Anna's Dog Grooming

Anna's Dog Grooming is a small, appointment-only grooming studio working out of Chevrolet Place in Ingleburn, in Sydney's south-west. It focuses on a single thing and does it carefully: full-service grooming for small to medium dogs up to 15kg, with breeds over that weight politely turned away so every dog gets unhurried attention.

The approach is unhurried and conversational. Anna talks through the look an owner wants before the dog is left, and a typical appointment runs two to two-and-a-half hours so coats, ears, nails and the finishing clip are handled at the dog's pace rather than the clock's. The breed list it caters to leans toward the popular companion sizes, from Cavoodles, Maltese and Shih-Tzus to miniature Poodles, Schnauzers and Yorkshire Terriers, and the studio is comfortable with first-timers and nervous dogs. Vaccination and worming requirements are spelled out clearly, with proof asked for puppies under six months.

It operates on a tight schedule, a handful of appointment slots across Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and tends to book out well in advance, which is the trade-off for keeping each session small and personal.