Fear Free Dog Grooming
At Melbourne Dog Clinic, grooming is more than coat care, it’s part of your dog’s overall wellbeing.Our Fear Free trained groomers work within a dog-only veterinary environment, allowing us to tailor each groom to your dog’s emotional comfort, health, and individual needs. Whether your dog is young, anxious, senior, or simply enjoys a little extra reassurance, our team focuses on creating a calm and positive grooming experience.Every groom includes gentle handling, personalised coat care, and clear communication with you about your dog’s comfort and skin/coat health.Because every dog is unique, grooming prices reflect coat condition, behaviour, and time required. If any adjustments are needed, we’ll always discuss these with you before your dog’s groom.
Why our grooming is different
Fear Free trained groomers
Dog-only clinic environment
Behaviour-aware, low-stress handling
Support for seniors and anxious dogs
Veterinary team collaboration when needed
Comfort & Wellbeing Supports
In addition to our grooming services, some dogs may benefit from extra comfort, coat care, or handling support during their groom. These supports are tailored to your dog’s individual needs and may be recommended to help keep the grooming experience calm, gentle, and positive.
These supports may be incorporated into any grooming service where needed.
Supports are available from $20.
Where additional time or handling is required, extended support may be recommended. Our team will always discuss this with you beforehand.
Comfort Calm Support
Extra settling time, gentle pacing, and reassurance for dogs who may feel nervous, sensitive, or new to grooming.
Senior Support
Designed for older dogs or those with mobility considerations. Includes comfort positioning, rest breaks, and a slower grooming pace.
Deshed & Coat Support
Ideal for double coats and seasonal shedding. Includes specialised bathing and brushing to help remove loose coat and improve comfort.
Coat Revival Support
For coats with tangles or matting requiring additional time and gentle detangling. Our team will always prioritise your dog’s comfort and discuss coat care recommendations with you.
How are Supports applied?
Examples:
Full Groom + Comfort Support
Breed Deshed Groom + Senior Support
A gentle note on coat condition
If matting or more complex coat work is present, additional time may be required to keep grooming comfortable and stress-free. Our grooming team will always discuss this with you before proceeding.
Our Grooming Services at a Glance
Bathe Only
A coat refresh including bath, blow dry, nail trim, and hygiene care.
Wash & Tidy
A bath plus light trimming of the face, feet, and hygiene areas to keep your dog neat between full grooms.
Full Groom
Complete styling and coat care tailored to your dog’s breed, lifestyle, and comfort.
Breed / Deshed Groom
Styling combined with coat management for thicker or double-coated dogs requiring additional brushing or deshedding.
Handstripping
Some wire coated breeds benefit from handstripping rather than clipping to help maintain coat texture, colour, and skin health.
Handstripping is a gradual and gentle process that removes loose coat by hand, rather than using clippers. Because sessions can take longer and are tailored to your dog’s comfort and coat condition, handstripping is priced individually and is typically higher than a Breed Style Clip.
If you are unsure whether handstripping is suitable for your dog, our grooming team is happy to guide you and discuss the best approach for your dog’s coat and lifestyle.
Grooming & Styling Approach
Grooming and styling are tailored to your dog’s breed, coat type, and lifestyle. Our groomers take time to assess coat condition and comfort, working at a pace that supports your dog’s emotional wellbeing while achieving a practical and comfortable style.
Bathing is an important part of coat care, helping remove dirt, loose coat, and skin build up. We select shampoos and drying techniques suited to your dog’s skin and coat, with gentle handling throughout to keep the experience calm and supportive.The Role of Bathing in Grooming
Maintaining Coat Between Grooms
For many dogs, regular bathing and light trimming between full grooms helps maintain comfort and coat health. Services such as Wash and Tidy appointments allow us to keep hygiene areas neat and coats manageable while avoiding the need for more extensive grooming later.Dog Grooming Prices
Our grooming prices are based on your dog’s size, coat type, and the level of styling or coat care required. Because every dog is unique, timing and pricing may vary depending on coat condition, behaviour, and any additional support needed to keep grooming calm and comfortable for your dog
The price and notes below outline what’s typically included in our services, along with helpful information about coat care, appointment timing, and booking policies.
Below is a guide to our current grooming pricing by size and service.
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Up to 9.9kg............$85
10 - 19.9kg.............$100
20 - 29.9kg.............$120
30 - 39.9kg.............$140
40 - 59.9kg.............$160
60kg+.................... $180
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Up to 9.9kg...........$100
10 - 19.9kg............$115
20 - 29.9kg............$135
30 - 39.9kg............$155
40 - 59.9kg............$175
60kg+....................$195
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Up to 9.9kg............$115
10 - 19.9kg.............$135
20 - 29.9kg.............$155
30 - 39.9kg.............$175
40 - 59.9kg.............$195
60kg+.....................$215
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Up to 9.9kg............$130
10 - 19.9kg.............$155
20 - 29.9kg.............$175
30 - 39.9kg.............$195
40 - 59.9kg.............$215
60kg+.....................$235
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Up to 9.9kg............$130
10 - 19.9kg.............$155
20 - 29.9kg.............$175
30 - 39.9kg.............$195
40 - 59.9kg.............$215
60kg+.....................$235
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Free of charge.
Pet parents are generally required to wait at our premises.
Proof of DOB required.
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Includes Nail Trim and Paw Tidy Up.
Dr Lisa Soothing Balm will be applied to the pads to finish the treatment.
$30
Grooming inclusions & additional services
Most grooming services include ear tidy, nail trim, outer anal gland expression (if required), and light face and hygiene trimming.
Dogs requiring additional coat work such as deshedding or feathering will be charged at the appropriate groom rate.
A Wash & Dry service includes bathing and drying only, with no hair trimming or styling.
Coat condition
If your dog has matting or tangles, please let our grooming team know prior to the appointment. Additional time may be required to keep grooming gentle and comfortable, and this may affect pricing. Our team will always discuss options with you.
Handstripping
Handstripping is a specialised grooming technique suited to certain wire-coated breeds. Pricing varies depending on coat condition, session length, and your dog’s tolerance, but is typically around 50% higher than Breed Style Clip pricing.
Our groomers will always assess your dog’s coat and discuss a tailored plan with you prior to booking.
Handstripping is labour intensive therefore we only allow handstrips to be booked into our 8:30-9:00 or 10:00-10:30 time-slots. Your dog is likely to be at our clinic for most of the day.
Mani-Pedi appointments
Standalone Mani-Pedi appointments are available between 9:00am and 4:00pm. This service includes gentle nail trimming and paw care in a calm, supportive environment.
Appointment timing & collection
Grooming times can vary depending on coat condition, behaviour, and the level of support your dog may need. We’ll provide an estimated collection window on the day and will contact you once your dog is ready to go home.
Spacing appointments helps us maintain a calm grooming environment and allows each dog time to settle in comfortably.
Pricing & appointments
Dogs are weighed at our clinic to ensure accurate sizing and pricing.
Grooming drop-off windows are currently 8:30–9:00am, 10:00-10.30 and 12:00–12:30pm. Mani-Pedi appointments can be booked between 9:00am and 4:00pm. Handstripping can only booked in to the earliest two appointment slots.
Booking & cancellation
We understand that plans can change. If you need to reschedule or cancel your dog’s groom, we kindly ask for at least 24 hours’ notice so we can offer the appointment to another dog in need of care.
A $50 cancellation fee applies to bookings cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice.
FAQs
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Every dog experiences grooming differently. Some are comfortable with a standard groom, while others benefit from extra time, reassurance, or a slower pace, particularly puppies, seniors, and anxious dogs. Our tiered approach allows us to tailor grooming to your dog’s individual comfort and needs.
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Our team will guide you. Many dogs are suitable for an Essential Groom, while others may benefit from Comfort Care or Support Grooming depending on behaviour, age, coat condition, or health considerations.
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Yes. If we feel your dog would benefit from additional time or support, we’ll always discuss this with you before proceeding.
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Not at all. Support Grooming simply allows us to work at a pace that keeps your dog comfortable. Many senior dogs, puppies, and sensitive dogs benefit from this approach.
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Coat condition, behaviour, and time required can change between grooms. Our goal is always a gentle, positive experience, and pricing reflects the level of care and time needed.
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Handstripping is tailored to coat condition and time required, and is typically around 50% higher than a Breed Style Clip. Our groomers will provide a personalised quote.
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Coat and Wellbeing Supports are additional comfort, handling, or coat care adjustments that may be incorporated into your dog’s groom when needed. They help us tailor grooming to your dog’s individual needs and keep the experience calm and positive.