North Shore grooming
Dog groomer on the North Shore, MA
A good groomer is worth a drive, and from most of the North Shore the drive to Gloucester is Route 128 to its end. This page sets out the exact size bands and add-on prices, how a groom runs from check-in to pick-up, and how to fold a groom into a daycare day so one trip does two jobs.
Who books
North Shore owners book a Gloucester groom when the coat needs real work or the dog is already here for daycare
From Beverly, Danvers, Peabody and Salem, the trip is 25 to 35 minutes up Route 128 outside rush hour, by our estimate. That is a drive worth making for a full-service groom on a doodle, a Bernese or a long-coated mix, where the cut matters, or for a nervous dog who needs a slower appointment under the $20 behavior and handling surcharge for extra time and hands. A nail trim on its own is $16, but if you are driving in, pair it with a bath.
From Ipswich and Essex, Route 133 brings in dogs who spend the off-season on the sand. Crane Beach in Ipswich admits dogs from October 1 to March 31, and sand and salt work deep into a double coat; a bath with Shed Release at $10 lifts out what the brush at home misses. Cape Ann dogs from Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea are closer, 10 to 20 minutes away, and a groom can ride along on a daycare day so the Pup Van does the driving.
- Long and curly coats that need a cut, priced by weight band
- Nervous dogs who need the $20 handling time
- Beach dogs from Ipswich and Cape Ann with sand in the undercoat
- Daycare regulars who can be groomed during the day
Price by size
Baths run $55 to $95 and full-service grooms $75 to $120, set by your dog's weight
Weight sets the band. A bath, meaning a warm bath, blow-dry and brush-out, costs $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, $65 from 26 to 50, $75 from 51 to 90 and $85 over 90, with a separate $95 band for extra-large dogs with long hair. Full service adds a breed-specific or custom haircut at $75, $85, $110 and $120 across the four weight bands. The final full-service price is confirmed at check-in after a coat assessment, so a coat that has grown out or matted is priced on what the groomer sees.
Add-ons sit on top of either service. Nail clipping is $16; teeth brushing, a face trim and a sanitary trim are $10 each; Shed Release is $10; whitening or an antiseptic or fungal shampoo is $8; anal gland expression is $40; and dematting is $15 per 20 minutes. Book your next appointment at pick-up and you save $5 on it. A grooming appointment cancelled without notice carries a $10 fee.
| Weight | Bath | Full service |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 lb | $55 | $75 |
| 26 to 50 lb | $65 | $85 |
| 51 to 90 lb | $75 | $110 |
| Over 90 lb | $85 | $120 |
| Extra large, long hair | $95 | Ask the front desk |
The appointment
A groom runs check-in, coat assessment, bath and dry, then the cut and the details
Every appointment starts with your dog's coat in front of us. The check-in assessment is where the full-service price is confirmed, where mats are found before any water goes on, and where you say what you want: a breed-standard cut, a shorter trim for summer, or a photo you have brought along. Then comes the bath, the blow-dry and the brush-out, and for full service the haircut. Add-ons such as nails, teeth or a sanitary trim happen in the same session.
Time on the table varies with the coat, the size and how relaxed the dog is, so ask the front desk for a realistic pick-up time when you book. Our groomers pace each step to the dog's comfort, and a dog who finds the table hard gets more time and a second pair of hands under the $20 handling surcharge instead of a rushed groom. At pick-up, book the next appointment on the spot to take $5 off it.
- 01
Book online, in the Dogtown app or by phone; no evaluation needed
- 02
Check in and describe the cut you want
- 03
Coat assessment confirms the full-service price
- 04
Warm bath, blow-dry and brush-out
- 05
Haircut for full service, then any nails, teeth or trims you added
- 06
Pick up and rebook for $5 off the next service
No evaluation, one trip
Grooming is the one service with no evaluation, and a daycare dog can be groomed without a second drive
The free evaluation is about how a dog does in a playgroup, and daycare, Dogtown Academy, overnight stays and walks all require it. A groom is one dog and one groomer, and it is not required. A North Shore dog who has never set foot in Dogtown can be booked for a bath tomorrow, online through MoeGo or in the app, with nothing to arrange first. Tell us about any health or handling issues when you book, so the right time is set aside.
If your dog already comes for daycare, the groom can happen during the day. Add it when you book, and your dog plays, gets groomed and goes home clean from the same drop-off. An overnight guest can be groomed the same way on its final day. Unlimited daycare members take 15 percent off grooming, and overnight guests on the Dogtown Classic or Deluxe bundle take 10 or 15 percent off, which adds up for a doodle on a regular schedule.
- No evaluation: book a first groom online today
- Groom during a daycare day: one drop-off, one pick-up
- Groom on the last day of an overnight stay
- 15 percent off grooming for unlimited members
The studio and the route
The studio is inside our Eastern Ave building, a short drive from the end of Route 128
Dogtown Grooming is a dedicated studio inside the same 10,000 square foot building as the play floors, the turf yard and the overnight suites, with cats groomed separately in a quiet space away from the dogs. That layout is why a groom fits inside a daycare day: your dog never leaves the building. Hours are Monday to Friday 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM; Sunday is reserved for overnight-stay pick-up and drop-off.
From Beverly, Danvers, Peabody and Salem take Route 128 north to its end; from Ipswich take Route 133 through Essex and join Route 128 in West Gloucester. The Pup Van runs for daycare, Academy and overnight stays in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea at $10 each way. For a groom-only visit, ask the front desk whether the van can be added, and if not, plan on bringing your dog in yourself.
At Dogtown
Grooming, and the services it pairs with
The grooming studio first, then the daycare day and the overnight stay a groom can ride along with.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does a first groom need the free evaluation?
Which price band is my dog in?
Can my dog be groomed during daycare if we drive in from Beverly?
My dog panics on the grooming table. Will you still groom him?
Is there a charge if I cancel a grooming appointment?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
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
Book a groom online, no evaluation needed.
Pick the size band, add nails or Shed Release, and choose a weekday or a Saturday. Rebook at pick-up and save $5.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
