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OUR
STORY

Welcome to The Dirty Dawg! We are a family owned and operated self-service dog wash and small pet supply store serving the local community of Thurmont, Maryland. Started by lifelong dog lovers Becky and Tim Clarke, we strive to provide a fun, affordable, safe, and convenient way for dog owners to meet basic grooming needs.

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The Dirty Dawg was born out of necessity for our own dog’s dirty paws. Living on a farm, our dogs are no strangers to mud and dirt. As longtime Boxer parents, we have been lucky to have dogs with short coats and low maintenance grooming needs, making baths for the most part easy at our house. However, it wasn’t until our daughter brought a Corgi into our family that we quickly realized the value of a self-service dog wash. The first time we took him to one, he must have left behind what looked like 10 pounds of undercoat! We fell in love with the idea of having the ability to give him a full bath and blow dry ourselves, without the hassle and mess of the cleanup afterwards – and with that much hair, no concern with clogging up a drain not adept to handling it.

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And with that, an idea was born. We believe self-service dog washes are the “hidden gem” of the industry and have great potential to change the way pet owners view grooming. A quick and easy bathe, brush, and blowout no longer requires the hassle of booking an appointment or worrying about your dog’s anxiety while away with a groomer. Come to The Dirty Dawg at your own convenience, on your own time, and have the added bonus of even more bonding time with your best friend. Not to mention, making regular baths an easier part of your routine which contributes to their overall health and happiness.

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In addition to the self-serve grooming stations, we are excited to offer a “boutique” style selection of pet food, treats, and supplies. Our goal is to have a curated selection of items that we know our customers, both two-legged and four-legged, will love. As our store grows, we hope to continue to adapt the selections we provide based off our customers needs and wants, and to always keep our inventory fresh and exciting.

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With Becky’s Veterinary Technician experience and passion for animals, safety and efficiency is of the utmost importance to us. We strive to create a fun and relaxing environment where dog owners can bond with their dogs and create positive experiences. We believe a healthy dog is a happy dog, and grooming plays a large role in your dog’s overall health and well-being.

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We are thrilled to bring this business to Thurmont and its surrounding communities, where we call home. We know that there is no better place to be apart of the small business community than right here in Thurmont.

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We hope you’ll take full advantage of The Dirty Dawg experience. We can’t wait to see you and your dirty dawgs!

OUR DOGS

Meet the dogs behind our Dirty Dawg inspiration! Pop into the shop and you may see them from time to time, or find them all over our social media pages.

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TUCKER

Age: 9

Breed: Boxer

Favorite Toy: Rubber Chicken

Favorite part about bath time: Rolling on the floor afterwards

Tucker is now our resident "old man" and our source of pure entertainment! He may not be able to see or hear as well as he used to, but everyone who meets Tucker can't help but love him.

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RHETT

Age: 3

Breed: Boxer

Favorite Toy: Anything that squeaks

Favorite part about bath time: All of it!

"Rhett Butler" is our distinguished clown. He has quite the personality and absolutely loves attention from his parents. Rhett recently finished a successful AKC show career and finished his Championship title after traveling around the country on the show circuit. Now Rhett gets to run happily on the farm and annoy Tucker as much as he pleases!

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MOWGLI

Age: 6

Breed: Cardigan Welsh Corgi

Favorite Toy: "Hedgie" the Hedgehog

Favorite part about bath time: The blow-dryer 

Brains and beauty...don't let Mowgli's small size fool you, he is the boss around here! The infamous hairy monster himself who started our love for self-service dog washes has a knack for getting dirty. Mowgli loves all things water, ice, snow, mud, and sand and gets his fill of it where he currently resides with our daughter Taylor on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

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GAMBINO

Age: 3

Breed: Great Dane

Favorite Toy: Dinosaur

Favorite part about bath time: Towel drying

We've come to learn that bathing an extra-large dog is no easy feat, so Gambino has played a role in how we've designed our wash stations to ensure we are big-dog friendly. Gambino is our giant goof, who loves nothing more than snuggling with his humans and watching sports on TV. Gambino also resides on the Eastern Shore with Taylor and loves summertime Jeep rides with the top off.

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