Those of you who have large dogs, especially ones that like to sleep in bed with you, know what a pain it is to bathe them on a regular basis.

With Bo, Copper and Logan it’s a two hour process to clean the combined 220 lbs of canine grunge. That includes the washing, the cleaning up and the changing of wet clothes. Predictably, this is not something I look forward to. If only there was a better way to make them sparkle-other than paying to get them cleaned by a professional, that is.

Enter the HydroSurge RapidBath Animal Bathing System. It touts that you’re able to give your dog a professional-quality bath at home in three minutes or less. It purports to make the bathing process faster and more comfortable than ever. Well, I’ve read marketing material before, and quite frankly, been parted from a dollar or two because of it. So color me suspicious.

Fortunately, I got to test drive the RapidBath system courtesy of the fine folks at HydroSurge.

I have to admit that if I saw this product at the local pet store, I would have walked right by it. I would think the claims are too good to be true, and at a retail price close to $70 (varies), I’d continue down the aisle to find the super size bottle of anti-flatulence tablets for Copper.

So how does it work. The system attaches to an outside nozzle/hose or to your shower head (via a diverter). The RapidBath unit uses shampoo cartridges to allow for the Exclusive InjectAir Technology to combine shampoo with the constant supply of fresh water and air to penetrate down to the skin. Dirt, loose hair, dead skin and dander are washed away. You don’t need to lather them up by hand, it’s all done by the wand.

Sounds good, right?

The amazing thing is…it works! It really does.

I washed the kids in under fifteen minutes, and that includes drying each of them off with towels. When they were fully dry, it was as if I had just spent two hours bathing them in a tub. I couldn’t tell the difference.

The only downside is that the shampoo is specially formulated and must be purchased from HydroSurge. Your favorite smelling shampoo can’t be used. The cartridges go for roughly $10 for a three pack. Each pack is said to b good for roughly two washes, depending on how dirty your dog is.

I can’t recommend this product highly enough for those of you tired of the mess and cleanup associated with washing your dog. I give it four out four paws.

And now for the good part…we are giving away one HydroSurge RapidBath Animal Bathing System. To enter leave a comment, in the comment section, sharing your dirtiest (as in dirt and filth) dog story. The winner will be chosen, on October 3rd, based on the best answer.  Time to get those paws typing, good luck.

This is a must read for every dog lover out there who loves to have their precious ones groomed.

Lisa and I were watching The Today Show this morning when Meridith Viera did a segment on the dangers lurking at the groomers.  She told of a story about her assistant’s dog, Sushi, who died while getting groomed.  Tragically Sushi was put in a cage dryer, set at 100 degrees, for 30 minutes.

Since we usually bathe our dogs at home we had no idea there were such things as cage dryers.  We have, however, on occasion had them bathed when they were boarded so that they would be nice and clean when we brought them home. This was a real wake-up call to us,  as I’m sure it will be to many of you.  The most disturbing fact is that the pet grooming industry is unregulated, anyone could be working those machines.

The horrifying story of a dog that died after being left in a kennel drying machine is a tragic warning about an unregulated industry, an expert said Friday – and a wake-up call to pet owners who need to do their homework about the facilities they trust with their beloved animals.

It’s hard to think of anything more awful than your beloved pet dying while getting a routine bath.

Groomer and instructor Joey Villan gives important tips on how to find a qualified groomer. Hopefully, making everyone aware of this heartbreaking tragedy  will prevent it from happening again.

Villani encourages every pet owner do research on the facility they’ve chosen before handing over their pooch or kitty. And his tips go beyond inquiring about the usage of kennel dryers.

“You have to ask questions,” he said. “But first, a groomer should really be asking you questions. They should be professional. The place should look and smell clean. They should ask you to tour the facilities. They should show you where the dog is going to be caged, what the procedures are going to be.

“If they don’t, ask them,” Villani continued. “Get a little bit more involved and ask, ‘OK, what’s the procedure here? What are you doing to my dog?’ And if they’re reluctant about showing you the place, walk away.”

In addition, Villani says pet owners should inquire about the products and foods used at a facility. They should also investigate safety procedures, to the point of examining the length of leashes and their safety nooses on grooming decks.

“A lot of people call it a noose, but I call it a safety noose because it sounds better,” he said. “If that’s not adjusted properly and it has a little bit of play in it, when a dog jumps off the table and that snaps, it will break the dog’s neck. Groomers need to be within hands-reach of the dog at all times.”

Thanks to Amanda and Keith Bushey for sharing their very sad story so that others won’t have to experience the pain and loss they did.