How to choose a dog groomer

Weigh your dog, or read the weight off the last vet bill, because most groomers price by size and the bands matter. At Dogtown they are up to 25 pounds, 26 to 50, 51 to 90, and over 90, with a separate line for extra-large long-haired dogs. Then part the coat at the ears, armpits, collar line and the backs of the legs. Mats you can feel in those spots will change both the time and the price, so it is better to know before you call.

Write a short history as well. When was the last groom, and how did it go? Does your dog mind its feet, its face, the dryer or the tub? Has it ever snapped at a groomer or a vet? Note skin problems, sore joints and any breathing trouble, since short-nosed breeds handle heat poorly. A groomer can only plan for what you tell them, and a two-line note at booking changes how the first appointment is set up.

The base price buys a defined job for a dog of a given size. At Dogtown, a bath means a warm bath, blow-dry and brush-out, and a full service adds a breed-specific or custom haircut. Add-ons are fixed extras you choose, such as a nail clip or a sanitary trim. The lines that move are the time-based ones: de-matting at $15 per 20 minutes and the handling surcharge. Those are where two quotes for the same dog can drift apart.

Read the small print too. Our full-service price is confirmed at check-in after a coat assessment, because a matted coat is a different job from a brushed one. A $10 cancellation fee applies to grooming appointments cancelled without notice, and rebooking at pick-up takes $5 off the next service. If a groomer's list has no line for mats or handling, ask how those are charged before you book, not at the counter.

Most dogs can be booked straight into the online calendar or the Dogtown app, with no evaluation needed for grooming. A few are worth a call to 978 491-5922 first: a heavily matted coat, a dog with a bite history or a groom that ended badly, a short-nosed breed, a senior with joint or heart trouble, or a puppy's very first visit. We plan the slot and the handling before the day rather than discovering the problem on the table.

If your dog already comes to Dogtown, a bath or full service can be added to a daycare day or the end of an overnight stay at 210 Eastern Ave, so there is no separate trip. From Rockport, Essex or Manchester-by-the-Sea, the Pup Van brings daycare and overnight dogs in for $10 each way, and the groom fits around the visit. Bundles on an overnight stay take 10 or 15 percent off grooming.