01. Price by Dog Size and Service
Size is the single biggest driver of price, because a bigger dog simply takes more time, more product, and more drying. Here is what Australian salons are charging in 2026 for the two most common services.
| Dog Size | Bath & Tidy | Full Groom |
|---|
| Small | $45 to $65 | $100 (middle half $90 to $110) |
| Medium | $55 to $80 | $120 (middle half $105 to $130) |
| Large | $70 to $95 | $137.50 (middle half $120 to $160) |
| Extra Large | $85 to $120 | $167.50 (middle half $141.25 to $207.50) |
The full-groom prices are measured. On 27 September 2026 we searched 44 suburbs and towns drawn at random across Australia, took the first salon in each that publishes a readable price list, and recorded its cheapest full groom at every size it lists. 34 of the 44 produced a salon, and between them they cover every state and territory. Each figure is the typical salon, the median, and the middle half runs from the salon a quarter of the way up the list to the one three quarters of the way up.
Not every salon prices every size, so medium rests on 25 salons, large on 20 and extra large, each salon's top tier, on 14. Size bands are the salon's own: one salon's small dog is under 5kg, another's is up to 11kg. 19 of the 34 publish "from" prices or ranges, so read each figure as a starting price. Salons are not named, and no Petboost customer data was used.
The bath-and-tidy ranges come from published 2026 price lists and cost guides. Those guides put full grooms lower, in a $60 to $160 band depending on size (Dogster, 2026; Woofspark, 2026). Individual lists vary: Flinders Pet's 2026 list prices a basic full clip from $95 for a small dog up to $145 for an extra large dog, with breed-specific cuts running $110 to $160 (Flinders Pet, 2026).
A "bath and tidy" or "wash and blow dry" is the budget option: a clean, dry, brush-out, and a light tidy of the face, feet, and sanitary area, without a full body clip. Wash-and-blow-dry pricing starts around $35 to $45 for a small dog and rises to $65 to $75 for an extra large one (Flinders Pet, 2026).
Full grooms checked 27 September 2026, the rest verified June 2026. Treat these as typical prices, not a fixed rate.
02. Dog Grooming Prices by Breed
Most salons don't set a price for each breed. They price by size, and the ones that mention breeds mostly name the breeds that fall into each size tier, so a Maltese and a small Cavoodle often cost exactly the same.
The table below does the same: each breed gets the price of the tier its salon puts it in. On 27 September 2026 we searched 44 suburbs and towns drawn at random across Australia and found 12 salons whose published price lists attach breeds to prices, 7 in capital cities and 5 in regional towns. We chose them on whether they list breeds, never on what they charge. Only 4 of the 12 print a price against a breed name, and no group gets more than 3 of those, too few to report on their own.
| Breed group | Salons | Median | Lowest to highest |
|---|
| Small clipped coats: Maltese, Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, Toy and Miniature Poodle | 9 | $105 | $85 to $115 |
| Small oodles: Cavoodle, Spoodle, Moodle, mini Labradoodle | 9 | $108 | $90 to $115 |
| Schnauzers: Miniature and Standard | 8 | $105 | $90 to $140 |
| Spaniels: Cocker Spaniel, Cavalier | 9 | $125 | $90 to $150 |
| Large oodles and Standard Poodle: Groodle, Labradoodle | 7 | $145 | $100 to $190 |
| Double coats: Golden Retriever, Border Collie, German Shepherd | 9 | $145 | $90 to $170 |
| Nordic coats: Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Samoyed | 6 | $155 | $90 to $200 |
| Short coats, bath or de-shed: Labrador, Staffy, Kelpie | 6 | $115 | $60 to $120 |
| Giant breeds: Newfoundland, Bernese Mountain Dog, Saint Bernard, Irish Wolfhound, Maremma | 5 | $200 | $130 to $210 |
The giant-breed row is the thinnest: 5 salons, the fewest we'd report, and none of them prints a price against a giant breed by name, so treat $200 as a rough guide. The double-coat and Nordic rows mix two services, because some salons attach a de-shed to those breeds and others a full groom. The short-coat row is a bath or de-shed, not a haircut.
Most of the spread is size. The small breeds cluster at $105 to $108, and every group past $140 is a big dog, in step with the size table above, which climbs from $100 for a small dog to $167.50 at the top tier. So find your dog's size tier first. The breed mostly tells you which tier that is.
Like the index figure at the top of this guide and the size table, these are published prices read on one day. The index came from a different set of salons on a different day, so treat any gap between it and these figures as sampling spread rather than a change in prices. More than half the salons in the size table publish "from" prices or ranges, so read every figure here as a starting price: matting or a breed-standard style can add to it.
03. Other Common Services and What They Cost
Not everyone wants a full groom. Here are the standalone services owners ask for most, with current Australian figures.
| Service | Typical 2026 Price |
|---|
| Nail clip / trim | $15 to $20 |
| Nail clip and file (Dremel) | $20 to $36 |
| Puppy first groom (intro session) | $40 to $70 |
| De-shedding treatment | $60 to $150 |
| Teeth brushing | $15 |
| Ear plucking | $10 |
A few notes on these:
Nail clips are cheap and quick. Most salons charge a flat $15 to $20 regardless of size, with a Dremel file adding a little more (
Flinders Pet, 2026;
Dogster, 2026).
A puppy's first groom is usually a shorter, gentler introduction: a bath and blow dry, a face, feet, and hygiene trim, nails, and ears, priced below an adult full groom so puppies can get used to the process.
De-shedding is heavily size and coat dependent. A smooth-coated small dog might be around $60, while a long-coated or giant breed can reach $150 to $170 because of the time involved (
Flinders Pet, 2026).
04. Add-On Fees and What Triggers Them
This is where a quoted price and a final bill can drift apart. Most add-ons exist for one reason: the dog arrived needing more work than a standard groom allows. Reputable groomers tell you about these before they start.
| Add-On | Typical Fee |
|---|
| Matted coat (light) | +$20 to $30 |
| Matted coat (severe) | +$40 to $50, or charged per 15 minutes |
| Extra thick or double coat | +$15 to $30 |
| Difficult or anxious behaviour (handling fee) | +$15 to $25 |
| De-shedding add-on | +$20 to $40 |
| Flea or tick treatment | +$5 to $20 |
Matting is the big one. Many salons now charge matting by time, often around $20 per 15 minutes, because de-matting is slow and uncomfortable for the dog (Flinders Pet, 2026). A handling fee of about $15 is common where a dog needs extra patience or a second pair of hands. Flea and sensitive-skin treatments typically add $5 to $20 (Airtasker, 2025).
Key Takeaway: Add-ons are not a money grab. They reflect real extra time and care. The fix is transparency: a good groomer flags any likely add-on at drop-off, not at the till.
05. Mobile Dog Grooming Prices vs Salon: The Convenience Premium
Mobile grooming brings the salon to your driveway in a fitted-out van. You skip the drive, the wait, and the stress of a busy salon, and your dog is the only one being groomed at the time.
Across Australian cost guides, mobile grooming runs roughly $20 to $50 above the equivalent salon service (Woofspark, 2026; Dogster, 2026). The average mobile session sits around $105 (Airtasker, 2025).
| Cost guides, medium dog | Salon | Mobile |
|---|
| Full groom | $75 to $110 | $90 to $140 |
| Bath and tidy | $55 to $80 | $75 to $100 |
Published price lists show less of that gap. When we read 23 mobile groomers' own price lists and 34 salons' on 27 September 2026, the mobile medians sat at or below the salon medians at every size. They're different businesses with different size bands, so it doesn't prove mobile is cheaper. Where a mobile groomer does charge for the drive, it's mostly a separate call-out or travel fee.
Where there is a premium, it covers fuel, van upkeep, and insurance, plus the simple fact that a mobile groomer can only see four or five dogs a day where a salon might see eight to fifteen (Woofspark, 2026). Whether it is worth it depends on your dog. For an anxious dog, an elderly dog, or a multi-dog household, the calm one-on-one setting can be worth every dollar. If you want a deeper look at the trade-offs, see our guide to mobile dog grooming in Australia.
06. Metro vs Regional Variation
Prices do not swing wildly across the country, but city grooming tends to cost a little more than regional grooming, mainly because rents and wages are higher in the capitals.
Sydney and Melbourne sit at the top end on average, with Brisbane close behind, while Adelaide and many regional areas sit lower (Airtasker, 2025; Dogster, 2026). As a rough guide, a full groom that costs $90 in a regional town might be $110 to $130 in an inner-city Sydney or Melbourne salon for the same dog.
The practical takeaway: compare quotes within your own suburb, not against a national average. A "high" price in Hobart and a "low" price in Sydney can be the same number.
Why Prices Vary So Much
If two groomers quote you $80 and $140 for the same breed, neither is necessarily wrong. Here is what sits behind the spread.
Time. Grooming is paid by the hour in everything but name. A small dog's full groom is typically booked for about an hour and a half; a Standard Poodle in a full breed cut can take two to three hours.
Skill and finish. A quick tidy and a hand-scissored show-standard cut are not the same job. Experienced and qualified groomers charge for that skill.
Coat condition. A brushed, well-kept coat is fast. A matted one is slow, delicate work that can border on a welfare issue if rushed.
Behaviour. A relaxed dog is straightforward. A frightened or reactive dog needs more time, more breaks, and sometimes two people.
Breed-standard cuts. Poodles, Schnauzers, Bichons, and the popular "oodle" crosses need specific styling that takes longer than an all-over clip.
Mobile convenience. As above, coming to you costs more to deliver, and some mobile groomers add a call-out or travel fee for it.
None of these are upsells. They are the actual variables that decide how long your dog is on the table.
What a "Full Groom" Usually Includes in Australia
When a salon says "full groom", you can generally expect:
A wash, usually a double shampoo, with conditioner
A blow dry and full brush-out
A body clip or scissor cut to your chosen length or breed style
Nail clipping
Ear cleaning, and ear plucking where needed
A sanitary and paw-pad trim
A finishing spritz or light cologne
A bath and tidy includes the wash, dry, and a light face, feet, and hygiene trim, but not the full body clip. If you are unsure what is included in any quote, ask for the inclusions in writing. If you come across unfamiliar terms like "carding", "hand-stripping", or "sanitary trim", our dog grooming glossary explains them in plain English.
Is Cheaper Grooming a Red Flag?
A low price is not automatically a warning sign, and a high price does not guarantee a great cut. Plenty of skilled groomers keep rates modest because their overheads are low or they are building a book. The point is to understand what the price reflects, not to assume cheap equals bad.
That said, grooming is hands-on work on a living animal, so it is worth knowing what a very low quote can sometimes mean:
Time pressure. A rate that only works at high volume can mean less time per dog, which is harder on nervous or older animals.
Handling. Careful, low-stress handling takes patience, and patience takes time.
Hidden add-ons. A low headline price with steep matting, coat, or handling fees can end up dearer than a clear flat quote.
The healthiest signal is not the number itself. It is transparency: a groomer who explains their pricing, flags likely add-ons up front, and is happy to show you their qualifications and their setup. Ask how long the appointment will take, what is included, and what could change the price. Clear answers matter more than the cheapest sticker.
Do You Tip Dog Groomers in Australia?
Short version: no, tipping is not expected here.
Unlike the United States, where a 15 to 20 percent tip is customary, Australia does not have a strong tipping culture. Service workers are paid a proper minimum wage with weekend and public-holiday loadings on top, so tips are a bonus, not a built-in part of someone's income (SBS, tipping in Australia; Wise, tipping guide).
That does not mean you cannot. Some owners round up the bill or leave a little extra after a particularly good groom, an especially patient session with an anxious dog, or a last-minute fit-in. It is genuinely appreciated, but no decent groomer expects it, and you should never feel awkward about not tipping. A glowing review and a repeat booking are worth just as much.
For Groomers Reading This
If you run a grooming business, the figures above are also a quiet competitive brief. Owners are price-checking, and the salons that win trust are usually the ones with clear, upfront pricing rather than a vague "from $X".
Two things consistently reduce friction:
Size-based pricing tiers. "Bigger dog, more time, higher price" is fair and instantly understood, which heads off most price arguments before they start.
Named add-on fees. When matting, de-shedding, and handling fees are written down and shown before the groom, they stop being awkward surprises and start being reasonable, expected line items.
For a deeper dive into setting your own rates, see our companion guide on how to price dog grooming services in Australia, the economics of add-on services, and how to understand your grooming salon income.
How Petboost Helps
Petboost is booking and management software built for Australian pet businesses, and a lot of it exists to make pricing clear for both sides of the table.
Apply
add-ons like matting or de-shedding at checkout, with the invoice updating automatically.
Let clients book through
self-service booking, where they see the correct price for their dog up front, no phone tag.
Take card payment on the spot with built-in
payments.
The aim is honest, transparent pricing that builds trust, not a clever way to charge more. You can see plans on the Petboost pricing page.
The Bottom Line
In 2026, a typical Australian salon charges about $100 for a small dog's full groom, $120 for a medium dog, $137.50 for a large dog and $167.50 for an extra large dog, with bath-and-tidy options costing less. Cost guides put mobile grooming $20 to $50 higher, though published mobile price lists show little of that gap. Add-ons for matting, de-shedding, and handling are normal and should always be flagged before the groom. Tipping is welcome but never expected.
If you run a grooming business and want pricing your clients can actually see and trust, take a look at Petboost.
Book a free demo → to see size-based pricing and online booking in action, or start free and set up your price list today. Prefer to talk it through? Call Emily on 1800 291 005.
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