You can tell a good groomer by their questions before you ever see their scissor work. A good groomer wants to know your dog before they quote: coat history, temperament, health quirks and the style you're after. Reviews and word of mouth build your shortlist. The conversation, and the salon itself, tell you the rest.
Where should you start looking?
Grooming is a local decision: most owners choose somewhere within a short drive, because a long car trip before and after a groom is hard on the dog. So start with owners near you. Ask at the dog park, ask your vet clinic, and ask the owner of any dog whose coat you admire, because a consistently well-kept coat is a groomer's real portfolio. Then read reviews for detail rather than the star count. A review that names the dog, mentions an anxious or older dog handled well, or spans several years of visits tells you far more than fifty five-star ratings with no words attached. Longevity is a signal too: a salon that has groomed the same suburb's dogs for years is doing something right.
What should a good groomer ask you?
Choosing a groomer is an interview that runs both ways, and the best sign is a groomer who interviews you back. Before anything is booked or quoted, expect questions: what breed or coat type, when the coat was last done, how it behaves at home, whether there's any matting, and whether your dog has skin sensitivities, sore spots or lumps the groomer should know about. Expect hands in the coat too. Size, coat condition and matting change the job so much that careful salons check the dog and quote each groom at booking rather than publishing one flat list. If someone offers a firm quote and a to-the-minute timeframe without asking a single question about your dog, they're guessing, and the guess usually gets corrected at pick-up.
What does the salon itself tell you?
A lot, if you visit. A well-run salon sounds busy but not frantic: dryers running, the odd bark, and underneath it a calm that tells you the dogs are used to the routine. Watch how dogs on the tables are handled. You want gentle, unhurried hands, a steadying word when a dog fidgets, and breaks given to dogs who need them, not equipment doing all the talking. Clean floors and clean tools matter for skin health, so notice them. One counterintuitive sign of a good salon: they may ask you not to hover at the window. A worried owner in view reads, to the dog, as something worth worrying about, and most dogs settle faster once the handover is short and cheerful.
What are the red flags?
A few things should send you elsewhere. No questions asked about your dog before booking. Guarantees made sight unseen. Vague answers when you ask what happens if the coat turns out to be matted: the honest answer is that heavy matting close to the skin means a shorter clip, because hours of brushing it out is painful and unsafe, and a groomer who won't say that plainly may put the haircut ahead of the dog. Be wary, too, of anyone who can't explain what their groom actually includes, and treat price alone as a poor guide in either direction. If you want the full picture of what should happen behind the salon door, our walkthrough of what actually happens during a full groom covers every stage.
Why does sticking with one groomer matter?
Because grooming compounds. A groomer who sees your dog every four to eight weeks learns their coat, their quirks and their tolerance, and your dog learns the routine, the smells and the hands. Visits get calmer, coats stay maintained instead of being rescued, and problems get spotted early because someone who knows your dog's normal is checking them over regularly with their hands. This matters most for puppies, anxious dogs and seniors, where trust is the whole game. Once you find a groomer you like, book the next visit before you leave: the right interval depends on the coat, and our coat-by-coat guide will tell you what to ask for.
Where does K9 Playtime fit?
We've been grooming Perth dogs since 2009, and we're happy to be interviewed by the checklist above. We groom at three salons south of the river: Jandakot and O'Connor take dogs of all sizes, while Byford takes small to medium dogs up to around 17kg, by appointment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Every groom is quoted at booking, after we've asked about your dog, and if you'd like to see a salon first, just ask.
Frequently asked questions
Should I visit a grooming salon before booking?
If you can, yes. A short visit tells you more than an hour of reading reviews: how the room sounds, how dogs on the tables are being handled, and how the team talks to the dogs and to you. Most good salons are happy to arrange a time.
Why don't most groomers publish a full price list?
Because the dog in front of them sets the job. Size, coat type, coat condition and matting change the time and care a groom takes, so careful salons quote each groom at booking. A firm quote before anyone has asked about your dog's coat is a guess.
What if my dog is anxious or has had a bad grooming experience?
Say so upfront. A good groomer will slow the process down, build in breaks and work at your dog's pace rather than the clock's. Anxious dogs usually improve over a few calm visits with the same groomer, which is one more reason consistency matters.
Does the groomer need experience with my dog's breed?
It helps, so ask. What matters most is that they know your dog's coat type: a curly coat, a double coat and a silky drop coat each need different handling. A groomer who can explain what your dog's coat needs, and why, is the one to book.
Come and interview us
Book a groom at Jandakot, O'Connor or Byford, and see the checklist in action.
More advice: What happens during a full groom · How often to groom by coat type · Should you bath before a groom?