... the good, old-fashioned kind, where you have to get your hands dirty. If you don't know about a place like this near you, you might check into it. If everybody already knows these places exist, I apologize.

One of my local pet stores has a room in the back for dog washing, the do-it-yourself variety. It's really cool, especially if you have a big dog, as I have. They have these great "bath tubs" at a human-friendly level, and a ramp your dog can walk up to get in. Okay, so after the first time, your dog will probably know better than to calmly walk up to his fate, so then comes the part where you have to part lift, part cajole your dog into the tub and close up the entrance. It is SO much easier when everything's right there for you! A choice of shampoos, hanging upside-down with a nozzle. Oh, and, there's a choke chain with an extra length of chain for some moveability, but so your dog can't run away! So, you wet down, shampoo, rinse, towel dry your pet and free her from her bondage! There's even a hair dryer if you want to use it. And, best of all, YOU don't have any mess to clean up and you don't end up with a backache from having to bend over your dog.--Oh, and they have protective aprons for pet-washers, so that, theoretically, you don't end up soaking wet!

My pet store doesn't advertise this service, you just sort of have to know that it exists. The charge is $12, which, to me, is well worth the hassle saved!