Do dogs need haircuts in winter?

The answer depends on the kind of coat your dog carries. Poodles, doodles, bichons, Shih Tzus, Maltese and schnauzers grow hair that keeps lengthening until someone cuts it, so a winter without a groom simply means a longer coat by spring, and usually a tangled one. Huskies, malamutes, Samoyeds, Bernese mountain dogs and other double-coated breeds are different: their coat stops at a set length and insulates them as it is. They need brushing and bathing through the winter, not a haircut.

The AKC's advice on winter coats notes that a dog whose coat has been shaved or clipped will not have its natural insulation, and its guidance on shaving says single-coated dogs may benefit from an occasional professional clip as long as the coat is not taken down to the skin. Put together, that is the winter rule for a growing coat: keep cutting it, but leave more length than you would in July. A very short clip in January is the version to avoid.

Winter is wet on the North Shore. Slush soaks the legs and belly on every walk, snow melts into the coat on the sofa, and from October 1 the Gloucester beaches reopen to dogs under the city's rules: at the time of writing Good Harbor allows them on even-numbered days through March 31 and Wingaersheek on odd-numbered days through April 30. A long coat that goes in the ocean in February and dries slowly on the drive home tightens into mats along the legs, behind the ears and under the collar.

The AKC's guidance on drying says a thorough dry keeps a dog warm and prevents mats, tangles and the bacteria growth that can lead to skin infections, and it advises pressing a towel into the coat rather than rubbing, because rubbing builds tangles. A moderate winter length holds less water than a long one, so it dries faster after every walk. The AKC also notes that short-legged dogs' bellies get wet touching snow and ice, which can chill them, another reason to keep the belly tidy.

A haircut at Dogtown is the full service: a warm bath, a blow-dry and a breed-specific or custom cut, priced by weight at $75 up to 25 pounds, $85 for 26 to 50, $110 for 51 to 90 and $120 over 90. Tell the groomer at check-in that you want a winter length and which problems you had last year, such as snowballs on the legs or mats under a sweater. The final price is confirmed after the coat assessment, and any de-matting is $15 per 20 minutes.

Grooming needs no evaluation, so you can book online or in the Dogtown app straight away, and rebooking at pick-up takes $5 off the next visit. On snowy weeks a groom can sit inside a daycare day once your dog has passed the free evaluation, and the Pup Van collects and returns dogs in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way. Unlimited daycare members take 15 percent off grooming all winter.