Notes from the studio
Tick season notes from the grooming table
The grooming studio at 210 Eastern Ave sees Cape Ann's seasons in the coat. Spring brings mud and the shed, summer brings sand and salt, and from the first warm April week to the last mild day in November, the brush-out turns up ticks.
The season
Ticks show up from April to November, with the trail dogs first
The first ticks of the year arrive on the dogs who walk Dogtown Common, Ravenswood Park and the Essex woods, usually in April when the ground thaws. By May the beach dogs bring them in from the dune grass at Wingaersheek before the beaches close. Ticks stay active in mild weather, so a warm week in November keeps the season open.
Long, dense coats hide ticks longest. Doodles, Bernese and Australian shepherds come through the studio with ticks that have been attached for days under the ruff or behind the elbows, while a Lab's short coat shows them quickly. That is why the brush-out matters as much as the bath: hands find what eyes miss.
- April to November, longer in a mild fall
- Trail dogs first, beach dogs by May
- Dense coats hide ticks longest
Where we find them
Ears, collar line, toes, armpits and tail: the same map the CDC uses
Our groomers work the same map the CDC publishes for checking a dog after time outside: in and around the ears, under the collar, under the front legs, between the back legs, between the toes and around the tail. Ticks look for thin skin and cover, so the ear fold and the toe webbing are where we find them most.
A tick found at the table is pointed out at pick-up so you can tell your vet where it was and roughly how long it may have been attached. The AVMA's guidance on external parasites is the reference we send families to; the prevention product and the schedule are a decision for you and your vet.
- 01
Run flat fingers through the coat against the grain, ears first
- 02
Lift the collar and check the skin under it
- 03
Spread each toe and look at the webbing
- 04
Check under the front legs, between the back legs and around the tail
- 05
Note anything attached and call your vet
The groom
A bath from $55 includes the brush-out where ticks are found
A bath-only visit is $55 for a dog up to 25 pounds, rising by size to $95 for an extra-large dog with long hair, and it includes the warm wash, blow-dry and brush-out. A full service groom starts at $75 and adds the haircut, which on a thick coat is when a groomer sees the skin properly.
Spring is also shed season, and Shed Release at $10 thins the undercoat where ticks hide. An antiseptic shampoo at $8 helps skin scratched raw by a bite, and a face trim at $10 clears the fringe around the ears. Book a groom onto a daycare day or an overnight stay so it happens while your dog is already here.
- Bath from $55, full service from $75, no evaluation
- Shed Release $10 thins the undercoat in spring
- Book onto a daycare day so the check happens while the dog is here
At home
A quick check after every trail walk beats a monthly groom
The grooming table is a backstop, not a plan. A dog who walks Dogtown Common on Saturday should be checked on Saturday, because ticks attach quickly and a check the same evening finds them before they settle in. The how-to guides on this site cover the check after Dogtown Common and removing a tick.
Daycare dogs spend their day on turf and indoor floors rather than in the woods, and our handlers see enough dogs to notice a tick on a short coat at drop-off. Even so, the job sits at home and with your vet: a prevention product, a check after the woods, and a groom when the coat gets thick.
At Dogtown
The groom behind the check
Baths and full grooms by size, no evaluation, bookable onto a daycare day.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Will Dogtown's groomer remove a tick they find?
When does tick season end on Cape Ann?
Does a bath kill ticks?
Which Cape Ann walks bring in the most ticks?
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 tick-season groom.
Baths from $55 and full grooms from $75 include the brush-out where ticks are found. 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
