# What is this shower for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472 "2026-04-22T02:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/1 "2026-04-22T02:43:42Z")
I like to browse through real estate listings and look at the pictures of houses that are for sale. I just saw this one. [![](https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/6e6f5bf91333553bddcea379c3a2c9c3-uncropped_scaled_within_1536_1152.webp) ](https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/6e6f5bf91333553bddcea379c3a2c9c3-uncropped_scaled_within_1536_1152.webp) This appears to be an open shower stall next to an exterior door. And it appears the owners put some effort into placing it there. What is its purpose? My best guess is that you might want to wash off your dog as it comes in from outdoors but this setup seems like overkill. Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/2 "2026-04-22T02:46:58Z")
I think the doggie door adjacent to it might be a clue. Other than that there are several faiths that have ritual foot washing traditions although the ones I’ve seen look different. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/3 "2026-04-22T02:50:11Z")
I’d want to see what’s immediately outside. If it’s a beach home maybe people wash the sand off their feet, and the dog too. But I suspect washing the dog’s (or dogs’) feet is probably the main focus. Other similar places I’ve seen in home reno tv shows have had a more enclosed place, so the dirt and water won’t splash around so much, but I’ve never had a dog so I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/4 "2026-04-22T02:50:48Z")
How do you keep the water from going everywhere? No curtains or doors. I would think if it’s for foot washing there would be a fixture at the proper height. ---
**Author:** ![Darkstratus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darkstratus/32/21127_2.png) [@Darkstratus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkstratus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/5 "2026-04-22T02:51:50Z")
The whole place is oddly designed tbh ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/6 "2026-04-22T02:59:09Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I’d want to see what’s immediately outside. If it’s a beach home maybe people wash the sand off their feet, and the dog too. No water around. The house is surrounded by a large lawn/field. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/7 "2026-04-22T03:05:40Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > I think the doggie door adjacent to it might be a clue. I would feel the opposite. A doggy door means the hypothetical dog can leave and enter the house whenever it wants. A shower to wash it off when it comes inside doesn’t make sense unless you control when the dog enters the house. > [@running\_coach](#): > > How do you keep the water from going everywhere? No curtains or doors. Yes, I’ve washed enough dogs to know that if you do it in an open shower, you’re going to have water all over the room. If I was setting up a way to wash my dog as it entered the house, I’d put it in a separate entry room. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/8 "2026-04-22T03:06:24Z")
> [@BippityBoppityBoo](#): > > Other than that there are several faiths that have ritual foot washing traditions although the ones I’ve seen look different. I feel you’d want to have a place to sit on if you’re washing your feet. ---
**Author:** ![Darkstratus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darkstratus/32/21127_2.png) [@Darkstratus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkstratus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/9 "2026-04-22T03:09:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I would feel the opposite. A doggy door means the hypothetical dog can leave and enter the house whenever it wants. A shower to wash it off when it comes inside doesn’t make sense unless you control when the dog enters the house. I think you’re assuming home design is more practical than it often is. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/10 "2026-04-22T03:37:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, I’ve washed enough dogs to know that if you do it in an open shower, you’re going to have water all over the room. If I was setting up a way to wash my dog as it entered the house, I’d put it in a separate entry room. Well, they _are_ trying to get rid of the house. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/11 "2026-04-22T04:40:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I feel you’d want to have a place to sit on if you’re washing your feet. Both my parents and my mother-in-law have a small plastic chair in their walk in showers. They aren’t as stable on their feet as they wish, so they use it just in case, or if they get lightheaded. Having something mobile rather than built in gives you more options, and is easy to take out to clean/bleach. Since there’s no obvious ventilation (fans or windows) and no visible attachment points for any sort of removeable curtain or anything, then I agree it doesn’t seem practical for traditional human showering, so cleaning pets with what appears to be a detachable wand/head is as good a guess as any. Of course, could also be a holdover from a prior version of the house they’re now _advertising_ as a mudroom / pet cleaning area. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/12 "2026-04-22T05:28:05Z")
It’s for pets. Ill designed. But that looks like a back door to me, so that’s what I’d think. People building houses make really dumb decisions when they’re deep in the dark forest of it all. It’s very overwhelming at times. I wanted too many exterior doors. And another washer/dryer stackable in a closet up stairs. Both huge mistakes. Dang, I shoulda held out for a dog shower. I do have a nice bucket by the exterior door into the garage. The bucket sits on a rubber mat on concrete. Don’t look so purty but it washes those dog paws. Just fine. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/13 "2026-04-22T08:06:25Z")
That thing is truly a mystery. There are a few things that appear to refute the idea that it’s intended for pets. The shower head, although on a hose, is mounted at normal shower height. And there’s a little shelf apparently intended for things like soap and shampoo that is mounted at the appropriate height for a standing human. Everything points to it being a normal shower stall except for its bizarre location and the absence of an enclosure. There also two things on the shower wall that appear to be hooks. It would be reasonable to have hooks near a shower stall for something like a bathrobe, but not **inside** the shower. The whole thing is bizarre. As a separate matter, speaking as an Old Fart who always fiercely grips the banister when going up or down stairs, I dislike the discontinuity between the upper and lower banisters. There’s no reason except a tiny bit of extra cost that there couldn’t be a round piece connecting the upper and lower sections. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/14 "2026-04-22T09:02:06Z")
What about the possibility it is bad AI and doesn’t exist? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/15 "2026-04-22T09:08:04Z")
Or at least a very good Photoshop. I agree with others that a shower, in such a place, and without a curtain, isn’t going to be very useful. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/16 "2026-04-22T09:53:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > There are a few things that appear to refute the idea that it’s intended for pets. The shower head, although on a hose, is mounted at normal shower height. And there’s a little shelf apparently intended for things like soap and shampoo that is mounted at the appropriate height for a standing human. Good thinking. Maybe. The hand shower lacks a fixed head. That’s rare at a human shower, but common at pet-washing stations. You’re right the head’s storage hook is high up on the wall. But that’s the height it needs to be to keep the hose loop from reaching the floor and getting tangled up in pet feet. You’re also right the soap, etc., storage shelf is high up. But that gets it out of reach of any pet being washed. Same for the towel hooks. Keep the towel(s) above where the bulk of water & critter is, but readily to hand. My take: I bet that when they lived there, there was some manner of shower enclosure, half-assed though it may have been. Here’s an example of something that would work: > **[Amazon.com: L Shaped Shower Curtain Rods, Adjustable (23''-69'' X 23''-69'')...](https://www.amazon.com/Curtain-YASONIC-Adjustable-Bathroom-Clothing/dp/B0CY1RKX7Y)** > > Buy L Shaped Shower Curtain Rods, Adjustable (23''-69'' X 23''-69'') Corner Shower Rod with 12 Shower Curtain Rings, All 304 Stainless Steel, for Bathroom, Bathtub, Clothing Store, Need to Drill, Silver: Shower Curtain Rods - Amazon.com ✓ FREE... But it was old and/or unsightly and was removed and the mounting holes filled and painted for the house showing process. I agree it’s an overall dumb design. But without looking at the rest of the house we don’t know that this wasn’t the least-bad location. Lotta people build their lives and their abodes around their critters. It’s usually not obvious to them when they’ve gone off the deep end, but it’s sure obvious to outsiders. This is IMO a bit of that. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/17 "2026-04-22T11:28:56Z")
My brother in law has something like that. But it’s _outside_ the back door. He’s in hot humid Texas on a gentlemen’s ranch, so it makes some sense. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/18 "2026-04-22T12:44:25Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > People building houses make really dumb decisions when they’re deep in the dark forest of it all. This is very true. In addition to dumb ideas, so many people also have a terrible sense of style and taste. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/19 "2026-04-22T12:50:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I would think if it’s for foot washing there would be a fixture at the proper height. There is. That shower head is handheld, and has a long flexible hose. It’s at a convenient height for a standing human to grab it, then bend over to turn it on and aim it at the dog or at his own feet. If i were building a pet shower, or a foot washing shower, that’s exactly how i would design the shower head part of it. I have a similar fixture in my own shower. I mostly use it handheld, and rarely stand under it when it’s in its bracket. If i were designing an entry-shower, i would put something there to contain the water, but that flooring, just outside the shower, looks like ceramic tile, which wouldn’t be hurt from a little spillage. And it’s not that hard to control the direction of a handheld spray. It doesn’t go all over the place when you hold it low. (If i were designing an entry shower for naked humans, i would also put something there for privacy. But just as a shower for parts/animals that didn’t need privacy, that would work okay.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472/20 "2026-04-22T12:50:36Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > What about the possibility it is bad AI and doesn’t exist? It’s posted on Zillow and they’re offering the house for sale, so I think they’d be on shaky legal grounds if they were adding ai-generated features to the house. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-shower-for/1029472.md?page=2)