The Groom Studio

The Groom Studio in Engadine is a small Sutherland Shire salon where Mary does the grooming, and her name turns up in essentially every review. Coat management is what owners single out. One client with a dog whose coat is hard to keep on top of credits Mary's advice between appointments for the improvement in its condition, while a cavoodle's summer cut is described in terms of the dog being noticeably cooler and more comfortable afterwards rather than just tidier.

Several clients are on a monthly cycle and some have been coming since their dog was a puppy, which feeds the second theme: dogs that walk in without hesitation, one reportedly at a run. Owners who had unhappy experiences elsewhere describe the difference in handling, using words like gentle, unhurried and attentive to detail. It suits high-maintenance coats, puppies starting out, and dogs that have been unsettled by grooming somewhere else.