Bruno
5 years old · Kennebunk
Ninety-five pounds of leaning. He plants himself against the groomer's leg at minute one and stays there until the blow-dry is done.
Breed Grooming Guide 5.0 · Southern Maine
Bernese Mountain Dog Dog Grooming.
Berners are big, heavy-coated, and famously unenthusiastic about being loaded into a car. Mobile grooming solves both problems at once: we park in your driveway, groom one dog at a time on a low table, and take the coat apart properly instead of rushing a 90-pound dog through a salon.
Coat, Size & Season
Grooming built around a big tri-color coat.
That thick, silky double coat is beautiful and it is a lot of work. Coat and breed background live on the AKC Bernese Mountain Dog breed page.
The Full Adult Coat
Long, slightly wavy guard hairs over a dense undercoat. It mats behind the ears, in the ruff, in the armpits and along the skirt. We line-comb every one of those areas to the skin before the coat sees water.
Feathering, Skirt & Tail Plume
The feathering is what makes a berner look like a berner — we tidy it rather than remove it. Hocks, feet, skirt and tail get scissored clean so mud and snow don't ball up in them.
Puppies & Adolescents
Berner puppies grow fast and hit a fluffy adolescent coat around eight months that mats overnight. Starting grooms early makes the adult-coat transition survivable for everyone.
Seniors & Big-Dog Comfort
Berners age early and get stiff. We use a low, non-slip table, keep them standing as little as possible, break the session into stages, and never ask an eight-year-old berner to hold a pose.
Built For Big Coats
Deshed, don't shave — and never skip the dry.
Undercoat management
Berners blow coat twice a year and shed steadily in between. Rake, deshedding bath, high-velocity dry and carding removes the dead layer, cools the dog and cuts the fur drifts in your hallway.
Mats hide under the pretty parts
Behind the ears, in the collar line and under the front legs are where we find felted mats on almost every berner. We work them out humanely when we can and clip only when leaving them would hurt.
Heat, humidity and coastal summers
Berners are built for Swiss winters, not August in Wells. We groom them early in the day when we can, keep the trailer cool, and get the coat thinned of dead undercoat before the hot stretch hits.
Ticks, mud and snowballs
That skirt sweeps up ticks, burrs and half of mud season. Combing to the skin every visit catches a lot, and keeping the feet and hocks tidy stops ice balls forming between the toes in winter.
The Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America maintains detailed breed-health resources — worth reading, since berners need attentive orthopedic and cancer screening as they age.
Services
Bernese Mountain Dog grooming services.
01
Full Deshedding Groom
Line-comb and de-mat, deshedding bath, complete high-velocity dry, feathering, skirt, feet and sanitary tidied, ears and nails.
02
Bath, Blow-Out & Tidy
Between-groom reset for coat-blow season: wash, full dry, undercoat removal and a feet-and-hocks trim.
03
Nail Trim & Paw Tidy
Nails clipped and ground plus pad hair shaved — critical for a heavy dog's traction and joint health on hardwood and ice.
Our Process
How we groom a Bernese Mountain Dog.
Every bernese mountain dog appointment follows the same order, start to finish, in the trailer in your driveway. Typical appointment time: about 3 hr, one dog at a time.
Ramp, low table and a slow start
Big dogs shouldn't be lifted. Your berner walks up the ramp into the trailer and works on a low non-slip table, and we plan the session in stages so an older dog isn't standing for hours.
Line-comb and de-mat
We comb the ruff, behind the ears, armpits, skirt and britches to the skin. Anything felted tight to the skin gets clipped out rather than pulled — comfort beats length every single time.
Deshedding bath
Clarifying wash for mud, salt and pond water, then a deshedding treatment worked through the undercoat. Berner coats hold a lot of water, so we're thorough on the rinse.
Full force dry
The longest step, and the one most often skipped elsewhere. We dry the entire double coat to the skin, blowing out the loosened undercoat as we go — a damp berner skirt is a hot spot waiting to happen.
Feathering, skirt, hocks and feet
Hand-scissored tidy on the ear feathering, skirt, tail plume and hocks, feet rounded and pad hair shaved so snow and mud don't ball up between the toes.
Ears, nails and a full-body check
Ears cleaned and dried, nails clipped and ground level for joint support, and a head-to-tail comb-through for ticks and any lumps or sore spots worth mentioning to your vet.
This is the full step-by-step process K-Pup Dog Grooming uses for bernese mountain dogs in southern Maine.
Client Spotlight
Our favorite bernese mountain dogs.
A few of the bernese mountain dogs we look forward to seeing on the schedule — regulars from around southern Maine who hop up on the table like they own the trailer.
Willa
9 months old · Arundel
Just hit the fluffy adolescent coat that mats overnight. She's on a four-week schedule and it's already paying off.
Otis
8 years old · York
Takes the ramp slowly and gets his groom in two halves with a nap in the middle. Still the most dignified dog on the route.
Fun Facts
The best things about bernese mountain dogs.
We groom a lot of bernese mountain dogs, and every one of them reminds us why the breed has such a loyal following. Here's what we love about the bernese mountain dog.
Swiss farm dogs by trade
Berners hauled milk carts and worked cattle in the canton of Bern. The cart-pulling build is why they're so solid through the chest.
Winter is their season
That heavy tri-color coat was made for alpine winters. Snowbanks in February are a berner's happiest place — August is the hard part.
The famous lean
Berners show affection by putting their full weight on you. Brace accordingly; it's a compliment.
Gentle with everyone
Big dog, soft manners. Berners are famously patient with kids, cats and whatever else the household contains.
Slow, thoughtful learners
They're not fast responders — they consider the request first. Patience gets you a rock-solid dog by age three.
Every day counts
Berners have short lives for a dog their size, which is why regular health checks — including the ones we do on the table — matter so much.
Related Breeds
Similar coats we groom.
bernese mountain dogs share brushing, drying, and trimming needs with these breeds — each guide covers coat care, timing, and pricing for mobile grooming in southern Maine.
Services
Services for your Bernese Mountain Dog.
The visits bernese mountain dogs book most often, and what each one includes.
from $55
See every service and price →Senior Dog Grooming
Short, low-stress grooms built around arthritic hips, deaf ears, and dogs who can't stand for an hour.
Read more →from $25 add-onDeshedding Treatment
Undercoat rakes, a high-velocity blowout, and up to 90% less fur on your floors. Built for Labs, Goldens, Shepherds and Huskies.
Read more →from $25 add-onFlea & Tick Bath
Medicated flea baths and full tick checks — done in the driveway so the problem never comes inside.
Read more →Where We Groom Bernese Mountain Dogs
Bernese Mountain Dog grooming across southern Maine.
Looking for a bernese mountain dog groomer near you? We bring the trailer to your driveway across the southern Maine coast. Pick your town and book. See all our locations →
Kennebunkport Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingKennebunk Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingCape Porpoise Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingGoose Rocks Beach Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingArundel Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingBiddeford Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingSaco Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingWells Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingOgunquit Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingYork Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingOld Orchard Beach Bernese Mountain Dog GroomingScarborough Bernese Mountain Dog Grooming
Bernese Mountain Dog Grooming FAQ
Questions bernese mountain dogs owners ask us.
How often should a bernese mountain dog be groomed?
Every 6–8 weeks, tightening to 4–6 weeks during spring and fall coat blows. Between visits, comb behind the ears, the ruff and the skirt a couple of times a week.
Can you shave a bernese mountain dog in summer?
We don't recommend it. The double coat insulates against heat and protects from sunburn, and berner coats often grow back coarse or patchy. A thorough deshed removes the trapped insulation and does far more for comfort.
My berner is too big for the car. Does mobile grooming help?
That's exactly what it's for. We come to you, work on a low table with a ramp, and your dog never leaves the driveway or waits in a crate.
How long does a bernese mountain dog groom take?
Usually two and a half to three and a half hours depending on coat condition and how much de-matting is needed. We give you an honest estimate before we start.
Where in southern Maine do you groom bernese mountain dogs?
We come to you across Kennebunkport, Kennebunk, Cape Porpoise, Goose Rocks Beach, Arundel, Biddeford, Saco, Wells, Ogunquit, York, Old Orchard Beach and Scarborough.