Dog Groomers in Sunderland

Regular grooming keeps a dog's coat, skin, ears and nails in good condition, and for breeds with coats that keep growing, such as poodles, cockapoos and shih tzus, a professional groom every six to eight weeks is close to essential. Sunderland has plenty of mobile and home-based groomers, but this guide focuses on salons working from business premises that we have confirmed are taking bookings in 2026. All three are in Washington, which is within the City of Sunderland and an easy drive from most of the city via the A19 or A1231. Each one offers something different, from one-to-one grooming in a small family salon to a large pet care centre with boarding and hydrotherapy on the same site.

Pooch-a-Rama

Pooch-a-Rama is a small family-run salon in Enigma House on Bell Street, where it says to look for the paws painted on the wall. The family behind it has more than 30 years of experience in grooming and animal care.

The salon works one dog at a time in an open-plan room, and dogs are usually free to wander or settled in a playpen rather than shut in a cage between stages. Drying is done entirely by hand rather than with cage dryers, which can suit anxious dogs. As well as dogs, the salon clips nails and grooms small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and gerbils, although it does not groom cats. It also runs a doggy day care service on site called Poochy Towers. Appointments are booked online.

Best for: Nervous or older dogs that do better with one-to-one attention and a calm, cage-free salon, and owners of rabbits and other small pets.

The Groom Room, Washington

The Groom Room is the grooming salon inside the Pets at Home store on Galleries Retail Park, next to the Galleries shopping centre. The retail park has a large car park, so it is easy to combine a groom with shopping.

Services range from puppy introduction grooms, which help young dogs get used to the sights and sounds of a salon, to bath-and-brush appointments, full breed-standard grooms and quick nail trims. Groomers are trained through the company's own grooming academy. Prices depend on the size, breed and coat condition of your dog, and current services and appointment slots are shown on the salon's page, where you can book online.

Best for: Owners who want the convenience of online booking at a retail park, and puppies having their first experience of a salon.

mypetstop

On Follingsby Lane, on the northern edge of Washington, mypetstop is a pet care centre with dog boarding, a cattery, training classes, a hydrotherapy pool and grooming all on one site. Its dog grooming salon has preparation rooms, walk-in baths and a large styling area.

Dog grooms include a breed style groom, a clip-off groom for coats that have become matted or that owners prefer short, and a luxury bath, with ears, nails and a brush through included. Add-ons include a sea mineral mud bath. Unusually, there is also a separate salon for cats, with dry grooms, lion cuts and hygiene trims. Contact the centre by phone or through its website to book.

Best for: Households with both dogs and cats, and owners who already use the centre for boarding, training or hydrotherapy.

Choosing a groomer

Grooming on its own does not need a council licence in England, although a salon that also offers day care or boarding does, so ask about experience and any grooming qualifications. Ask too how long your dog is likely to be at the salon, whether dogs are crated between stages and how they are dried, as these make a real difference to nervous dogs. A good groomer will also tell you about anything they notice, such as lumps, sore skin or ear problems, which you can then raise with your vet.

Before the first appointment, make sure your dog's vaccinations and flea treatment are up to date, and mention any health conditions, previous bad experiences or behaviour around other dogs. Puppies benefit from a short introduction groom once their vaccinations are complete, so they learn that the salon is nothing to worry about. If your dog's coat is heavily matted, expect the groomer to recommend a short clip rather than brushing out, which can be painful.

For more on looking after a dog in the city, see our guides to vets in Sunderland and dog-friendly Sunderland, and our parks and green spaces guide for places to walk.

Know a dog groomer we have missed? Get in touch.