LONG BEACH — Locals and visitors looking to keep their four-legged companions clean now have an option next to Carol’s Salon in Long Beach.

Krista Barbic, owner of Make It Click dog training, officially opened the self-service dog wash station a few months ago and recently added new amenities to make the experience more comfortable for customers.

“It’s $20 to start and that usually takes care of most dogs, unless you have a really large or exceptionally furry dog,” Barbic said.

“All the shampoo and conditioner come out at a ratio with the water, so that they’re not sopping with any of the liquids for too long. You can rinse and blow dry them very easily as well.”

The hours for the self-service dog wash, located at 101 17th St. N next to Carol’s Salon, are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with no appointments necessary.

“If people do want an appointment, they can drop their dog off while they run errands and we’ll do it for them for an additional fee,” Barbic said.

Customers and businesses can also purchase tokens than can be used for a free dog wash. “For instance, hotels can give them out to guests if they want,” she added.

Expanding dog-related services

Barbic noticed a need for an accessible, self-service dog washing station on the peninsula, as the next nearest option had been in downtown Astoria.

“I opened the dog-training company in May 2021, then decided we really wanted to have a dog wash too,” Barbic said.

She officially opened the self-service dog wash a few months ago, then recently added an enclosed space and fence, built by West River Construction, to provide more shelter from the peninsula weather.

“This is the first summer we’ve been able to get it fully running,” Barbic said, adding that she intends to cater to locals and visitors with the new service.

“It was needed for sure. There is one across the river, but a lot of my clients don’t want to drive across the river. It’s something that, with all the tourists being here and their dogs getting dirty on the beach, the hotels really appreciate it that the dogs can get clean before they go back to the room. I thought why not add this to our dog services. It’s been really great for us, we bring our dogs here all the time and the clients really like it, too.”

The first few months with the all-in-one self-service dog wash system, designed by iClean Dog Wash based in the Netherlands, went relatively smooth with only a couple of small issues, remedied by Krista’s husband Thomas, an electrician who serves as the onsite technician.

“We had to work out a few kinks, but it’s been great. A lot of people really like that we have the ramp and they don’t have to bend over. It also has a high-velocity dryer. Shampoo and flea wash comes with it,” Barbic said.

The standard wash is $20, with contactless payment, cash, coins (tokens), or credit card accepted as payment.

How often should you bathe your dog?In general, dogs should be bathed at least every one to three months, with consideration to factors such as the breed, coat type, coat length, activity level and skin condition, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

“It definitely depends on the breed,” Barbic said.

“Surprisingly, a lot of dogs can be washed monthly. A lot of people are afraid of stripping the oils away, but as long as you’re not using harsh chemicals most dogs are fine to get washed once a month. A lot people say there’s a beach crud here, but most of the time it’s just their dogs being damp and not clean enough, but if they wash and dry them properly it takes care of a lot of those problems. Our liquids are all-organic and biodegradable. They’re really good for dogs that have sensitive skin. Everything is included, just need to bring your own towel and that’s it.”