Big dogs
Large and extra-large dog grooming: Bernese, Newfoundlands and giants
A 110-pound Newfoundland is not a large lab. The bath takes twice as long, the dry takes three times as long, and the dog has to get onto a table without anyone getting hurt. This page is for owners of big and giant dogs who want to know how we handle them, and what it costs.
Who this is for
Bernese, Newfoundlands, Saints, shepherds, big doodles and the mixes in between
The over-50-pound bands cover most of the dogs in our playgroups: labs and goldens, German and Australian shepherds, huskies, Bernese mountain dogs, standard poodles and standard-sized goldendoodles and bernedoodles. The extra-large band, over 90 pounds, is where the giants sit: Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards, Great Pyrenees, mastiffs and the biggest Bernese. The $95 extra-large long-hair bath exists specifically for the Newfoundland and the long-coated Bernese, whose coats hold gallons of water.
Big dogs bring specific problems to the table. Their undercoat is dense and slow to dry. Their weight means a hydraulic table and two people for an older or sore dog. Their feet grow tufts of hair between the pads that trap ice and sand. And a giant who does not like the tub cannot simply be lifted in. We groom these dogs every week, and this page tells you plainly how.
- Labs, goldens, shepherds and huskies in the 51 to 90 pound band
- Bernese, Newfoundlands, Saints, Pyrenees and mastiffs over 90 pounds
- Standard poodles, goldendoodles and bernedoodles at full size
- Older large dogs who need help onto the table
The appointment
Three to four hours, most of it drying
A big dog's groom runs three to four hours, and the dryer accounts for most of it. A Bernese coat that looks dry on the surface is still wet at the skin for a long time, and a coat sent home damp will smell and can mat at the collar and hips. So we dry in sections with a high-velocity dryer, lifting the coat in layers, then finish with a brush-out that reaches the skin. Big dogs rest on the floor between stages when they need to; there is no reason a giant should stand for four hours.
For the bath, the tub has a ramp so a dog walks in rather than being lifted. The hydraulic table comes down for the dog to step onto and rises for the groomer's back. Two groomers work on the biggest dogs, one at the head. Full service adds the haircut: for Bernese and Newfoundlands that usually means a tidy rather than a clip, with the feet, hocks, ears and sanitary area cleaned up and the feathering shaped. We do not shave a healthy double coat.
- 01
Drop off at a window; tell us about hips, elbows or any spot the dog dislikes being handled
- 02
Walk-in tub with a ramp, then a warm wash and a conditioner for the undercoat
- 03
Sectional high-velocity dry down to the skin, with floor breaks for the dog
- 04
Brush-out and undercoat rake, Shed Release if booked
- 05
Feet, hocks, ears and sanitary trimmed; a fuller haircut if you have booked full service
- 06
Nails and teeth if added, then a final brush and pick-up
Price
$75 to $95 for a bath, $110 to $120 for a full groom
A bath for a dog of 51 to 90 pounds is $75, for a dog over 90 pounds $85, and for an extra-large dog with long hair $95. Full service, which includes the bath and a haircut or tidy, is $110 for 51 to 90 pounds and $120 over 90 pounds. Shed Release is $10 and is the add-on most big-dog owners choose in spring and fall. Nail clipping is $16 and matters more on a heavy dog, whose weight lands hard on overgrown nails.
De-matting is $15 per 20 minutes, and on a Bernese or Newfoundland the mats form behind the ears, in the feathering on the legs and under the collar. A giant who needs slower handling or a second groomer for safety carries the $20 behavior or handling surcharge, which we tell you about at check-in. Final prices are confirmed after a coat assessment. Rebook at the desk when you collect your dog and $5 comes off the next groom.
| Size | Bath only | Full service |
|---|---|---|
| Large, 51 to 90 lb | $75 | $110 |
| Extra large, over 90 lb | $85 | $120 |
| Extra large, long hair (Newfoundland, long-coated Bernese) | $95 | $120 |
| Shed Release add-on | $10 | $10 |
| De-matting | $15 per 20 minutes | $15 per 20 minutes |
Why here
A studio, a hydraulic table and groomers who lift properly
Big dogs need space, equipment and time, and a van or a small salon has trouble with all three. Our grooming studio is inside a 10,000 square foot building, with a walk-in tub, a hydraulic table and a floor a Newfoundland can lie down on between stages. Our groomers are used to the Bernese and the big bernedoodles that Cape Ann seems to breed, and they know how to move a 120-pound dog without anyone's back or hips paying for it.
Because the studio sits beside the daycare floors, a large dog who comes for daycare is groomed on a day it is already here, after the morning playgroup, and returns to a rest spot rather than a crate. That matters for a giant breed, which tires and overheats faster than a smaller dog; the groom happens in the cool of the building and the dog never waits in a car. Overnight guests can be bathed and dried on their last day so they go home fresh.
- Walk-in tub with a ramp and a hydraulic table
- Two groomers on the biggest dogs, one always at the head
- Floor rests between stages for seniors and giants
- Grooming on a daycare day so a big dog is not moved twice
Getting here
Windows, the Pup Van and the winter coat problem on Cape Ann
Drop-off windows are 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM on weekdays and 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM on Saturdays. Given a three- to four-hour groom, the morning window works best for a large dog. The Pup Van will fetch a big dog in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea for $10 each way; tell the desk your dog's size when you book so the van is planned for it.
A Bernese or a Newfoundland on Cape Ann lives outside in the season that ruins coats. Beach months run October 1 to April 30 on Gloucester's beaches and October 15 to April 14 at Singing Beach, and a giant who swims in February comes home with a coat that will not dry on its own. Ice balls form in the foot hair on a Dogtown Common walk, and road salt sits in the feathering. A winter schedule of a bath every six to eight weeks, with the feet trimmed, is what our groomers suggest for the big coats.
At Dogtown
Grooming for the big dogs, and the day around it
The studio built for a Newfoundland, plus the daycare day and the overnight stay a big groom can be folded into.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
How do you get a 120-pound dog onto the grooming table?
Do you shave Bernese or Newfoundlands for the summer?
How long does a large dog groom take?
Which price band is my dog in?
Can my big dog be groomed during a daycare day?
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 the big groom.
Choose a bath or a full-service groom for your dog's size online or in the Dogtown app, tell us about any sore joints, and drop off in the morning window. No evaluation for grooming.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
