Dog Grooming in Lake Ronkonkoma: Open Seven Days
Lillian Ruff Pet Spa
If you searched for a dog groomer in Lake Ronkonkoma and every result came back saying Ronkonkoma, nothing is broken. Both names sit on the same stretch of map, and the salon on Portion Road is the same one either way. Here is what a groom costs and what each service actually includes.
Bath and brush is $35 to $120 by weight. A full groom with a haircut is $70 to $155 by weight. Grooming runs 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, at 835 Portion Rd. Book online at lillianruffpetspa.com/grooming.
Lake Ronkonkoma and Ronkonkoma: the map is messier than the mailing address
People who live here already know this and people who just moved here find it out slowly. There is a lake, there is a hamlet named for it, and the land around the lake is split across more than one town. Two neighbors a few streets apart can end up dealing with different town governments.
We are not going to guess which town your street sits in — that is a question for your town clerk. What we can tell you is the part that matters for a grooming appointment: it changes nothing. One salon, one price list, one booking page, whichever name you type into the search bar.
Long Island MacArthur Airport is in Ronkonkoma, in the Town of Islip, and the Ronkonkoma station is a major Main Line commuter and park-and-ride hub. A lot of our neighbors keep long days and travel — worth remembering when you reach the boarding section.
Same goes for where you can walk a dog around the lake itself: rules depend on who controls that particular piece of ground, and the posted sign is the only source we would trust.
What a bath and brush includes, and what a full groom adds
These two words get used loosely, so here is the plain version. A bath and brush is a wash, a proper dry, and a full brush-out. No clippers, no scissoring, no change to the shape of the coat. A full groom is all of that plus the haircut — clipper work and scissor finishing to a length you pick.
A bath and brush is usually enough when
- The coat is short, smooth, or shedding rather than growing
- You like the length your dog is at and just want it clean
- You are keeping a haircut alive between full grooms
- Your dog is elderly or anxious and shorter is kinder
Go for the full groom when
- The coat keeps growing and needs to be taken back to a length
- The face, feet, and rear need shaping, not just washing
- It has been long enough that brushing at home is a fight
- You want a specific style rather than a general tidy
If your dog needs something particular — nails, ears, a sanitary trim — put it in the booking notes rather than assuming it is bundled in. That way the groomer plans the time for it instead of finding out at the table.
Prices, published rather than quoted on arrival
Plenty of salons will not put a number on a website. We do, because the alternative is a phone call where somebody guesses and a different number at pickup.
| Service | What you get | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Bath & brush | Wash, full dry, complete brush-out. No haircut. | $35–$120 |
| Full groom | Everything above, plus a haircut clipped and scissored to length. | $70–$155 |
Where your dog falls inside those ranges is set by weight — a ten-pound dog and a ninety-pound dog are not the same job. Pick the service on the booking page and the figure for your dog's size comes up before you confirm anything.
Coat condition. A tightly matted coat cannot be brushed out humanely, and no honest groomer will pull a comb through packed felt for an hour to save a haircut. If the mats are down to the skin, the safe answer is a shorter cut than you wanted — a conversation we would rather have at drop-off than let you discover at pickup.
A short coat grows back. Skin that has been dragged through a dematting session does not forget as quickly.
What we do not do
Saying this up front saves everyone a trip. We do not groom cats. We do not do creative coloring, show grooming, or hand-stripping — if you have a wire-coated terrier and you want the coat stripped properly rather than clipped, you want a specialist. We also do not promise same-day, walk-in, or after-hours grooming. Appointments are booked in advance, which is how the day stays calm for the dogs already in the building.
Daycare and boarding are in the same building
Portion Road is the full-service location: grooming, doggy daycare, overnight boarding, and a retail shop under one roof. Useful if your day runs long or you are getting on a plane.
If daycare becomes a habit, the passes are cheaper: $162.50 for five days, $300 for ten, $550 for twenty. They do not expire, but they are non-refundable, so buy the size you will actually use. Sales tax of 8.75% applies.
Suffolk County Code § 302-13 requires a current health certificate from a licensed veterinarian before a dog is accepted at a boarding kennel, covering rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and coronavirus within the previous year — unless the vet certifies an approved three-year vaccine — plus bordetella within the previous six months. That six-month bordetella clock is the one owners most often have quietly lapsed. Confirm current requirements with your vet and with us before you book a stay.
Boarding eligibility, in the salon's own words: a pet must be non-aggressive, comfortable in a kennel, able to socialize, and free from bite history. Medications that have to be given outside 7am to 10pm are a limitation, and one we will talk through with you honestly.
Booking from a Lake Ronkonkoma address
Decide bath or full groom
If you are unsure, book the full groom. It is easier to do less at the table than to find time that was never scheduled.
Pick your dog's weight
The page prices by weight, so the number you see is the number for your dog, not a range.
Write the notes
Anxious in the dryer, hates having feet handled, mats behind the ears — all of it helps.
Come to Portion Road
835 Portion Rd, 9 to 5, seven days a week. A Sunday appointment is a real option.
Questions people actually ask
I live in Lake Ronkonkoma. Is this a different salon from the Ronkonkoma one?
No. There is one full-service salon here, at 835 Portion Rd, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. Whichever of the two names your address uses, it is the same building and the same price list.
Are you really open on Sundays?
Yes. Grooming runs 9am to 5pm seven days a week at Portion Road, and daycare runs 7am to 7pm seven days. The East Northport salon is different — grooming only, Tuesday through Saturday.
How much will my dog's groom actually cost?
Bath and brush lands between $35 and $120, a full groom with a haircut between $70 and $155, set by your dog's weight. Choose the service on the booking page and the price for that size shows before you confirm.
Do you groom cats?
No, dogs only. Same answer for creative coloring, show grooming, and hand-stripping — those need a specialist.
My dog looks matted. Should I brush it out first?
Gently, and only if the mats still move. If a comb will not pass through to the skin, stop and let us look — forcing it hurts, and skin under packed matting is often already sore. If you see redness, open skin, or flinching, see your vet. That is a medical call, not a grooming one.
Can I board my dog while I travel?
Boarding is $60 or $75 a night depending on kennel size, with a full day of daycare included. Book the 30-minute meet and greet first, and check the Suffolk County vaccination requirements above with your vet well ahead of the trip — the six-month bordetella window is the one that catches people.
Book the groom, see the price first.
Pick the service and your dog's weight, and the cost comes up before you confirm.
See pricing & book ›835 Portion Rd, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 · Open 7 days, 9–5
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