Dogs may be the stereotypical "best friend" to many, while others consider their cars to be their first love.

A new business in town caters to both. Rods 'n' Dogs, on Ptarmigan Lane just off North Montana across from Macy's, hopes to draw customers who want to wash their best friends -- whether those friends are on four paws or four wheels.

The owner said the idea was to differentiate his business from other car washes in town.

"It's kind of becoming a niche of people wanting to do different things besides a car wash," said owner Ray Moe, 38, who opened his first Rods 'n' Dogs in Missoula two years ago. The Helena shop is his second.

Moe said business at the Missoula store is roughly 70 percent cars and 30 percent dogs, and he's encouraged that even two years after opening, he still gets new customers who weren't aware the business existed.

Chris Buscaglia, owner of Stockton Auto Center Car Wash & Lube in Stockton, Calif., sits on the board of directors of the Western Carwash Association. He said car wash owners across the country are looking for value-added opportunities to drive customers to their businesses.

"The modern consumer is just so pressed for time that whatever you can do to combine activities, the more they're going to use you," Buscaglia said.

In addition to an automatic wash, Buscaglia's Stockton business includes a deli, gift shop, oil change service and hair salon.

Other car washes around the country share space with laundromats, pubs and other retail ventures.

"It's about creating convenience for the consumer, that's what motivates people to visit certain businesses," Buscaglia said.

While the concept of a dog wash conjures all sorts of possibilities in in the mind -- imagine Fido passing stoically through an automated wash, soapy brushes whirling on either side before a quick blow dry at the end -- the reality is, perhaps mercifully from the canine perspective, not quite as exciting.

Rods 'n' Dogs has three dog-washing rooms, each with heated concrete floors and rubber-coated ramps leading up to stainless steel tubs, also lined with slip-free rubber mats.

The dog wash rooms do borrow elements from the do-it-yourself car wash bays. A customer gets a certain amount of time for a base price, and incrementally more money buys more time.

And like the car wash, you use the same hose for just about the entire process -- only instead of high-powered cold water, it's a more gentle flow heated to 86 degrees. And functions like "soap," "tire wash" and "wax" are replaced by the likes of "puppy shampoo," "flea & tick" and "de-skunk."

Buscaglia said combining cars and dogs in one business isn't as crazy as it may sound at first.

"We're seeing more dog washes at the self-serve car washes," he said. "It seems as though the self-serve car wash person is someone who is willing to (wash the dog) themselves, that kind of domestic person."

The dog wash won a couple of converts one sunny afternoon last week.

"It's wonderful. I'll tell you, that's sweet," said Dale Sykes, while 6-year-old Heidi, a German shorthair, shook herself dry and wagged her tail in agreement. "I don't think she minded a bit. The water temperature was ideal."

Gail Summers and her grandson, 4-year-old A.J. Welch, gave Dusty the 1-year-old black cockapoo a clean coat.

"My husband and I brought the truck in this weekend for washing and we saw the dog washes," Summers said.

Moe said he looked around town before settling on his location off North Montana.

"We picked this spot because there's lots of traffic heading to the lakes and to homes out this way," he said. "We're in a commercial hub here, but behind us we're near a nicely settling in subdivision."

Reporter John Harrington: 447-4080 or john.

harrington@helenair.com