It's that time of year when our lovely summer dog walks descend into mud-splattered dogs, wellies and cars.
Sometimes it seems like we spend more time cleaning the aftermath than actually dog walking.
Let's face it, dog's love to walk whatever the weather, but it's a real challenge watching your car suffer from mud-caked dog during the wet and muddy months !
One solution could be to invest in a portable outdoor dog washer to clean your dog before they jump back in the car.
Petacarium are a small family run business based in the UK. They know a thing or two about dogs, as they're not only pet owners but run a successful dog walking, day-care and boarding business.
They designed the Petacarium portable shower device to be so versatile it could be used to wash anything from dogs to boots, surfboards and even children all on-the-go!
But how good is it really ? There's only one way to find out. This is our Petacarium portable dog shower review.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Portable dog showers are designed to use outdoors to conveniently wash your dog before they climb in your car or run into your home.
The best portable showers have their own water tank, an integral hose, can easily wash hard to reach places whilst exerting enough water pressure to get the job done.
Some, like the Petacarium come equipped with a neoprene jacket as standard, which keeps the water warm for hours.
Most are simply pressurised by hand with a pump which is ideal if you have an anxious dog as they operate silently.
Portable showers are also eco-friendly as they use significantly less water than a garden hose or pressure washer.
If you're in a rush, we think that the Petacarium dog shower is one of the best dog washers on the market. It's well designed, easy to fill, easy to pressurise and keeps the water warm.
The Petacarium range consists of two sizes of portable showers the 5L and the 8L. Each one comes with an insulating neoprene jacket, a 1.3m hose and an 8-setting shower head.
For our review we tested their larger 8L model.
Our first impression was good, it certainly has a pretty classy design as far as portable showers go. Resembling an oxygen tank with curved, smooth lines it's all wrapped in a colourful neoprene jacket.
The handle felt sturdy and well made, perfect for pumping to pressurise the water flow. We liked that when not in use, the handle locks into a closed position for storage.
Another big positive in terms of design is the adjustable shoulder strap. An 8L cylinder of water can be fairly heavy, so a shoulder strap is a thoughtful addition.
The shower head included with the Petacarium 5L and 8L models has an adjustable dial so you can alter the stream of water (mist, spray, stream) just as you would with a traditional garden sprayer and a handy on/off lever.
Petacarium also offer a brush accessory which can be bought separately. The Pet Shower Brush has silicon bristles and an on/off switch to help you wash your dog one-handed.
We loved that it's truly portable which is a must for washing your dog on-the-go. There is no need for additional hoses, buckets of water or electricity.
Designed to work silently (great for anxious dogs) by pressurising with a few hand pumps, we found the handle very easy to use and after a few compressions the water pressure was respectable.
No portable shower will be able to match your hose pipe water pressure, but the Petacarium certainly exerts enough force to clean your dog's paws and coat.
We did need to repressurise a couple of times mid-clean, but that's to be expected.
Crucially the shower head worked well and there's an integral on/off lever to help control the flow of water at your fingertips. Plus it has lots of uses at home and in the garden - bikes, football boots, BBQ's, even hanging basket.
It's fair to say that we've tested a variety of portable showers and have found that a combination shower/ brush is the best way to clean your dog and shift that dried on mud.
So we preferred the Petacarium Pet Shower brush to the standard shower head which is included and it certainly did a better job of removing stubborn mud from our dog's coat. It's a shame that this isn't included.
The truth is that the neoprene jacket is a game changer! We ran several tests at different water temperatures to assess the jacket.
Whilst we don't claim to be scientists working in lab conditions, we did use a thermometer and established that our water stayed warm for over 3 hours.
Time After Filling | Water Temp (Approx) | Usable for Dog Wash? |
0 hours (just filled) | 45°C (warm tap water) | ⚠️ Too hot |
1 hour | 41°C | ✓ Yes - comfortably warm |
2 hours | 36°C | ✓ Yes - still warm |
3 hours | 30°C | ✓ Yes - tepid but not cold |
Note: Tested in indoor conditions. Results will vary.
So you and your dog can enjoy some lovely long winter dog walks followed by a warm shower for your dog and your wellies. What more could you ask for ?
We should mention that the sheer volume of water makes the full 8L version fairly heavy to carry to the car. So we really appreciated the handy shoulder strap, it definitely made life easier.
Saying that, if you've got a small to medium sized dog you may want to consider the smaller and lighter 5L portable washer.
Once at the car, the strap is fully adjustable so it can be used to secure the Petacarium to your car headrests. Clever stuff!
That's about it save for the fact that we felt that a longer hose would be useful when showering a big dog to get to all those tricky to reach areas. But we consider this a flaw not a dealbreaker and longer 2m hoses are available, but at an additional cost.
Here's a summary of our scores and notes on all the key features and performance.
Test Criteria | Score (out of 5) | Notes |
Ease of setup & filling | 4 | ✓ Wide, top opening ✗ No Max. fill gauge |
Pressurising ease | 5 | ✓ Easy to push down vertically |
Water pressure & flow | 5 | ✓ nearly a minute after 6 pumps |
Water temperature retention | 5 | ✓ passed 3 hour test |
Mud removal effectiveness | 3 | Needed the water spray with the brush |
Dog tolerance (anxiety test) | 4 | ✓ No noise, but did try to avoid the water, long hose helped |
Portability & carry | 4 | 8L version is heavy |
Build quality | 5 | Solid, no leaks |
Value for money | 4 | Good value for a 8L Washer including neoprene sleeve but brush acessory and additional purchase |
OVERALL | 4.3 |
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We felt that the Petacarium Portable Shower looks and feels premium in every way. It's nicely designed and well built, ticking all the boxes for a portable dog washer.
Easy to fill and use, the addition of a shoulder strap really helps transport it to and from the car.
Both the 8L and 5L versions come in an array of colours with fancy neoprene jackets which worked exceptionally well at keeping your water warmer for longer.
An range of accessories are available including longer hoses, additional jackets, microfibre towels and of course the pet shower brush.
✅ BUY the Petacarium if:
You have a medium to large sized dog and want a good value option that can be used on your dog, garden, car and boots. We think the pump action is superior to the Mud Daddy and the height of the Petacarium is perfect for anyone struggling to bend down or kneel on the floor.
❌ SKIP the Petacarium if:
You're looking for a portable dog washer with a brush and extra long hose included as standard. Also if you struggle with heavy weights, we'd suggest opting for the smaller 5L model.
Buying Options
If you're looking for more information, browse our wide range of Guides -
PORTABLE WASHERS
CARPET CLEANERS
CAR PROTECTION
DOG WALKING
Thank you for reading our Splash & Dash Review, we hope you've found it useful
Happy dog walking from the Smart Bark Team.
Thanks for dropping by and reading our review of the Petacarium Portable Dog Shower - we hope you found it useful.
Claire is the founder of Smart Bark and a lifelong dog lover.
With a 10 year background in retail buying for one of the UK’s major retailers, she brings a keen eye for quality and value to every dog product review.
Claire personally tests every item featured on Smart Bark with her own family dog and her team of dog testers—so you get honest, expert advice (not recycled marketing blurb) from someone who truly understands what works in real life (and what doesn’t).
No gimmicks. Just trusted recommendations backed by experience.
