Jackie and Mario Sandoval are a dog friendly couple. So is their place of business, Dirty Hairy Dog Wash. Totally. The self-serve dog wash sits warm and friendly like between Kwal Paint and Over The Top Linen Rental on the east side of Durham Drive.

You’ll know what I mean by "dog friendly" when you see the place. I smiled.

Their brochure opens with the most obvious question first.

WHAT IS A SELF-SERVE DOG WASH? A facility that offers dog owners the ability to wash their dogs without the high cost of grooming and without the nuisance and mess of washing them at home. All the dog owner needs to bring is a leashed dog. The dogs are safely secured in the tub, the owner easily washes and grooms their dog, and the mess is left behind to be cleaned up by someone else!

According to many of the customers I talked with last Saturday, this latter point was a huge plus.

Their tubs (seven total) green in color, are custom built and can accommodate dogs up to 250 pounds. When I commented on how inviting they looked, Mario said, “We didn’t want metal. If we’d put metal tubs in here, it would be like walking into a vet’s office.”

You won’t see any dog crates either. Instead, they offer a “Leash-free” 1,000-square-foot indoor play area with rubber flooring that opens to an outside area with draining pet grass.

Dirty Hairy Dog Wash feels as friendly on the inside as it looks on the outside. As the saying goes, “It starts at the top.” For owners, Jackie and Mario Sandoval, it comes from the heart too.

The two grew up in Houston and were high-school sweethearts. Later, Mario attended Austin Community College, while Jackie enrolled at the University of Texas where she received a degree in mathematics. After college, they moved to San Diego.

“We loved being close to the beach,” Mario explained. “We’d take our dogs down there and then go to the dog wash.”

The couple moved back to Houston because Mario said, “It’s a lot easier to buy a house and raise kids here.” They always knew they wanted to be in the dog business. After extensive research by Jackie, the two opened Dirty Hairy Dog Wash a year ago last November. Their daughter, Haleah, was born one month earlier.

“We didn’t know who was coming first,” Jackie laughed.

No Doggie Drama

For $15 you get everything. The tub, aprons, shampoo and conditioner (all natural), towels, ear cleanser and wipes, brushes and combs, and a blueberry facial, which Molly, a Pyrenees and Retriever mix, especially loved according to her owner.

“She feels relaxed here,” Ben said. "And she’s always happy when she leaves.”

This was seemingly true too for Adicus, a 14-month-old Weimaraner. “This is his first time here,” his owner Becca told me, “And he hates baths. He’s actually being calm!”

He looked not only calm but also content.

Another first-time customer had this to say while bathing sweet, Ronnie.

“You don’t have to bend over,” Joan said, “They have nice hoses. It’s just a nice set-up here.”

After Ronnie’s bath, Joan and Kate moved her to the grooming table. The end result was one squeaky clean, happy family.

Anna and Darcey brought Cocoa for other reasons. "Groomers are a little rough,” Darcey said. “Cocoa is 13 years old and she’s had cancer.”

With a tender and loving touch, Darcey took her time with Cocoa, all of which the Cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle mix) appeared to enjoy and appreciate.

I met Piper during his fourth trip to Dirty Hairy Dog Wash. Owner Mat was giving this happy camper a shave.

“I like doing it myself, plus it’s a lot cheaper,” Mat said. “I’d spend 80 to 90 bucks having him shaved at the groomers. Here, it’s $12 and it takes me an hour.” Clearly, Piper looked to be diggin’ it.

The last dog I met at Dirty Hairy’s was Lucian, a German shepherd. This was Lucian’s third visit his owner, Lance reported. When I asked him why, Lance gave several reasons. The last one said it all.

“It’s spacious, clean, there’s good ventilation so it doesn’t smell like dirty dog and the owners are very friendly people.

"It’s an owner run kind of shop. They’re here and they care about the animals.”