By

Linda Loring

Irish Hill Shelties

We own 2 shelties and with the normal care and maintenance that they require plus show grooming and trimming it was a back breaking job. We also had the clutter and the “where did I put that brush, shampoo, etc and wondering did we leave it at the last show we were at?” And I’m sure you have been in the middle of shampooing and didn’t have in front of you conditioner, washcloths, and hand towel for a quick wipe down.After going to some grooming shows and doing research on what products are available and the cost we decided to create our own grooming station. We knew we needed a moderately deep sink, easy to clean grooming and drying area, and good lighting to see all those hiding whiskers, ear hairs and all the other trimmings required.Available electric was also a must for our dryers, trimmers and what ever else used.

After much searching I purchased a double bowl utility tub (40”L X 24” W X 13” D) at the Home Depot which has a middle divider. We cut the divider down leaving approximately 2-3inches at the bottom of the sink. This left a small open space in the middle of the tub divider so we siliconed it (using a latex caulking sealer) to make it water tight again. This option is nice if you only want to wash the feet or a back end wash on your Sheltie (which as all owners know can get messy at times). The legs that come with the tub are metal and we reinforced them with 2 X 4s inside the metal legs for added stability.

The other half of this grooming station consists of the grooming table which is made out of 5/8” plywood as is the backsplash and shelf above it.   We again used 2X4’s for the legs to give it strength and stability. Once we had the legs attached on both items we joined the sink and the grooming table together with brass 1” screws predrilled and countersunk (that way it won’t rust or you can use stainless steel screws as well).We put non slip pads in the bottom of the sink to help with slipping especially when your Sheltie shakes off.The water supply is hooked up to the tub faucets and we included a sink sprayer , another feature we added is a handy water diverter on the faucet portion so you can shut the water off by flipping a handle but the water is still going to the sprayer.This is especially handy for water conservation and keeping the water temperature at a constant.The drain can either be hooked up to a near by tub or to your plumbing supply.

The grooming table is covered with ceramic tile and has a removable non slip mat if you desired (we decided to get one) making cleanup and sanitizing is a breeze.I have shelves (2) set up behind the sink and the grooming table to hold all of my supplies. One of the table legs has a multi plug power strip attached which is 20 Amp GFI grounded and gives me quick and easy electric availability. Above the grooming table is direct lighting that also runs off this power strip. I installed a wire shelf under the grooming table to hold our dryer and what ever else you may want to store. We also have several eye hooks screwed into the back on the unit to attach your Sheltie to while bathing or grooming, we made our top the same thickness as the standard grooming table so you can also attach a grooming table arm.  I made our backsplash 12 inches high because I knew I wanted 12x12 tiles for the back. The counter top can be as small or as large as you desirer mine is 46”x24” which leaves plenty of room for the dog, towels, and brushes on the table. The top shelf is the length of the grooming table and sink combined, with a width of 5” tile again the dimensions that I picked out. 

It is now a pleasure to groom our shelties and the unit is pleasing to the eye. It can be placed in a basement, garage, or kennel area. As you can see in the parts list you can customize this project to your needs and budget and depending on what you decide to build, this project can be completed in one or two weekends. Look over the pictures if you have any questions please contact me and I will be happy to help you!

I Would also like to thank my father for all of his help and assistance in building this grooming station.

Parts List:

Utility tub- Home Depot $100

Metal legs are included but reinforced with 2x4

Screws- Deck screws 21/2” “and brass or stainless steel screws 11/4”.

*Faucet with sprayer- Kitchen sink type can be purchased at any Home Depot store

Diverter Valve- Home Depot

Electric- GFI Power Strip any Home Depot

*Lights-Florescent or Halogen- any Home Depot

5/8” Plywood for top- any hardware store

*Tile for top backsplash and shelf (recommend nonskid tile not shiny so dog wont slide)

Wire Rack- Closet shelving rack any Home Depot

Eye Hooks-Any hardware store

*can range for what ever your budget is.