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The Country Hound's Policies
Important - Please Read
Cancellation Policy
We completely recognise that life sometimes life gets in the way and that appointments can be forgotten, or need to be cancelled and rearranged, so we send you a helpful reminder text 24hrs before you are due. Appointments can be re-arranged or cancelled 24 hours before your scheduled appointment without charge, however if you contact us with less that 24hrs notice then a cancellation fee of the full price of the appointment will apply before you are able to book a future appointment with us, as we will struggle to fill the appointment at such short notice.
Late Arrival
As we are a one-to-one salon, we require our clients to arrive promptly for their appointments, as to not disrupt the schedule of appointments for the rest of the day. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, we unfortunately are unlikely to be able to complete the groom in the allotted time, and we will suggest that you reschedule your grooming appointment. The full price of the groom will be charged to cover the missed appointment which cannot be filled.
Late Collection
We understand that there are circumstances that can cause you to be late for the pick up of your dog, for example a closed road, or traffic jam, however if you are more than 20 minutes late for the collection of your dog, you will be charged a £5 fee to cover the time spent tending to your dog.
Dematting Policy
With the increase in totally adorable fluffy dogs we are seeing through our doors, we are also seeing an increase in matted coats on dogs. These gorgeous curly coats can be really difficult to manage, and sometimes can get away from us, resulting in a matted coat. Matted coats are caused by friction between the hairs resulting in large knots which become thicker and thicker.
Following the Animal Welfare Act (2006), when it comes to matting, we always put humanity over vanity, and will not brush out matting. The kindest thing for us to do for your dog, is to clip off the coat to a short length, to relieve it of the weight and tightness of the matting. Sometimes when we see really severe matting on the extremities, such as the ears and tail, hematomas may occur. Because the matting is so tight, it can cut off the blood supply to these extremities, and when the matting is removed, the blood will rush back to these areas and sometimes the pressure forces the blood to seep through the edges of the skin. This only occurs in very severe cases of matting, and your groomer will always make you aware if they think there is any possibility of a hematoma occurring. If we feel that your dog is becoming distressed, we reserve the right to ask you to collect them and bring them back for another session.
Your groomer is also more than happy to discuss with you whether the tools you are using to groom your dog are the correct ones for their coat. There are so many different pieces of grooming equipment out there, so it is very possible there may be a better tool out there for your dog and their coat.
Aggressive Dogs
We treat every dog as an individual, and there are some who just aren't comfortable with the grooming process. We will always do our best by these dogs, but if we feel the need to, we reserve the right to use a muzzle on your dog to protect both themselves and the groomer, if they begin to show signs of aggression. However this is always a last resort. We also reserve the right to ask you to collect your dog at any point during the groom if we feel they are becoming distressed, or the safety of your dog or the groomer is at risk.
Payment
We accept both cash and card payments upon collection, and an invoice service is available for clients whose dogs are groomed whilst using the daycare service with The Willow Tree Canine Daycare.
Photographs
When you bring your dog to us we may use photos of them during and after the grooming process for advertisement purposes on our website and social media pages. Please let us know if you would prefer we didn't use photographs of your dogs.
Covid-19
Due to Covid-19, we are now unable to welcome clients into the reception area, but instead have set up a double gated area in front of the reception which allows for strict social distancing at all times. To avoid crowding around the gate, please arrive promptly for drop off and collection, and please wait in your car for the groomer to wave you over. We ask that you unclip your dogs lead and take that home with you, as it will have been handled by yourselves. Collars and harnesses are safe to leave on. We have clips in each corner of the secure area to attach your dog to, so that they are safe when you are going through the gate. We ask that you pay by card during this time to avoid the exchange of cash, however we are able to accommodate this if completely necessary. The salon is fully sterilised between clients, as are the card machines and the gate handles. Your groomer will also be wearing the relevant PPE during the grooming process, and handwashing at regular intervals.