Paws & Relax

Paws & Relax is a doggy daycare and dog grooming facility in Hamilton, sitting at the Portside precinct on the Brisbane River. Grooming runs alongside the daycare side of the business, with both built on a force-free, Fear Free approach summed up by the salon's own line: humanity before vanity.

The grooming room is set up to keep dogs calm rather than just clipped quickly, using calming scents and music to take the edge off the visit. Groomers are Fear Free Certified Professionals trained to read canine body language and stress signals, which suits dogs that find the salon a bit much as well as those who simply need a regular tidy-up. Dogs of every size and breed are catered for, from small coats like Bichon Frise, Maltese, Moodles and Shih Tzu, through Cavoodles, Spoodles and Mini Poodles, up to Border Collies, Labradors, Labradoodles and Standard Poodles, and on to the larger German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Huskies and giant breeds. The same team that grooms also works on body language, first aid and CPR for the daycare floor, so handling nervous dogs is part of the everyday routine.

Grooming is by appointment, booked online, and the business has flagged a move to a newer local facility down the track.