I'm thinking of converting the space next to my kitchen as a mudroom and wondered what you all recommend for a cost effective dog bath (I don't have £1500-2,000 to spend on a hydrobath!).The space is only about 7' x7' and will be used to wash and dry my welsh springers. Any and all advice gratefully received!

You can make a very good dog bath by building an H frame with breeze blocks, using marine ply for the base (the cross piece of the H) a row of bricks across the front to keep the water in and then quarry tiling the lot.  It means that you can build it at the right height for you - very important if you are going to preserve your back - and have space under the ply for the waste pipe.  Simple and very effective.  :)  Cold water supply and an electric shower on the wall and you're done. :)

LOL. I would never have thought of that!!!! Excellent--thank you West Coast :-)

Or you could try a booster bath, which is lightweight and can be moved if necessary. I've got a "spaniel" sized one (medium) which I now use in the shower room (it fits nicely in the shower tray) and when bathing bigger dogs I just move it out of the way and use the shower tray for them. I was wary about these baths, thinking they were quite flimsy, but they are in fact quite stable, despite their light weight. http://www.groomers-online.com/product.php/3338/booster-bath-medium?gclid=COXI2uWqkbwCFYUewwodhGQA9g

At my previous house I had the larger size one which easily accommodated my Goldies. I also had an outside washing station with hot and cold water so could use it outside, and also used it inside in the utility room/conservatory with a shower attachment on the sink taps. The waste hose I just fed out of the door. It sounds a bit ramshackle, but did in fact work well.

JAY15 it was what they had in the grooming school where I trained 30 years ago, built by the husband.  It was simple, looked good and worked really well. :)  No need for all these expensive new 'inventions'! :)

You could fit a whole grooming parlour in a 7' x 7' space!  :)

I have heard of some people using a Plasterer's Bath http://www.tomps.com/plasterers-bath-large-small-p-107.html

I suppose a lot depends on how permanent the bath needs to be. I've also got a plasterers bath (which I got for the ducks) which would work equally well for bathing dogs. I just found having something portable was more use to me than having something permanently fixed as westcoast mentioned.

These show some ideas: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QPS-Plastic-Dog-Bath-Professional-Home-Grooming-/261379019839?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Kitchen_Steamers_Cookers_PP&var=&hash=item3cdb67543f

I always think a shower with a slatted bench is better than a bath. The mucky water can just drain of them then. If you have a floor drain underneath it the water will all drain away easily. Baths always seem harder to work with you struggle to do tummies because of the sides. OH build me a lovely bench outside last year, It has a back and ends so we can use it as an extra garden seat ! he put hot and cold water in to an outside tap and it works really well. The slats are some good quality decking planks laid quite close so feet are comfortable. The god thing is I can reach the whole dog, I just do one side and the turn them round. Lots of tying up points as well. If you make a sort of wet room this could work really well.
Aileen