Because not all dogs were created equal, and neither were their grooming bills.
If you live in Melbourne and own a dog, you already know the city has opinions. Strong ones. About coffee, about weather, about football (yes, we mean AFL), about which suburb is ‘actually up and coming’, and, increasingly, about dogs.
Melbourne is one of the most dog-dense cities in Australia, and with that comes a spectacular range of breeds, coat types, and owners who are absolutely convinced their dog ‘doesn’t really need grooming that often’.
We’re here to settle the debate. Scientifically. (Sort of.)
The Ranking System
We’ve ranked Melbourne’s most popular dog breeds by grooming need, from ‘basically self-cleaning’ to ‘requires a full glam squad grooming team and a spreadsheet’.
Criteria include: coat complexity, shedding volume, matting risk, and the likelihood that your dog will look at you with absolute betrayal the moment you pick up a brush.
Tier 1: Low Maintenance (Bless You)
Greyhounds & Whippets
Short coat. Minimal shedding. Wipe them down with a damp cloth and they’re basically done. These dogs were engineered for speed, not grooming appointments. Carlton and Fitzroy are full of them, and honestly, good choice.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks for a bath and nail trim. Brushing at home: Once a week, if you feel like it.
Beagles
Cute. Sturdy. Smells like a dog. A quick brush, regular ear checks (those floppy ears trap moisture), and you’re sorted.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks. Spitz Groom Pro tip: Don’t skip the ears. Beagle ear infections are not a vibe, and if you smell the dog smell, it’s 99% the ears!
Tier 2: Moderate Maintenance (Manageable, With Effort)
Labrador Retrievers
Labs shed. A lot. More than seems physically possible for one animal. But the coat itself is short and easy to manage, it’s just everywhere. On your couch. In your coffee. Probably in your lungs.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks. Brushing at home: 2–3 times per week during shedding season (which, for Labs, is all seasons).
Border Collies
Intelligent, energetic, and absolutely going to develop mats behind the ears if you ignore them for two weeks. The double coat needs regular attention, especially if your Border Collie has decided that the Merri Creek is their personal spa.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks. Brushing at home: 3–4 times per week. Use the right tools, a slicker brush and a metal comb are non-negotiable.
Tier 3: High Maintenance (We See You)
Golden Retrievers
Golden Retrievers are Melbourne’s golden children. They are also walking lint traps with the emotional intelligence of a therapist. Their feathering mats, their undercoat blows twice a year, and they will absolutely roll in something unidentifiable at Princes Park the day before their appointment.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks minimum. Brushing at home: Every 2–3 days. Yes, really.
Pomeranians
Tiny. Fluffy. Absolutely convinced they are the main character. Poms (the British kind) have a dense double coat that mats faster than you’d expect from something that weighs 3kg. Do not shave them, we cannot stress this enough. Shaving a Pom’s double coat can permanently damage the coat and disrupt their natural temperature regulation.
Grooming frequency: Every 4–6 weeks. Brushing at home: Daily, ideally. They’ll pretend to hate it. They don’t, they love the drama.
Tier 4: Elite Maintenance (You Signed Up For This)
Huskies
Huskies were built for Siberia. You brought one to Melbourne. Respect. They blow their coat twice a year in what can only be described as a human-sized snow globe situation, and they will absolutely tell you about it, loudly, the entire time.
Grooming frequency: Every 6–8 weeks, with additional deshedding sessions during coat blows. Brushing at home: Daily during shedding season. Invest in a good undercoat rake. Important: Never shave a Husky. Their double coat protects them from both cold and heat.
Samoyeds
White. Fluffy. Majestic. A walking cloud that somehow ends up beige within 48 hours of a bath. Samoyeds are one of the most coat-intensive breeds you can own, and Melbourne’s unpredictable weather (four seasons in one day, etc.) does them no favours.
Grooming frequency: Every 4–6 weeks. Brushing at home: Daily. No exceptions. A single skipped week can result in matting that takes hours to resolve.
Japanese Spitz
The Japanese Spitz is what happens when a Samoyed and a cloud have a very photogenic baby. Pristine white coat, fox-like face, and a grooming schedule that demands respect. These dogs, along with all double coated breeds are our speciality at Spitz Groom, and for good reason.
Grooming frequency: Every 4–6 weeks. Brushing at home: Daily. The coat is self-cleaning to a degree, but mats don’t care about that.
The Bottom Line
Every dog deserves grooming that suits their coat, their breed, and their personality, not a one-size-fits-all approach that leaves them stressed or their coat worse off.
At Spitz Groom in Carlton North, we specialise in double-coated and long-coated breeds, with a low-volume, low-stress approach that prioritises your dog’s wellbeing above all else. We see 1-3 dogs per groomer per day, because your dog is not a number, and neither is their coat.
Whether you’ve got a Samoyed who thinks they’re a supermodel at Paris fashion week, or a Border Collie who’s been swimming in the Yarra gearing up for the Brissy Olympics, we’d love to help.
Book a consultation or join our waitlist at Spitz Groom
Spitz Groom is a specialist dog grooming salon and boutique in Carlton North, Melbourne. We groom all breed types, and specialise in double-coated and long-coated breeds, dogs that other groomers won’t touch, fear-free techniques, and owner education, because a well-groomed dog starts at home.