Pampered canines

Pampered Canines is a dog-grooming business at Airport West, in Melbourne's north-west, where Sara does the grooming. First grooms come up more here than almost anything else in the feedback — a puppy's very first appointment, a St Bernard's first groom — and in both cases the owner's report was the same: the dog came out happy. Cavoodles are the breed named most, and finished dogs are described as clean, soft, freshly clipped and neatly nailed.

Attention to detail and an unhurried pace are the qualities customers name most consistently. Appointments are described as taking as long as the dog needs, with time spent keeping it comfortable rather than rushing to a finish. Several owners measure the result by behaviour rather than looks: a normally anxious dog now excited to arrive, a dog with no hesitation at drop-off. Sara herself is described as warm and easy to deal with at both ends of the appointment. It suits puppies meeting a salon for the first time, dogs that find grooming stressful, and larger breeds that need patient handling.