Papillon grooming
Papillon grooming in Gloucester, MA
For a dog with a long, flowing coat, the Papillon is surprisingly easy to keep, because it has no undercoat. The AKC says a full grooming every month or so is fine. The small jobs are the ones that matter: the hair that knots behind the ears and on the thighs, nails that grow fast, and teeth that need regular brushing.
The coat
No undercoat: a Papillon's long, silky coat is lighter work than it looks
The AKC breed standard describes the coat as abundant, long, fine, silky, flowing and straight, lying flat on the back and sides, with a profuse frill on the chest. There is no undercoat. The hair is short and close on the skull, the muzzle and the fronts of the legs, while the ears are well fringed, the backs of the forelegs are feathered and the hind legs carry abundant breeches, which the standard also calls culottes. The tail is a plume.
Without an undercoat, there is far less hair to hold on to shed coat and felt, which is why the AKC calls the breed's grooming needs surprisingly small for a long, silky coat. The AKC puts adults at 5 to 10 pounds and 8 to 11 inches tall. Some carry the upright, butterfly ears the breed is named for, and some, called Phalenes, have dropped ears; both types wear long fringes.
- Single coat: long, fine and silky, with no undercoat
- Ear fringes: long on both the upright and the dropped-ear type
- Chest frill, breeches and a plumed tail: the long parts
- Skull, muzzle and fronts of the legs: naturally short
Tidy, not clip
A light tidy keeps the fringes, frill and plume, and neatens only the feet and edges
A Papillon's look is its fringes, so the groom works around them. The full service, $75, is a bath plus a custom haircut, and on this breed the haircut is light: hair between the pads trimmed level so the feet are neat and grip well, stray ends evened on the breeches and the hocks, and a tidy of the sanitary area. The ear fringes, the chest frill and the plume stay long unless you ask otherwise.
If the feet and edges are already neat, the $55 bath, with its blow-dry and brush-out, may be all a Papillon needs, with a $10 sanitary trim added when the breeches get messy. Clipping the body short is possible as a custom cut, but it removes the long coat that defines the breed and saves little work, since the coat is already low-maintenance. Tell the groomer at check-in what you want to keep.
Nails and teeth
Fast nails, a dewclaw that can curl into the leg, and small teeth that need brushing
The AKC singles out the nails. A Papillon's grow quickly and should be trimmed regularly, especially the dewclaw, which sits off the ground, never wears down and can curl around and pierce the leg. Nail clipping is $16 as an add-on to a bath or full service; ask for the dewclaws to be done as well. Whether the groomer clips or files on your dog is confirmed with you at check-in, so mention any past trouble with either.
The AKC also calls regular tooth brushing vital for the breed's dental health. Teeth brushing is a $10 add-on at the groom, but it is a top-up, not a substitute for brushing at home. Brush a little and often at home, and your vet will tell you when a dental cleaning is due. Our how-to on brushing your dog's teeth in two minutes a day covers the home side.
- Nails: trimmed regularly, $16 at the groom
- Dewclaws: ask for them at every trim; they never wear down
- Teeth: brushed at home, plus $10 at the groom
- Sore mouth, bad breath or chewing on one side: your vet
How often and price
A full groom about once a month at $75, a bath every few months at $55
The AKC's guide is a full grooming every month or so, a bath every few months or whenever the dog gets especially muddy, and regular nail trims in between. Weighing 5 to 10 pounds, a Papillon sits in our up to 25 pound band, so the full service is $75 and a bath $55. Nails are $16, teeth $10, and a sanitary trim or face trim $10 each. The final price is confirmed at check-in.
Skipping a month rarely costs much on a Papillon, since there is no undercoat to felt. What does knot is the soft hair behind the ears and on the breeches, and if those have tangled, dematting is $15 per 20 minutes on top of the groom, estimated with you first. Rebook before you leave and the next groom is $5 less. If your dog finds handling hard, the $20 handling surcharge buys a slower pace.
| Papillon service | Price | AKC timing |
|---|---|---|
| Full service, light tidy | $75 | Every month or so |
| Bath only | $55 | Every few months, or after a muddy day |
| Nail clipping, dewclaws too | $16 | Regularly; the nails grow fast |
| Teeth brushing | $10 | Regular brushing is vital, the AKC says |
| Sanitary trim | $10 | When the breeches get messy |
At home
Between grooms, comb behind the ears, inside the hind legs and through the breeches
The AKC names three places to run a comb or soft slicker brush between full grooms, because that is where mats form: inside the hind legs, behind the ears and on the culottes, the hair on the thighs. A few minutes twice a week is enough. Finish by checking the length of the nails and dewclaws, and keep handling relaxed; the AKC asks owners to take care with a dog this small around stairs and furniture.
Cape Ann gives a Papillon plenty to collect. The Gloucester Dog Park at Stage Fort Park has a separate small-dog area, where the breeches pick up leaves and grass seed, and from April to November, tick season, the ear fringes are a good place to check for ticks after a walk. Gloucester's off-season beaches, open to dogs from October 1, leave sand in the feet; rinse and dry them the same day.
- 01
Comb behind each ear, where the fringe meets the neck
- 02
Comb the inside of each hind leg from the hock up
- 03
Work through the breeches, the long hair on the thighs
- 04
Check the ear fringes for ticks after woodland or grass walks
- 05
Look at the nails and both dewclaws, and book a trim if they are long
- 06
Brush the teeth, a few seconds per side
At Dogtown
A toy dog's groom, on its own or with daycare
A Papillon groom needs no evaluation. For a daycare day with a groom added, start with the free evaluation and a small-dog playgroup.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Does a Papillon need a haircut?
Why does my Papillon's dewclaw need trimming?
Can my Papillon's ear fringes be trimmed short?
Is teeth brushing at the groom enough for a Papillon?
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
A light tidy, the fringes kept.
Book a bath or full service online or in the Dogtown app, add nails and teeth, and tell the groomer which fringes to leave long.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
