiwi).
Whoever is working will probably try to ask you a ton of questions… skin types, allergies, etc… be patient, they are just trying to help you pick out a shampoo. They will provide a shammy and a towel to dry the dog with and an apron for you to help keep you dry, which is kind of thoughtful. They also have blowdryers (cool air, not hot)…but they are really loud so if your dog doesn’t like loud noises, you might want to avoid that.
Once Kiwi and I are done, I try to get as much of her hair off of me as I can and head to the counter. Last time I was here, my neighbor and I both brought our dogs and they made us a deal. normally $ 20 for one dog per tub but, if we would both use the same tub, we could wash both for $ 30. Not sure if this is a normal deal but, if it is, I would definitely repeat it. Usually, who ever is running the counter will give kiwi another treat which usually cheers her up, and off we go.
All in all, I would say that this is a good place to take your dog for a wash.

About eight months ago Wash Your Dog Please was bought and became Murphy’s Paw. It still offers the same services of self dog wash at $ 20 or a groomer can wash your dog for a slightly higher rate of $ 25. At Wash Your Dog Please it was typically one man running the show. I would come in, he would direct me to a bath, ask what kind of shampoo I need, hand me the shampoo and towels, and leave me be. I had a similar experience the first time I went back under its new management. This time a woman greeted me and our exchange was about the same. My second trip to Murphy’s Paw was wholly different.
Dugan the dog was stinky and I needed him smelling nice. I pull up to Murphy’s Paw to find two people sitting and smoking on the steps. I didn’t know if they were customers or if they worked there. They greeted my dog and then I went into the building. There were pictures of dogs that had been washed there all over the wall which I found charming. I was approached my an older gentlemen who asked if I had been in before. Yes, I have. He directed me to a bath in the back. I had to coerce my dog in since he absolutely hates his bath. Luckily, he went in without a fight. The man began talking to me about shampoo types when a girl, who looked to be a teenager, came and started to ask what type of skin Dugan had, if it was dry or oily. At the same time the man was asking me what kind of brush would I like to use to wash the dog. Then the girl started giving me directions on how to use the shampoo and instructed me to leave the brushes in the room so they could get santized later. I had a lot of questions and instructions thrown at me. It was actually quite funny being in the middle of all this talk but I was ready to start washing the dog without interruption.
As I was washing Dugan I could hear another woman in the adjoining room asking for hair gel. Then I was approached by the guy that was smoking as I entered and asked if I had hair gel. Quickly an exasperated, «Don’t ask her!» came from his smoking partner who was up front. He had a camera and tried to take pictures of Dugan who was soaking wet and looking pathetic in a rather cute way. His attempts were futile. Dugan wouldn’t look at him and he left.
I was left alone again. Minutes later the smoking partner came to us with the camera in a second attempt to get a picture of Dugan. This time she was successful.
Finally I was alone and continued to get Dugan rinsed and dried. After a painstakingly long drying period Dugan, clean as a whistle, and I were ready to go.
We walked up to the front desk and the teenager was smiling ready to check us out. I noticed the picture of Dugan was sitting on the desk, framed, with his name and date on it. She tells me that was my copy and another copy would be posted on the wall. How sweet. She then had me fill out a piece of paper in the shape of a dog bone with my name and phone number as she explained after five washes the sixth one is on them. I paid and she gave me a treat for Dugan who was more than ready to leave. There was a bowl of saltwater taffy (my favorite!) and I swipped one.
As we were leaving the older gentlemen was outside sleeping in a chair. I thought our exit would stir him but kept his journey to Sleepy Town going.
If you ever go to Murphy’s Paw get ready for a humorous experience.