Portuguese Water Dog grooming in Gloucester, MA

The AKC breed standard describes a profuse, thickly planted coat with no undercoat, mane or ruff, in two varieties given equal standing. The curly coat forms compact, cylindrical curls and looks somewhat lusterless, though the hair on the ears is sometimes wavy. The wavy coat falls gently in waves rather than curls and has a slight sheen. The AKC rates the breed low on shedding and calls its grooming regular and extensive.

The two types behave a little differently at home. Curly coats tend to trap sand and loose hair close to the skin, where a knot can hide under a neat surface; a wavy coat lies flatter, so a tangle is usually easier to see and feel. The trouble spots are the same on both: behind the ears, under the collar, the armpits and the base of the tail, where the coat rubs or stays wet after a swim.

The breed's working history has an echo here. The AKC records that these dogs rode trawlers from Portugal's coast as far as the cold waters off Iceland, and Gloucester's own fishing story runs through Portugal too: Our Lady of Good Voyage on Prospect Street was first built in 1892 for the Portuguese immigrants who came to work in the fishery, and the present church is modeled on one on the Azorean island of Pico.

With no undercoat to shed, Shed Release is not the add-on this coat needs; the haircut is. Set the cycle with the groomer at your first visit by how fast your dog's coat grows out of its clip, and book the next one at pick-up, which takes $5 off. A retriever clip that has grown well past its inch has stopped being a retriever clip, and a lion clip that has grown in on the hindquarters has lost its shape.

Skipping costs more than looks. A coat left long through a winter of salt water and sand felts at the skin in the usual places, and dematting is $15 per 20 minutes on top of the full service, so 40 minutes of work on a medium dog adds $30 to the $85. When the felt sits tight to the skin, a shorter clip is the kinder choice, and the groomer will explain that at check-in, where the final price is confirmed after a coat assessment.

Weekly combing to the skin is the core of the home routine, taken slowly on a curly coat where knots hide under a neat surface. Work behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits and around the tail base, and split any knot before it tightens; our how-to on handling a mat before it spreads shows the method. The AKC also says a water dog's ears should be checked regularly for signs of infection, which matters on a dog that swims.

The swim season here is the cold one. Gloucester's two big dog beaches set the calendar at the time of writing: Wingaersheek on odd-numbered days from October 1 to April 30, Good Harbor on even-numbered days from October 1 to March 31. Rinse with fresh water after each swim, work it between the webbed toes, and dry the coat through before the dog settles. A clip is easier to keep in good shape when salt never gets the chance to dry into it.