The Hair of the Dog

The Hair of the Dog is a long-established grooming salon in Malvern East, in Melbourne's inner south-east, with a team that customers name by hand across years of feedback — Anna, Nathan, Lynne and Kylie all appear. The breed mix reflects the neighbourhood: miniature and standard poodles, a golden retriever, a german shepherd, a japanese spitz, a pair of chihuahuas and a fourteen-year-old cavalier, with bath and nail work booked as often as full clips.

Two qualities recur in what customers write. The first is composure — owners of anxious dogs describe collecting them relaxed rather than rattled, and one long-standing client's retriever reportedly heads for the grooming table of his own accord. The second is advice: groomers here explain how to keep a coat in shape between visits and adjust clip length for problems like summer hot spots. The salon is busy and phone calls are kept short, so booking ahead is wise. It suits owners of senior dogs, big coats and dogs that find grooming stressful.