Leonberger grooming in Gloucester, MA

The breed standard describes a medium to long, water-resistant double coat on the body and short, fine hair on the muzzle and the front of the legs. The outer coat is medium-soft to coarse and lies flat; the undercoat is soft and dense, though it may be thinner in summer or in warmer climates. Mature males carry a mane over the neck and chest, and their coat is typically longer than a female's. The ears have some feathering, the legs ample feathering, and the tail is very well furnished.

The AKC is blunt about what that coat does: Leonbergers shed a lot, and twice a year they shed even more. It names the places that tend to mat, the long hair behind the ears and on the backs of the legs, and recommends a daily brush plus a more thorough grooming once a week, which on a dog this size takes a fair amount of time. On a male, work through the mane as well, where the coat is longest.

Twice a year a Leonberger's undercoat comes out in quantity. The best time to book is when the first tufts lift from the sides and the back of the thighs, before the loose hair packs into the mane, behind the ears and down the legs. The bath loosens the undercoat and Shed Release takes out what has let go. For home, the AKC suggests a metal comb and an undercoat rake for the undercoat, and a pin brush and slicker brush to neaten the outer coat.

Between sheds, the AKC's daily brush and weekly thorough groom keep the coat in order, and a bath when the dog is dirty or salty is enough. Skip a shed and the packed undercoat behind the ears and on the legs can mat, which adds dematting time. Book the next visit at pick-up for $5 off, and if your Leo is on the unlimited daycare membership, grooming is 15 percent off. Our how-to on de-shedding a double-coated dog at home walks through a full session.

Grooming is priced by weight, and almost every adult Leonberger is over 90 pounds and long-haired, so the bath is $95 and the full service $120. The AKC's range for females starts at 90 pounds, and a female at or under 90 is in our 51 to 90 band, at $75 for a bath and $110 for full service. Band and total are settled at check-in, after a look at the coat.

The add-on a Leo needs most is the nails. The AKC recommends trimming them every other week, more often than for many breeds; nail clipping is $16 on any visit, and whether the groomer clips or grinds is confirmed at check-in. Teeth brushing is $10. Overnight guests on the Dogtown Deluxe bundle take 15 percent off grooming, and a bath can be booked before pick-up from a stay.