Newfoundland grooming in Gloucester, MA

The AKC describes the Newfoundland's outer coat as flat and coarse, part of a heavy double coat in black, brown, gray or the black-and-white Landseer. The breed hauled nets and worked in water rescue, and it is a born swimmer with partially webbed feet. Shedding season comes about twice a year, but the AKC notes that spayed and neutered Newfs tend to shed year-round and may need brushing out several times a week.

On a dog this size the coat tangles in predictable places: behind the ears, under the collar, in the trousers on the back legs, along the belly and in the tail feathering, wherever hair rubs or stays wet. The AKC's routine is a thorough going-over with a slicker brush and a long-toothed comb at least once a week, daily in the shedding season, to clear dead hair before it mats.

A coat that sheds water on the outside holds it underneath once it is soaked through, and the AKC's drying guide lists double-coated breeds among the slower dogs to dry. It also explains why the job matters: thorough drying prevents mats, tangles and bacteria growth, and removes the wet-dog smell. A blow-dry and brush-out are part of every bath here. With a dog of 100 pounds or more, ask when you book how long to allow, and whether a daycare day suits your dog better than a wait.

Book around the sheds. Shed Release, $10 on the bath, takes out the loose undercoat as each heavy shed starts, and for a spayed or neutered Newf that sheds all year it is worth adding more often. Let the brushing slide and the trousers and belly felt; dematting is $15 per 20 minutes, and a matted belly on a dog this size can take several blocks. Booking the next visit before you leave takes $5 off it.

Newfoundlands are born swimmers, the AKC says, and Cape Ann gives them the cold months. At the time of writing, Wingaersheek takes dogs on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30 and Good Harbor on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31. A Newf walks out of the water carrying a lot of it, plus salt and sand between the webbed toes. Dry the coat through at home rather than letting it air-dry on the car seat; our how-to on drying a dog after the beach has the full routine.

The AKC's weekly brushing, daily in a shed, is what keeps a Newf off the dematting line. The ears need a look too: the AKC notes that, like all drop-eared dogs, a Newfoundland should have its ears checked regularly for signs of infection. And the jowls need a wipe after meals and long drinks, so the folds are dry more of the day than they are wet.