Who will be doing the dog washing? Lifting a large animal into a tub can be cumbersome. Eventually, our puppy is going to be in the 55-60 lb range and at 4.11 I seriously doubt I'd have an easy time getting her into a tub. Our walk in shower will be the go to spot for us (if not the groomer :c) I'd also recommend adding a hand held shower to the space as well as a grab bar.

The shower in our basement (no tub) for dog washing has a handheld shower head with long hose and a button so you can cut the water on or off right on the head. That really helps with not having the water gushing while you're trying to scrub or having to turn the water on and off and readjust the temp each time. It was a cheap one, it's white and plastic but it's great for washing our Golden Retriever.

I definitely prefer the tub. Once you get your pup in the tub, he is sort of "trapped" and less likely to just walk out. If you have a larger dog, you do not have to lift his entire body - you can do it in halves. With him standing on the floor in front of the tub, put his front end in first, then the rear. My 55 lb pup I can easily lift and place him in the tub - my 85 lb pup I do in halves. My dogs always get real nervous when it is bath time, but they calm down and after a little while I think they actually enjoy it. I fill the tub with warm water about halfway - this helps loosen the dirt and soaks his fur on his underside and I just think it makes cleaning and rinsing a lot easier. I get my dogs to lay down in the tub and the water comes up to their neck. I have long hair dogs, and unless you get their coat really soaked, you have a hard time getting a good lather. I sometimes have to wash them twice. I use a big plastic cup to help with rinsing, and I also use a "shower massage" with the long flexible hose. Funny this subject came up - because my pups are scheduled for a bath this weekend! Yay - what great fun!

It's funny how different dogs can be. My dog is 65 lbs and really does not like the tub. You can have her get in half way at a time, and then the other half, as cas66 recommended. One time, she was trying to get back out while I was trying to get her in. She got kind of tangled and slipped and I was worried she'd displace a hip. She also absolutely does not want to sit down in the water, so for us that idea is a bust. Our shower pan is more slip resistant and I have a handheld shower nozzle for it, so that is what we do. I stand next to the shower door opening, and she isn't going anywhere. I just wish my shower had the same square footage as my tub!

I've done both, and vastly prefer the shower. My lab did not like the tub and would try to jump out, whereas she is trapped inside the shower (she could shove the door open with her nose, but hasn't figured it out). The tub would be great if the dog would lie down in it, but mine wouldn't even stay in a sit in the water (and she is a water dog!). One more thing to think about: Cleaning out the bathtub ring after bathing the dog. A seat for you in the shower makes washing the dog easier - that's the only time I ever use the bench in the shower.

I also strongly encourage a hose attachment for rinsing.

I prefer a walk-in shower for all but the smaller dogs (I mean 20 pounds or less). I think it's easier to be in the shower with the dog in order to get access to all sides.

Ditto the suggestion on the hand shower - and get one with an extra long hose (6' or more) so that if your dog keeps cringing toward the corner you can still reach all the areas you need to rinse.

We had used a Swanstone base in the last shower we did, it had a good texture (that was still cleanable, thankfully) that offered non-slip standing for me and the dog. In solid white, they are pretty unobjectionable. I prefer cast iron for a purely-people shower, but the swanstone worked well in the dog shower (which was also our people shower).

Before we started using self serve dog wash stations at the local pet place (it's worth it not to have to clean up afterwards and they have multiple tethers), I used to use suction cup tethers to help keep the dog in place in a tub.

Something like these:

After dealing with the explosion of hair to be cleaned up in our bathroom after bathing our 70 pound black lab, I've decided that the best place to bathe her is in my son's old wading pool in our driveway. (It's entertainment for the neighbors too!) If I'm in a hurry, I skip filling the pool and just use the hose with a gentle sprayer setting.

When it's too cold for that, we head to the local do-it-yourself dog wash. They have steps up for her to get into a tub that is an easy height for me to handle with my back problems.

I used to stand in the showers with my small dogs and now I put them in a tub in the bathtub and I sit on a towel and wash them with the long spray hose I attached to the shower head. This seems to work best for me since my little dogs range in size from 4 lbs to 8.5 lbs.

I have two large labradoodles and in part our bathroom remodel was based on the need to have a good place to wash them, it snows here and they are always getting 'snowballs' between their toes which need to be melted with warm water. so we are getting a 4x4 walk in shower with a handheld on a sliding bar (we are also getting a regular shower head fixed to the wall)

i prefer the shower and a handheld showerhead. also, it is very convenient and easier on your back to have a bench (i use one of those removeable teak stools) to prop your dog on so you don't have to bend down as much (that is, if you have a little dog like me).

I wash my cats in the utility sink. Smallest 6lbs, largest 22lbs. Filled with about 3" of warm water, they stand with their paws on the edge, usually yowling, and I talk to them calmly, and wash them with the warm water, slowly. I wrap them in a towel (like one would do a tornado) and let them go in a small bathroom so they can shake and roll. So maybe bathtub?

My bigger dogs I'd love a walk in bath-tub with the flexible hand-held shower thing. I just take 'em to Pet Smart these days.

Currently I have a 70# lab/BC plus cats. Here are my preferences:

1. Do it yourself fancy dog wash (everything perfectly safe & clean, leave the mess behind).

2. Walk in shower with hand held gizmo.

3. (hate this choice as my back & I are not getting any younger) Tub. If my pet is small enough to lift into a tub without trauma, I prefer my giant kitchen sink.

We have an 85 lb lab & a 45 lb cocker spaniel/shepard mix. we have used both a tub & a shower and overwhelmingly prefer a handheld shower head in the walk in shower - we don't have a door on the shower. The bigger dog loves her shower & walks in & stays with no problem; the smaller dog doesn't like water & once we get her in we block the doorway so she can't escape.