In order to ensure that we’re able to provide our clients and their dogs with the highest levels of quality and service we have a few house rules. Our T’s and C’s work to protect everyone’s best interests – including yours and you dog’s! Have a read below in order to understand how Wagtails of The Wolds operates and how we maintain excellent standards for our clients.

Customer Declaration

New clients are required to sign a customer declaration form accepting the below terms and conditions. If we have to groom your dog without a signed declaration, you are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions.

Our Honesty Policy

We believe that honesty is the best policy, so we invite our clients to quality check their dog’s groom upon collection. This is important because we want you to be happy with the quality of our service. Dogs can be wriggly things (their four legs to our two can sometimes outwit even the savviest of groomers!) so if there are any stray hairs out of line then let us know and we will fix it while you wait. So when you collect your dog please make sure you’re 100% happy with the result. If you’re not, tell us there and then! We encourage honest communication with us face to face. We appreciate all feedback as it is how our service is able to improve and develop to be the best possible grooming provider for your dog.

Animal behaviour

It is more straightforward to groom a well behaved dog. Dogs which are reactive, exceptionally nervous, untrained or which have aggressive tendencies increase the difficulty and duration of any groom. Unfortunately if the grooming appointment overruns because of your dog’s behaviour beyond that already anticipated then surcharges may be payable.

Please inform Wagtails of The Wolds prior to the appointment if your dog has bitten before or has aggressive tendencies. This doesn’t mean we won’t groom your dog – we are professionals and can handle even the most trying of subjects – but we reserve the right to muzzle it or ask you to muzzle it. However, if your dog poses a threat or danger to our staff or other dogs owing to its behaviour on the day we reserve the right to turn your dog away without grooming it and the full starting price for your groom will still be charged.

Normal condition

Please present your dog for its groom in a normal condition. Normal condition means free of mats which requires that you regularly brush your dog in between grooms. It’s important as dog owners to maintain your dog’s coat otherwise mats can develop which are uncomfortable and unsanitary for your dog. 

Please also present your dog clean and dry where possible – unless they are booked in for an Emergency Spruce Up of course!

If your dog has fleas or other parasites this will incur extra charges as the entire salon will need to be treated in order to prevent other dogs from being infected – we have a responsibility to all of our clients’ dogs to keep them bug-free.

Matted Dogs

If your dog is heavily matted they will not be able to receive a normal groom. Instead they will automatically revert to the Back to Basics de-matting package. This may require a shave off or clip down to skin level and it won’t be as aesthetically pleasing as our typical grooms. We will obviously discuss this with you first as it’s not an ideal outcome. However, in many cases it is in the best interest of the dog.

In the event of any dog needing a de-matting groom, please be aware that irritation may occur from the shaving process, as well as uncovering nicks, cuts or other potential problems.

You agree that Wagtails of The Wolds will not be held liable for any after-effects of matt clipping procedures or problems uncovered by clipping off a neglected coat. This includes, but is not limited to the following: itchiness, skin redness, irritations and abrasions.

We never submit any dog to stress or discomfort, and we always act with love and care towards your pets, and in accordance with The Animal Welfare Act 2007.

Cancellations

When you make an appointment with Wagtails of The Wolds it is your responsibility to ensure your dog attends and that the grooming fee is paid. Therefore, if you fail to attend or cancel without two business days’ noticethe full groom fee will still be payable. We need to look after the interests of all of our clients and have a waiting list so cancellations are easily filled if we are given the right amount of notice.

If you think you may need flexibility with booking your dog’s groom (i.e. that you might need to amend bookings on occasion) then speak to our staff about placing a deposit. By putting down a deposit you will secure your appointment but be given the flexibility to amend it if required (and if given two business days’ notice). This helps us not only plan our diaries so we don’t have empty grooming slots, but also allows you some flexibility in managing your dog’s grooming schedule.

Sticking to the grooming schedule for your dog’s breed

Different dog breeds have different grooming requirements. This includes types of grooming required and the frequency of those grooms. When you join the Wagtails of The Wolds family your dog will be fully assessed to establish what kind of groom you would like them to have (shape, style, etc) but also how often they need to be groomed. If you don’t stick to the grooming frequency set out by our staff during your onboarding it becomes more difficult to groom your dog as their coat will be get out of shape and condition and the groom will take longer – and therefore cost more! Simply put, there is no financial saving in stretching out your dog’s appointments because additional charges will be necessary to get back into the shape and condition you expect from us. 

To help stay on track we can arrange recurring bookings for you so that you can stay on schedule for your dog and avoid any surcharges – please speak to our staff to get this set up.

Please toilet your dog before their appointment

Can you please ensure that your dog has had ample opportunity for wees and poos prior to coming into the salon, as we don’t have the capacity to take your dog outside for this purpose during its groom except in emergencies. If your dog poos outside our salon can you please ensure that you bag up their mess! It is not fair to expect Wagtails of The Wolds staff to clear up after your dog in this way.

If your dog defecates or urinates during the grooming process and requires a second bath as a result additional fees may be chargeable due to the extra time taken for cleaning both your dog and the salon area afterwards.

Arrive on time

Every appointment has been carefully made to take into consideration our clients’ personal schedules (from school runs to hospital appointments, medical considerations to driving conditions) and the behaviour and needs of each dog. Some dogs take longer to groom than others – there is no fixed time slot for a groom at Wagtails of The Wolds. Therefore, it’s important to us that arrival times are adhered to so we can remain on time for each client and each dog.

Therefore, please attend the salon at the groom’s start time. If you arrive early you may disrupt an ongoing groom, which will make your appointment run late. If you do arrive early, please wait outside so there is no disruption caused.

At the time of your appointment, please ring the doorbell and a staff member will be with you as soon as they can. We cannot always answer the door immediately as it takes time to safely secure dogs on the grooming table. Please don’t keep ringing – we have definitely heard it!

Dogs must be collected within 30 minutes of the end of the grooming appointment – details of which you will receive at drop off or via text once the groom is complete. It is not fair to your dog or the other dogs in our care to keep them at the salon for longer periods. If you don’t collect your dog within 30 minutes there is a £5 per hour charge for their care.

If we get prior notice of any delay in collection of your dog we may be able to accommodate this for you, but we only have a finite amount of space to happily house our clients’ dogs and we don’t them want to be overcrowded and grumpy! This means letting us know in advance of the groom date, rather than when you drop off your dog.

Payment

Wagtails of The Wolds accepts cash or card payments (excluding Amex). If you would like to enter into a payment plan for regular grooms please speak to our friendly staff at the salon who will be able to help.

Thank you!

We get that rules and regulations such as these can seem a little overbearing sometimes. So thanks so much for understanding that they are only there to protect you – our clients – and your wonderful dogs, as well as our amazing team. Because when everyone sticks to these terms and conditions we can provide you with the best standard of care for your dog, and everyone else’s!