I always cringe when the entrepreneurs on "Shark Tank" don't accept any of the sharks' offers. The founders of Aquapaw — the revolutionary dog-washing brush from Season 10 — didn't receive an offer when they appeared on the show, but the product still seems to be selling quite well two years later.
Aquapaw has nearly 900 verified reviews and a 4.4-star average rating from Amazon customers. On Chewy, 82% of its reviews are positive. I don't normally buy as-seen-on-TV products, but I also don't normally stay at home all the time. Knowing that it was probably a good idea to stock up on some at-home dog grooming products until I felt comfortable going to the groomer again, I recently decided to try the Aquapaw. Here's how it went.
Aquapaw Pro Pet Bathing Tool
Wagging tail and water not included
Besides the dog and water, everything I needed was included in the Aquapaw kit. It came with the scrubber brush that also doubles as the sprayer, an adapter to connect it to a hose and an adapter to connect it to a shower spigot.
Since I have a larger dog (a 100-pound Leonberger) with a thicker coat, I got the $45 Aquapaw Pro. Unlike the original Aquapaw, this upgrade has a slightly bigger scrubber brush to cover more surface area. It also has two spray settings — gentle and strong — instead of one.
How it works
This device is so easy I don't think I even looked at the instructions on the box. Connecting the Aquapaw to my hose was the easy part. Convincing my dog that it wasn't a torture device was where I could have used some help. I wanted him to understand that basically he was about to get some serious TLC with a side of H2O.
What I love about the Aquapaw is as soon as I connect it to the hose and turn the water on at the spigot, all I need to do to turn the water on and off is press the button at the top of the scrubber brush. That same button is what you press to go from a gentle stream of water to a stronger stream. The brush is made of silicone so it doesn't get slippery, even when you use shampoo. Plus, it has an adjustable band so you can secure it to your hand and it stays there without you needing to make an effort to hold onto it.
Because it was so easy to use, I had an air of confidence that my dog picked up on. Of course, he wasn't a fan of the water at first. However, he slowly came around to it and was relatively calm as I started brushing him. Unlike wire or coarse hair brushes, this one's silicone bristles weren't abrasive. Though they were gentle, they still managed to remove the loose hair that would have otherwise ended up on my car seats until I picked them up with my favorite pet hair remover.
Within a few minutes, I managed to convince my pup that he was just getting some pets, not a bath. My mom's Bernese Mountain dog, who hates water like cats hate him, was watching from afar. He was unsure at first, but he eventually snuck over to get his share of attention.
It even works in the shower
While I love the idea of being able to use this in the shower, my dog is simply too big (or my shower is too small). When fully grown, he'll probably tip the scales at 170 pounds. However, when I got him last year as a 20-pound puppy, I definitely would have included Aquapaw on the list of must-have items every new puppy owner needs. Still, even if you only ever use this with your garden hose, it's well worth the money.
Four pristine paws up
Aquapaw has definitely made my life a lot easier and a lot less messy at the same time. While I can't say my dog now begs for bathtime, he definitely dreads it a lot less. For that reason alone, I'm giving Aquapaw four pristine paws up.
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