Dog wash station for a pub, garden centre or holiday park: is it worth it?

A walk ends, the dog is soaked and caked in mud, and the owner is looking at a clean car. Many will simply head home. If your venue offers a quick, warm wash on the spot, some of them will stop, and stay for a drink, a coffee or a browse while they are there. That is the whole case for a self-service dog wash, and this guide sets out when it holds up and when it does not.

Why dog owners are worth designing for

There are a lot of them. UK Pet Food's 2026 Pet Population Survey, carried out by Kantar from 8,951 online interviews in January 2026, puts the UK dog population at 15.5 million. Those dogs go out every day, and their owners increasingly choose where to go based on whether the dog is welcome.

The Kennel Club's hospitality guidance reports that 72% of owners say they are more likely to visit a restaurant, pub or cafe if their dog can come too, 55% say they would stay longer, and 52% say they would spend more. These are survey answers about intentions, and the Kennel Club has an interest in dog-friendly venues, so treat them as a sign of direction rather than a forecast for your takings. The pattern is consistent, though: owners reward places that make life with a dog easier.

Holidays follow the same pattern. The Caravan and Motorhome Club's 2025 survey found that 86% of the dog owners it asked take their pets on holiday, and that finding dog-friendly places to stop is a common hurdle. That sample is the club's own members, so it will lean towards people who already travel with dogs.

Where a dog wash earns its place

The test is simple: do dog owners already arrive at your venue, and are they muddy when they do? A dog wash works best at the end of a walk.

• Dog-friendly pubs near walking routes. A wash after the walk, then a drink. It gives walkers a reason to choose you over the next pub along.
• Garden centres and retail parks. Owners already bring dogs along. A wash station adds a reason to visit and keeps mud out of the car before they shop.
• Country parks and beach car parks. Right where the walk finishes, so the wash happens before the car, not after.
• Campsites and holiday parks. Holidaying dogs get muddy too, and a wash station keeps caravans, lodges and tents cleaner.

It is a poor fit for a city-centre bar with no outdoor space, an office, a gym or a hotel with no dog guests. If your customers rarely bring dogs, a different machine will serve them better. Our range covers several, and we will say so if the dog wash is not right for you.

What the site needs: this is the part to check first

A dog wash needs more planning than most of our machines, because it uses water and heats it. The Nexus Vend dog wash station is a stainless steel unit measuring 209 × 63 × 180 cm, so plan for roughly 2.1 m × 0.7 m, plus room for an owner and a dog to step up to it. Check these before you go further:

• Power. It draws up to 8000W to heat the water, which needs a dedicated supply rather than a standard socket. A pub or garden centre building often has a suitable supply nearby; a remote car park may not.
• Water and drainage. It needs a water connection and somewhere for the wastewater to go. We confirm both at the free site survey.
• Indoors or outdoors. It can go outdoors, with covers built as needed. Think about shelter for owners, lighting and a surface that will not turn to mud itself.
• Access. Owners need to reach it easily from the car park or the path, and your delivery route must take a unit of this size.

If power or water would mean major groundworks, say so early. It is better to find that out at the survey than after you have agreed terms.

What owners and dogs experience

The station holds water at 38–40°C, has a high-pressure nozzle that the supplier rates at 60% less water use, and a typical cycle runs 5–8 minutes. The base is non-slip and the hoses are bite-proof. It is cashless only: owners pay by card, contactless, Apple Pay or Google Pay, so you never handle takings and nobody needs to be on hand.

Questions to ask any dog wash supplier

• Who pays for the machine, installation and connections? With Nexus Vend there is no upfront cost to the venue, though you will need to agree what the site needs to provide, such as access, power and water.
• Who cleans and maintains it? A wash station that is dirty or broken puts people off. Ours is fully managed: we service and clean it.
• How are you paid? An agreed share of sales, paid monthly. Prices are agreed with you before the machine goes live.
• What is the contract? Ours is a six-month minimum, then rolling monthly. Be wary of long fixed terms you cannot leave.
• Who handles insurance and certification? We do.

A simple way to decide

1. Count your dogs. On a busy weekend, how many walkers and dog-owning customers do you see? If you cannot say, spend one weekend counting.
2. Check the mud. Are your customers coming off muddy paths, beaches or fields? The wash is most useful where the walk ends.
3. Find a spot. You need roughly 2.1 m × 0.7 m of space, with power and water within reach.
4. Think about the whole visit. A wash that sits beside your cafe, bar or shop gives owners a natural next stop.
5. Agree the numbers in writing. Revenue share, prices, contract length and what happens if it underperforms.

For the detail of installation, servicing and payments, read how it works. We only recommend a machine where it suits the venue.

Sources

• UK Pet Food, Britain's dog ownership boom as 15.5 million dogs now live in UK homes (31 March 2026)
• The Kennel Club, Visiting dog friendly places to eat
• The Caravan and Motorhome Club, Labradors lead the pack (2025)