One of the biggest tasks is bathing a big dog.

I saw a great doggy shower on HGTV last year that would be perfect for a Berner.

It was stainless steel, with a door and a hand held shower head.

No breaking your back trying to help the dog into the family bath tub and the hand held shower head makes it easy to direct the water.

I have no idea what the price was, though.

Does this set up have a hair dryer attached as well? There's nothing as messy as dog water all over the bathroom!

I think the secret is to start bathing your puppy early in a manner that is similar to what you will be doing when they grow bigger. Dogs would not like water pour on them, so the way to distract them is to shower (no pun intended) them with love and attention.

The biggest problem is all that splashing and lifting!

I would love to avoid some of that with a unit specifically for dog bathing.

The good news is bernese dogs don't need frequent bathing, in fact it's recommend to only bathe them every 3 or 4 weeks or when needed to keep the coat. Too much bathing can dry out their skin and coats.

Luckily I have access to a vet clinic with a dog grooming center (bathtub/shower set-up). From prior experience I would definitely second the idea that giving them lots of love while being bathed is the best way to distract them from having to be bathed. Some dogs even end up liking baths so who knows?

Once or twice a year we do it ourselves. But we usually just go to the groomers. Have anyone ever heard of a furminator? It is a miracle worker on the Bernese fur! Comes it our like nothing else, and believe me we have ever comb, brush, pick, and rake that is out on the market.

I'd like to try that out if it works so well. Groomers are a good idea if you have the money to spare because they really are the best at treating your dog well and getting them properly clean.

I usually take a trip to our local pet store. They have nice setups and you bathe your own dog for about $5 a dog. All towels, shampoo's and conditioners are supplied. The dog walks up a ramp into the tub and you get to stand up straight to bathe them.

We always bathe our dogs outside, with the hose (unless it's too cold- then we bring them inside into our guest bathroom ). It's easy for us because or dog has short hair (she's not a berner), but I suppose it would be a lot harder for long-haired dogs.