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7 Great DIY Dog Bathtubs You Can Construct Today (with Pictures)

Hallie Roddy

By Hallie Roddy

dog silky smooth bath

Dogs either love or hate the bath. Your dog might dread bathing, but every good pet parent knows the importance of regular grooming. Bathing your dog removes dirt and dander and keeps their skin and coat healthy. Still, trying to lift your dog into your bathtub can be a difficult process. Before you know it, the entire room is a watery, slippery mess!

As any good DIYer knows, you can build almost anything at home. This list of DIY dog bathtubs is a great way to keep the mess outside while allowing you to wash your dog from head to toe.

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The 7 DIY Dog Bathtubs

1. Muddy Dog Paw DIY Wash Station by My Brown Newfies

DIY dog bathtub
Image Credit: Mybrownnewfies
Materials: Large storage container
Tools: None
Difficulty Level: Easy

This paw washing station only requires a large, shallow tub. Fill the tub with water and set it outside your door. Every time you let the dogs back in, all you need to do is have your dog step in the tub and rinse the dirt off their paws. Keep a towel handy to dry their feet before you let them inside, and you’ll never have to worry about muddy puppy paws in the house again.


2. Small Dog Breed DIY Washing Station by Instructables

DIY dog bathtub
Image Credit: Instructables
Materials: Plywood, redwood boards, posts, steel washtub, plumbing materials, garden hoses
Tools: Table saw, hand drill, band saw, nail gun, wood glue, clamps, construction adhesive, Teflon tape, pliers, crescent wrench
Difficulty Level: Hard

Anything that requires you to do a bit of plumbing is going to be difficult. You could easily hire a plumber to do most of the work for you to build this washing station for small dogs. What we love most about this tub is that it can be tucked into any unused corner of your home that has access to the house’s plumbing.


3. Kiddie Pool DIY Dog Bathtub from Healthy Paws

Kiddie Pool DIY Dog Bathtub from Healthy Paws
Image Credit: blog.healthypawspetinsurance.com
Materials: Child’s plastic pool, cinder blocks
Tools: Shovel, tape measure, sand
Difficulty Level: Easy

Yes, we realize this is more of a pool than a bathtub, but it can be used for dog baths. This comes from Healthy Paws Pet Insurance and is a fantastic way to use a child’s plastic pool. Not only will it make a great bath, but if you live in an area of the U.S. where the temperature gets hot and sticky, it also will give your pet a fantastic place to cool off! One suggestion we would make, especially if you have children, is to fence off your new dog bath once it’s finished. That way, any drowning risk will be significantly reduced.


4. DIY Dog Shower Station from Instructables

DIY Dog Shower Station from Instructables
Image Credit: instructables.com
Materials: Various PVC pipes and fittings, PVC glue (optional)
Tools: Hand saw, drill & bits
Difficulty Level: Moderate

Washing your dog involves a lot of water. For this DIY dog bath project, however, the maker, DIYcreators, forgoes the tub and creates an excellent outdoor shower instead. It’s an easy project since you don’t glue the PVC pipes and fittings in place, and it can be taken apart for easy storage.

With a little tweaking, you could also make this DIY dog shower to fit any size dog, big or small. You could go nuts and make a double dog shower for two dogs! We like that this DIY dog bathtub and shower can be turned off to save water while you scrub your pup clean.


5. DIY Dog Bathtub and Wash Station from Family Handyman

DIY Dog Bathtub and Wash Station from Family Handyman
Image Credit: familyhandyman.com
Materials: Various (see instructions)
Tools: Circular saw, drill & bits, nail gun, jigsaw, miter saw, router, table saw, plumbing & tiling tools
Difficulty Level: Moderate to high

You’ll need excellent DIY skills and quite a few tools to make this dog bath and wash station from Family Handyman, but the results are stunning. This is the dog bath you’ll be proud to say you made yourself. It’s a big project that will likely take a few days.

If you have a dog that’s always dirty, it will be a huge time-saver! There’s plenty you can customize on this project, so go for it and have a blast. Your dog will thank you later.


6. Galvanized Steel Tank DIY Dog Bathtub from Tarter Farm & Ranch

Materials: Galvanized steel tank, drainage hose, ball valve
Tools: Hole saw(s), marker, tape measure, pliers, plumber’s putty, tape
Difficulty Level: Moderate

We saw several galvanized tank dog bathtubs while researching this article, but this one from Tarter Farm & Ranch was by far the best. It’s relatively easy to make, works like a charm, and can be made to fit whichever size canine you have at home.

The beauty of this DIY bog bathtub is that it will last for years and, when empty, can be placed wherever you like. In summer, you can give your pup a bath outside or bring it into the barn or garage in winter. Get a big enough galvanized tank, and you can get in it with your dog for even more bathtime fun!


7. Elevated DIY Dog Bathtub from Dogwood Springs

Materials: Livestock tank, various wood pieces, faucet, various hoses,
Tools: Heavy-duty saw, drill & bits, circular saw, level, tape measure, pencil
Difficulty Level: Moderate

From Dogwood Springs comes these well-made plans for a DIY dog bathtub and washing station. It’s made with a livestock tank, which you can purchase at most big-box home improvement stores. This is an elevated dog bathtub, but if you don’t want it elevated, you can skip the base and simply place your new dog bathtub on the floor or outside on the ground. It’s relatively easy to make and should be a 1-day project.

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Conclusion

Washing your dogs inside the house isn’t always the easiest task. Bathrooms can be tight on space, dogs tend to get water everywhere, and the cleanup after the bath is even worse. The beauty of these tubs is that you can elevate them so you don’t have to spend bath time hunched over, or you can place them in a designated spot so that you can scrub them down any time they get dirty.

While these tubs are relatively easy to make, they require experience with power tools. Either way, they are a great way to learn a new skill while keeping your dog clean and home free from hair and that awful wet dog smell!

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Featured Image Credit: AmandaCullingford, Pixabay

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