Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Fear Free Grooming?

Fear free grooming is something that should be industry standard, but sadly is not. Fear free groomers work in a professional setting to lower FAS (fear, anxiety and stress) and create a calm, positive experience for our fluffy friends. We do this by taking our time, working one-on-one with the dog in front of us, and treating each client as an individual. We pay attention to the dog's stress signals and work to lower, and eventually eliminate, as much negative feeling towards grooming as possible. This can only be achieved by the groomer and pet parent working as a team. Fear free grooming focuses on cooperation, not control.

I still use restraints for safety reasons. If your dog is a jumper, I will use a grooming loop to prevent them from jumping off the table or out of the bath. If your dog bites grooming equipment, I will use a muzzle at first so they don't end up with a cut tongue or mouth. You will receive a report to take home, and I will teach you handling techniques for homework. Please consider booking in a remedial session if any of the above strikes a chord with you.

Will You Groom My Aggressive Dog?

This is a complicated question. Short answer: maybe. The rest depends on you, your attitude towards improvement, and your doggy. If you expect a groomer to take on your dog that bites without any fanfare, we probably won't get along. If you are honest with me, willing to do the homework, and happy to give your pup any meds the vet has suggested, we will be great together!

Aggressive dogs are accepted as clients on a case-by-case basis. At the end of the day, one well-placed and unexpected 'nip' can end my career. In the past, I had a client lie to me about behaviour, and it landed me in the hospital for tendon repair, another operation to get infected bone removed from my thumb, and months of recovery time before I could work again. I still have issues with it to this day. This is the reality of pet grooming.

Happily, my client list is currently heavily populated by owners who understand the risk and are transparent with their pup's needs. The reality is that any dog can bite when pushed, and I work my hardest to ensure that doesn't happen. This is also part of the reason for my weight limit. It's a lot easier to pick up and settle a 7kg dog than a 35kg one!

If your dog is a special case and you expect me to “just get it done, it's your job”, I will end the session, charge the full appointment amount, and advise you to seek a vet groomer in the future.

Why Do You Have A Weight Limit? (aka Can You Groom My Dog Up to 20kg?)

Firstly, I'm just one gal working on your dog, so if something goes wrong or they don't feel like cooperating (fair), I need to be able to lift them into the bath or onto the table. I also end up cradling a lot of the fear-free babies to do nails and the more difficult things.

If a puppy starts coming to me from day one and we can train them to accept grooming early, the end weight doesn't matter. I am also flexible depending on the dog. If you're not sure, please message me for a meet and greet, and I can see if we can groom your dog regardless.

Do I Need Remedial Grooming?

Is your dog nervous? Shut down? Snappy? Scared? Are you unable to brush them or snip a knot out at home? Have you had negative feedback at the vet or groomer before? If so, remedial grooming could be your answer.

These are one-hour blocks for your dog where we work on slowly desensitising them and reducing fear, anxiety and stress. My own dog couldn't be touched with a brush when I adopted him a year ago and is now very comfortable with all aspects of grooming thanks to fear free methods.

Please send me an email at hello@thekindcanine.com.au if you are curious and want to know more.

Are You Mobile?

This is a common misconception with home-based businesses! We run from MY home, in a custom-built salon. We have no way of transporting the business to your house.

Do You Do Walk-Ins?

Even though we haven't been open very long in this location (April), we run a pretty tight ship. Every day the salon is closed, I am working at my other job, so we have to run by appointment only at this time. We also have a lot of pups that panic when a new person enters their space, and I can't put paying clients' dogs on the ground or leave them shivering in the bath to have a chat about appointments. Please respect our doggies and text for an appointment or book online!

When Will You Be Offering Training/Pet Sitting Again?

This is my most popular question at the moment, and the short answer is I'm not sure. Right now, we are working on getting the grooming side of the business off the ground, and as I have relocated to Sherwood, a lot of my former training clients are no longer local, which makes coming to you a lot more difficult. In the future, that may change, but for now, we aren't offering training, except for grooming-adjacent stuff and advice when you come pick up your dog!

At this point in time, I can no longer offer pet sitting for the same reason.

Can You Demat My Dog?

No. At The Kind Canine, we believe in humanity over vanity. Correct coat care begins at home. If you didn't brush your hair for six weeks, imagine what a mess it would be! The same goes for your fluffy friend. I can't undo weeks or months of lacking coat care in one short session. It's painful for both myself and your pup, and it destroys the integrity of the coat, making it prone to matting more quickly in the future. Small tangles can be removed; mats will be shaved or you will be sent home.

I am happy to show you how to brush your dog! Please bring any tools you are currently using along with you, and I can give you advice on whether they are suitable. I am also happy to order any tools, sprays or shampoos you want. Ask me or send me a message in between grooms so I can have them here for your next appointment.

Dematting charges will be applied if your dog needs to be shaved down. Matted, dirty coats blunt blades, and they cost $15–$25 each to sharpen. It can also be dangerous and time-consuming to clip a neglected coat.

Do You Take On Elderly/Sick Dogs?

Yes! Communication is key here. Older dogs are more at risk during a grooming session, and you MUST be transparent about whether your pup is easily stressed or has any health issues that can affect the grooming session.

For older, stressy, sick or aggressive dogs, The Kind Canine will not do breed trims or fancy haircuts until your dog is more comfortable with being groomed. We instead offer a “comfort clip”, which is a short haircut with minimal fuss. Some dogs cannot handle being washed and dried with a high-velocity dryer and can have a “dryer fit”. We will do a dry clip, then wash and towel-dry at the end of the session. We do not do cage drying in the salon.

Will You Medicate My Dog?

There is a bit of an urban myth that dog groomers drug dogs to make them behave, and that's why they come home sleepy. I do not have medication available to use in the salon, but I have a lot of clients who medicate their dogs before arrival. I'm 100% on board with this, as long as you communicate it with me! Meds can affect dogs in new environments in funny ways. Sometimes they will be calm until they reach threshold, when stress or anxiety builds up until they can't tolerate a situation anymore, but they can't communicate their stress, so they bite without warning. This usually happens during the bath or dry, so I work in a different order with medicated dogs. Please let me know if your pup has had a pill before your session so I can cater to them appropriately.

I found that when I worked in a busy salon, my own dogs would come home and conk out, exhausted by the noise and movement of the day, even if they didn't have any grooming done. Grooming can be a lot for a nervous or brand-new pet, so if your dog is sleepy afterwards, that's completely normal!