Beagle grooming
Beagle grooming in Gloucester, MA
The AKC says Beagles do not drool or have a doggy odor, which surprises any owner whose Beagle has just come out of the woods. The coat is a short hound coat that sheds more than it looks, the ears hang low and long, and the smell is usually something the nose found. This page covers all three, and the prices.
The coat
A close, hard hound coat that thickens for winter and sheds out in spring
The breed standard asks for a close, hard hound coat of medium length. The AKC calls it a smooth, dense double coat that gets heavier in winter, which makes spring the shedding season, and adds that Beagles shed moderately all year. Short hair from a dense double coat goes everywhere, which is why owners of a smooth little hound often find more hair around the house than they bargained for.
Size sets the price. The AKC recognizes two varieties: Beagles 13 inches and under at under 20 pounds, and those from 13 to 15 inches at 20 to 30 pounds. Most fall in our up-to-25-pound band at $55 for the bath, and a big 15-inch Beagle over 25 pounds pays $65. Shed Release, $10, is worth adding in spring, when the winter undercoat lets go.
- Coat: close, hard and dense, a double coat
- Winter: grows heavier
- Spring: the main shedding season
- Year-round: moderate shedding
The smell
A Beagle barely smells on its own; what it rolled in after the woods does
The AKC's breed notes say Beagles do not have a doggy odor and do not need bathing often unless they get into something particularly messy. A scent hound gets into something messy regularly. The nose that leads it along a trail in Ravenswood Park or Dogtown Common also leads it to whatever died there, and a Beagle that rolls in it comes home wearing it. That is when a bath earns its $55.
If the smell comes back within days, or seems to come from the head rather than the coat, look at the ears and the skin before booking another bath. A sour or yeasty ear, redness or constant scratching is a vet visit, not a grooming one. Skunk is its own job, and our how-to on getting skunk smell off a dog covers the first hour at home. Then book the bath, and tell us at check-in what your dog met.
- Rolled in something: book the bath
- Smell back within days: check the ears and skin
- Red, sore or yeasty ears: see your vet
- Skunk: start at home, then bathe
The ears
Long, low ears get a weekly look at home and a word at booking if they are sore
The breed standard describes ears set moderately low and long enough, drawn out, to reach nearly to the end of the nose, fine in texture and hanging close to the head. The AKC says to check a Beagle's ears weekly. Ears built like that sweep through wet grass and leaf litter on every walk, so the inside of the flap is where dirt, seeds and ticks turn up first.
Tell us at booking if your Beagle has an ear infection under treatment, so the groomer knows to keep water out of the ears and leave the canal to your vet. Between visits, a look inside once a week is enough for a healthy ear: pale skin, little wax, no strong smell. Our how-to on cleaning your dog's ears covers what to do after a swim or a winter beach walk.
Price and timing
$55 or $65 for the bath, $16 for nails, and Shed Release in spring
A Beagle up to 25 pounds pays $55 for the bath and one over 25 pays $65, with the groomer confirming the band at check-in. Nail clipping is $16; the AKC says overly long nails can cause pain and problems walking and running, and a Beagle that walks on soft woodland paths may not wear them down. Teeth brushing is $10, and the AKC suggests regular brushing at home too.
Book around the coat's calendar: a bath with Shed Release as the spring shed begins, another after any memorable roll, and nails every visit. Skipping a bath costs a Beagle little in coat, since a short coat does not mat; the cost is hair at home and nails that grow long between visits. Rebook at the counter and the next bath is $5 less. Unlimited daycare members save 15 percent on every groom.
| Beagle visit | Up to 25 lb | 26 to 50 lb |
|---|---|---|
| Bath: warm wash, blow-dry, brush-out | $55 | $65 |
| Bath with Shed Release | $65 | $75 |
| Nail clipping | $16 | $16 |
| Teeth brushing | $10 | $10 |
| Full service, rarely needed on a Beagle | $75 | $85 |
At home
Between baths, a weekly hound glove and a tick check after every woods walk
The AKC suggests weekly brushing with a medium-bristle brush, a rubber grooming mitt or a hound glove, which removes loose hair and encourages new growth. Do it outdoors in spring. The same weekly session is the time to lift each ear, look inside and check the nails; if you can hear them on the kitchen floor, they are due for a trim.
Cape Ann's woods are a Beagle's favorite place, and a tick's. The CDC's prevention advice includes examining pets after time outdoors, since ticks can ride into the house on them. From April to November, check the ears, the neck and between the toes after Dogtown Common or Ravenswood. On daycare days the Pup Van brings dogs from Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way, and the bath can be waiting at the end of the day.
- 01
Brush outdoors once a week with a hound glove or rubber mitt
- 02
Lift each ear and look inside for dirt, redness or ticks
- 03
Run your hands along the neck, legs and between the toes for ticks
- 04
Wipe the coat with a damp cloth after a muddy walk
- 05
Book a bath when the dog has rolled in something
- 06
Check the nails and book a $16 trim when they click
At Dogtown
Where a Beagle's bath fits
A stand-alone bath, or one at the end of a daycare day with the Pup Van covering Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Pick-up & drop-off
The Pup Van comes to you.
Pup Van pick-up and drop-off is available for $10 each way in the Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea area. Not in the area? Ask us for pricing.
- Rockport
- Gloucester
- Essex
- Manchester-by-the-Sea
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Why does my Beagle smell?
Does a Beagle need a haircut?
When is the best time to book Shed Release for a Beagle?
How often should a Beagle's ears be checked?
Can my Beagle have a bath after daycare?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- AKC: Beagle
- AKC: official standard of the Beagle
- CDC: preventing tick bites
- The Trustees: Ravenswood Park
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
From the woods to clean.
Bath $55 or $65 by weight, nails $16, Shed Release $10 in spring. Book online or in the Dogtown app; no evaluation needed.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
