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Grooming day
How to prepare a dog for a grooming appointment
A groom goes best when the dog arrives settled and the groomer arrives informed. The groomer can read a coat; what they cannot see through the fur is the hot spot your dog licks at night, the hip that is stiff in the morning or the ear it guards. This page is the week-before plan, the grooming-morning routine and the note that turns a first visit into a planned one.
Before you start
In the week before, brush what comes out easily and leave the tight mats for the groomer
The ASPCA advises brushing before any bath to remove dead hair and mats, and it sets the rhythm by coat: about once a week for smooth, short coats and for short, dense fur, and daily attention for long, silky coats. In the week before a groom, a few short sessions with a slicker brush over the easy ground, the back, the chest and the outside of the legs, shorten the time on the table and show you where the trouble is.
Stop at any knot that pulls the skin. A mat that will not tease out is a job for the groomer, and scissors near the skin can cut it. At Dogtown, dematting is priced openly at $15 per 20 minutes, so a booking note that says where the mats are lets the studio hold the right length of slot. Treat this week as a survey rather than a finish: where the knots sit, how large they are, and whether your dog flinches when you touch them.
- A slicker brush over the easy areas, a few minutes at a time
- Knots that pull the skin left alone and written down
- Behind the ears, the armpits and the collar line checked by hand
- Nails that click on the kitchen floor noted for the booking
The steps
On grooming morning, walk, skip the bath and hand over a note: seven steps
The AKC's handling advice says touch goes down best when a dog is calm and tired, such as after a walk or a play session, and a groom is a long stretch of touch. A steady walk before you leave gives your dog a bathroom break, a good sniff and a calmer start in the studio. Keep it moderate: the aim is a dog that is settled, not one that arrives panting and overheated on a warm morning.
Choose the walk with Cape Ann in mind. From October 1, Gloucester's beaches reopen to dogs, Good Harbor on even-numbered days and Wingaersheek on odd ones, but grooming morning is the wrong day for a swim: wet sand and salt packed into a coat only add drying time. A dry loop around the block suits the day better, and the beach can be the reward afterward. In tick season, April to November, run your hands over the coat before you leave and mention any tick you find.
- 01
Feed breakfast at the usual time and keep it ordinary; grooming morning is not the day for a new chew or an unfamiliar treat.
- 02
Walk long enough for a bathroom break and some sniffing, on dry ground rather than the beach.
- 03
Skip the bath at home, because a damp coat means longer under the dryer.
- 04
Run your hands over the coat once more and finish the note: mats, sore spots, lumps, skin problems, past reactions and the look you want, with a photo if you have one.
- 05
Arrive on time with a leash and a secure collar or harness, and keep the greeting at the counter short.
- 06
Hand over the note and the best number to reach you, mention anything that changed since you booked, then leave without a long goodbye.
- 07
At pick-up, check the skin, nails, ears and mood, and book the next groom before you leave to save $5.
Tender spots
Tell the groomer about every tender spot in writing, because fur hides most of them
The ASPCA lists swellings, lumps and skin discoloration among the signs of skin trouble and advises booking a vet exam as soon as you notice an abnormality in the skin or hair. A groomer is not a vet, but a groomer who knows about a lump will work around it rather than run clippers over it, and one who knows about a sore hip will not ask your dog to hold a leg up for long. For each spot, write where it is, how long it has been there and whether your vet has seen it.
Add the handling history. The AKC suggests asking anyone who trims nails how much physical restraint they will use, and warns that too much force can leave a dog resisting the process for life. Tell the groomer about a past nick, a snap at the dryer or a panic in the tub, so the first groom is planned around it. At Dogtown, dogs that need slower, more careful handling carry a $20 behavior or handling surcharge for the extra time and hands, and the full-service price is confirmed at check-in after a coat assessment.
- Lumps, bumps and scabs, with their location
- Sore joints, a stiff back or a recent injury
- Ears, paws or a tail your dog guards
- Skin conditions and any shampoo your vet wants used
- Past reactions to dryers, tubs, clippers or nail trims
Mistakes we see
The mistakes we see are the night-before bath, the scissors and handling that comes as a surprise
The night-before bath is meant kindly and helps nobody: the dog arrives damp, the knots have had a night to set, and the groomer washes it again anyway. Cutting a mat out with scissors is the second mistake, because the skin under a mat sits closer to the blade than it looks. The third is a dog that has never had its feet held meeting a stranger who needs to hold all four in one session.
That last one improves within a week. The AKC's handling plan is simple: stroke and gently squeeze each paw, look at the pads, touch the nails, lift and rub the ears, look in the mouth, stroke the belly and lift the tail, pairing each touch with praise or a treat. If your dog seems uncomfortable, you moved too far, too fast, so step back. Pair the buzz of a clipper or grinder with food long before nails are done for real.
- Bathing at home the night before
- Scissors anywhere near a mat
- No handling practice before a first groom
- A sore spot left out of the note
When to call us
Call before booking if the coat is matted to the skin, your dog has bitten, or a lump is new
Most dogs can be booked straight into the online calendar or the Dogtown app, because grooming needs no evaluation. Call 978 491-5922 first if the coat is matted down to the skin, if your dog has bitten or panicked at a past groom, if it is a senior with joint or heart trouble, or if a lump or sore has appeared since the last visit. A new lump belongs at the vet before it reaches the grooming table.
Grooming is priced by size: a bath runs $55 to $95 and a full service $75 to $120, with nail clipping at $16, a sanitary trim at $10 and Shed Release at $10 as add-ons. A $10 fee applies when a grooming appointment is cancelled without notice, so call if the morning goes wrong. Daycare and overnight dogs can have a groom booked into their time at 210 Eastern Ave, and the Pup Van brings them from Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way.
At Dogtown
The studio and the day around it
Baths and full-service grooms priced by size, add-ons from $10, and grooms booked into a daycare day or an overnight stay.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Should I bathe my dog before a grooming appointment?
Should I walk my dog before the groomer?
Can I cut out mats myself before the appointment?
What should I tell the groomer at drop-off?
Does my dog need an evaluation before a groom at Dogtown?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- ASPCA: dog grooming tips
- AKC: preventing body sensitivity
- AKC: expert tips on grooming feet, eyes and ears
- City of Gloucester: beaches
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
A settled dog and a clear note.
Book a bath or full service online or in the Dogtown app, with no evaluation needed, and add your note about mats, tender spots and handling.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
