POLICIES
PRICING
Pricing is non-negotiable.
Pricing is based loosely on dog breed, but more accurately on the amount of time it takes to groom a particular dog. Doodles and large breed dogs are priced by hourly rate and is dependent on the amount of time taken to groom your dog.
The amount of time taken to groom a dog, dog breed, dog size, coat type, coat condition, desired haircut, dog's age, and dog's behaviour are all factors in the final price.
All prices and quotes are subject to change, at the groomer's discretion, without notice.
Additional Services such as, but not limited to: teeth brushing, nail grinding, specialty shampoos, conditioning treatments, hair dying, creative grooming, etc. are charged in addition to the grooming price.
CANCELLATIONS & NO-SHOWS
Please be respectful of your groomer's time. Cancellations require a minimum of 24 hours notice, to allow the groomer sufficient time to fill the appointment spot.
Should you fail to provide sufficient notice, or do not show up to your scheduled appointment, you will be required to pay a cancellation fee, prior to booking your next appointment. The cancellation fee is non-refundable and is charged in addition to the grooming price.
Should a client cancel an appointment with short notice or not show up to an appointment on more than one occasion, the client will be required to pre-pay the full grooming fee up front, upon re-booking. This fee is non-refundable.
The groomer has the right to refuse services to a client, due to last-minute cancellations or no-shows, regardless if it is the first occurrence.
LATE FEES
Please be respectful of your groomer's time and the time of other client's booked after your appointment. Appointments are booked in accordance to the length of time required to groom each dog. Should you arrive late to your appointment, this creates a domino effect and will therefore affect each appointment scheduled after your own.
Failure to arrive to your appointment on time, will result in a late fee ($1 per minute late) in addition to the grooming price.
Please be advised that depending how late you arrive to your appointment, you may be turned away and asked to rebook for a different date. Should this be the case, a cancellation fee will apply.
The groomer has the right to refuse services to a cleint, due to tardiness, regardless if it is the first occurrence.
ABUSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Abusive behaviour is not tolerated in my workplace.
While we are all human and have bad days, please be mindful of how you treat others. Verbal or physical abuse and/or bullying will not be tolerated. Services will be refused to individuals who act as such, and you will not be welcome back to my salon.
PICK UP
Please be respectful of your groomer's time. Unless previously discussed with the groomer, you are required to pick up your dog within a 30minute time-frame, after the groomer has contacted you for pickup. Failure to do so will result in a fee additional to the grooming price ($1 per minute).
If someone other than yourself will be picking up your dog, please make the groomer aware so that there is no confusion upon pickup. This will also reduce the risk of your dog being sent home with someone falsely posing as a family member.
It is very important that you please do not come around the grooming area, or pop your head around the corner, before the groomer has advised that your dog is ready to go home. When your dog is excited to see you, he/she will jump, squirm, and move around. This can be extremely dangerous, should the groomer be working with scissors at that time, resulting in possible injury to your dog. Your dog will also be at risk to falling off the table. When a dog seeing their owner and/or hears their voice, it can causes extra anxiety in already anxious dogs. This makes the remainder of the grooming period stressful for your dog and more difficult for your groomer. This will extend the amount of time remaining of your dog's groom, as the groomer now has to wait for the dog to settle down before continuing. Failure to abide by this rule will result in a fee additional to the grooming price.
AGGRESSIVE & DIFFICULT DOGS
I do not accept aggressive dogs. No exceptions.
Please do not lie or intentionally leave out this information to any groomer. Getting bit by a dog can result in inability to work for weeks at a time, lost wages, and in severe cases inability to coninue to pursue our career. Please understand that this is our livelihood.
Although most dogs are typically well behaved, some dogs may be very stressed by the grooming process and may be difficult to groom. Dogs that are aggressive towards the groomer will be muzzled--no exceptions. Dogs that are aggressive towards the groomer, or in general are difficult to deal with, will be subject to an additional fee and may be sent home. Should a dog be sent home, you will be responsible to pay for the full amount of the grooming service, regardless if it was completed or not.
The groomer has the right to refuse service to clients with an aggressive dog or a dog that is extremely difficult to deal with.
While most dogs do get along with one another at the salon, some dogs may be dog-aggressive. It is your responsibility as a dog owner to keep both your dog and other members of the public safe. You must advise your groomer if your dog is dog-aggressive, in order to keep all clients and dogs safe at the salon. Small dogs that are dog-aggressive will be crated--no exceptions. Large dogs that are dog-aggressive dogs may only be allowed to book on certain days of the week, or at certain times of the day.
The groomer has the right to refuse service to a client who owns a dog that is dog-aggressive.
MATTED DOGS
If the groomer's comb cannot not go through your dog's coat, that means the fur is matted. Matted dogs will be shaved--no exceptions. Matted dogs will be charged an additional fee--this is non-negotiable.
We do not de-matt at our salon, but may work with light tangling, if it is workable. As this requires extra care an attention, the grooming appointment will likely take longer than usual. With this being said, matted dogs will be charged a fee additional to the grooming price.
Matting can be a serious health concern to your dog, as severe matting can deprive the skin of airflow and cause skin irritation and infection. Matting can also cause bruising and/or hematoma to your dog's skin. With this being said, matted dogs are at greater risk of injury or stress during the grooming process. Shave-down hair cuts, due to matting, can result in the following: bruising, nicked/cut skin, brush burn, clipper burn, irritation or other adverse reactions. I understand that the groomer is not liable, should my dog be subject to any of the listed issues.
It is your responsibility, as a dog owner, to care for your dog between grooming appointments. Brushing and combing is required on a daily basis, in combination with regular grooming appointments, in order to keep your dog's fur matt-free and to promote healthy skin.
To keep fur free of matting, you should follow the general guideline below:
- Long fur length : brushed several times a day, and on a grooming schedule of 2-4 weeks
- Medium fur length: brushed daily, and on a grooming schedule of 4-6 weeks
- Short fur length: brushed 4-5 times a week/daily, and on a grooming schedule of 6-8 weeks
- Shaved fur length: brush ears and tails daily and body daily once medium length, and on a grooming schedule of 8-10 weeks.
PUPPIES
Puppies must have their second round of vaccinations prior to their first grooming appointment. Proof is required at drop off. No exceptions.
Puppies under the age of 4months are more likely to pick up PARVO than an adult dog, and can easily pass it along to other unvaccinated dogs/puppies, if they are carrying the virus. As PARVO is a highly contagious virus, with a mortality rate of 91% and can be passed to other dogs even though indirect contact. We will not take the chance at our salon.
Puppies are extremely susceptible to illness and viruses, as they have not yet built up an immune system. The law in Ontario only requires adult dogs to be vaccinated against rabies, so please understand that we cannot guarantee the health status of any dog that enters our salon. With this being said, it is best to keep your puppy safe, until minimum second round of vaccinations have been administered (typically around the 12 week mark).
SENIOR DOGS
Senior dogs require extra love and care in their older years. They may require frequent breaks, or special accommodation to keep them comfortable during the grooming process. Please be advised that your groomer will do whatever possible to keep your dog comfortable during their time in the salon, however some senior dogs may display signs of stress or anxiety. To keep your dog comfortable, it may take additional time to groom your dog.
Some senior dogs may experience something called "dryer seizures." A dryer is seizure is a type of seizure brought on by the blow dryer. The grooming blow drier is a high-powered forced air dryer. Just like humans, moving air, abrupt noises, and body temperature change can trigger a seizure in dogs, specifically senior dogs when the loud blow dryer moves over their body. A dog's seizure reaction may include: barking, screaming, heavy panting, pacing and/or running, confusion, aggression. Should this happen, the groomer will contact you to have your dog picked up immediately, to prevent further stress.
Should your dog experience dryer seizures, to reduce stress on your dog, you may be required to do the following:
- book longer appointment times so that your dog can fully crate dry, befor being clipped
- Split up appointments into: bath and crate dry, or bath and send home wet to air dry on one day and the haircut for the following day
- Bathe your dog at home the night before and allow to fully airdry before th haircut appointment next day.
Should your dog require extra time to groom and/or special accommodation, an additional fee may apply. The groomer is not liable to for any stress, anxiety, medical issues a senior dog may experience during grooming session.
The groomer has the right to refuse clients with senior dogs.
FLEAS & TICKS
I do not accept dogs with fleas.
Our goal is to keep the salon clean and safe for all clients. Please be respectful other clients. Please be a responsible pet owner and have your dog on a flea and tick preventative. You may seek out a preventative from your veterinarian or seek out natural methods.
Fleas and ticks are considered parasites. While ticks are not as easily spread, fleas can easily jump from one host to another. Should fleas come into the salon, the groomer must now stop the grooming process and spend extra time to spray and sanitize the salon to kill any live fleas/ticks or eggs. Your groomer must also spend extra time to give the dog a flea bath, in addition to a regular bath, in order to kill all live fleas/ticks on the dog. This creates a domino affect and will put the groomer behind schedule for all other appointments in the day. With this being said, any dogs that come into the salon with fleas will be charged an additional fee.
Should fleas be noticed upon drop off, the dog will be refused. Should fleas be found on a dog after drop off, the dog will be sent home. Should fleas be found during bath time, your dog will be given a flea bath--no exceptions, and an additional fee will apply--non-negotiable. Proof of treatment will be required prior to booking your next appointment.
Should fleas be found, you must provide proof of veterinary treatment prior to rebooking.
VACCINATIONS
Law in Ontario requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets are to be vaccinated against rabies. With this being said, you will be required to provide proof of vaccination prior to your grooming appointment. While not mandatory, it is also recommended to have you dog vaccinated for DA2PP (Distemper), at the very minimum. Bordatella and Leptospirosis are also recommended in a boarding or grooming facility. Please be advised that the groomer cannot guarantee the health of any dog at the salon and it is therefore up to each client to ensure their dogs are vaccinated accordingly. The groomer will not be held liable should your dog become ill due to your own decisions not to vaccinate.
LIABILITIES
Grooming can aggravate pre-existing medical conditions, and/or uncover new ones. A dog can be nicked by the clippers/scissors, receive razor burn, brush burn, hematomas, skin conditions, or other various medical issues while being groomed. The dog groomer will not be held liable for any injury, illness, stress, anxiety, irritation, allergic reaction, or adverse reaction, sickness, illness, disease, parasite, fleas, ticks, that may occur to your pet while in the groomers care.