Terms and Conditions

All clients are required to complete and sign a declaration form before their first appointment. All your data is confidential and will not be shared with any third party.

Please inform us of any changes in your dog’s health or temperament or your personal details to allow us to continue to provide a service tailored to your dog’s needs.

YOUR DOG’S HEALTH AND WELFARE

Whilst your pet is in the care of Top Collar its health and welfare is our primary concern. Your dog will only ever be groomed according to their tolerance of the process.

If your pet is fearful of any of the procedures employed during grooming, a workaround or alternative approach will be used. Occasionally during grooming a pre-existing condition may be discovered which you may not have been aware of. I will notify you of this so that you can seek veterinary advice.

Although extremely unlikely, accidents can happen during grooming. In the event of an accident or serious medical issue arising during your dog’s groom you authorise us to seek emergency veterinary treatment.

GROOM FEEDBACK

You will be given detailed feedback after every groom. If you have any queries or need further clarification, please contact me at a later stage. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your dog’s groom please let us know before you leave. Reasonable requests to alter the trim will be dealt with immediately or changes noted for the next groom. 

I am more than happy to disclose details of your dog’s groom or advise you about how best to care for your dog’s coat.

GUIDE PRICES

Guide prices are for dogs:

  • That are professionally groomed on a regular schedule. Dogs professionally groomed longer than six weeks prior to their booked appointment may be charged for the additional work required (unless advised beforehand).

  • Whose coats are well maintained between professional grooms (kept tangle, knot and matt free by regular brushing or combing).

You can reasonably expect to pay more than the starting price for:

  • Matted, poorly maintained and/or overgrown coats.

  • Dogs which are difficult to manage or uncooperative during grooming.

  • Overweight dogs or oversized for the breed standard.

  • Timid, anxious or nervous dogs, which require frequent breaks and may need special handling.

These cost more time, labour and/or product; therefore, the costs are passed on to you. If we are unable to complete a groom due to behavioural problems or aggression you will be charged the starting price of the groom.

All costs are payable in full at the time you collect your pet.

PARLOUR EXCLUSIVITY

If your dog is reactive to other dogs, notice must be given in advance of their appointment so that they can have sole use of the grooming parlour.

TIME KEEPING

Please be punctual. I work by appointment only, the appointment slot allocated for your dog’s groom has been booked at your request exclusively. I do not double book appointments, a no-show is lost income. 

Most grooms take between 1-3 hours or more depending on the size and temperament of the dog, and its coat condition. You will be advised what time to collect your pet.

It is advisable not to return to the parlour before this time, as your presence may distract your dog during the finishing stage of its groom. It is essential that you collect your pet at the agreed time - once the groom is finished your dog will be eager to go home and may become unsettled or anxious and cause a distraction to the next dog being groomed. Late collections may incur an extra charge.

Please phone me if you are running late.

Clients arriving more than 30 minutes late for their appointment can be considered a missed appointment and may have to re-book, this will incur a charge of 50% of the cost of the groom. If you need an earlier drop off/later collection time due to other commitments, please discuss this with me when booking.

CANCELLING YOUR DOG’S APPOINTMENT

I respectfully request 24 hours notice if you need to cancel your dog’s appointment. The slot can then be offered to other clients.

NO-SHOWS AND LATE CANCELLATIONS

A fee of 50% of your usual groom price may be levied for missed appointments and late cancellations.

NEGLECTED AND MATTED COATS

In the event that your dog’s coat needs to be clipped down to release it from matting or coat neglect, Top Collar, its owner and groomer are not liable for any post-grooming effects of this procedure, which is not without risk.

Any humane dematting will be undertaken solely at my discretion, in compliance with The Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Dematting during a routine groom is limited to a maximum of 15 minutes and is only possible if the matting is minimal. For severely matted coats where dematting isn't possible, the only humane way to deal with this will be to completely shave off the coat.

You will be given an estimate of how long matt release is likely to take and an estimated cost for the procedure. A shavedown consumes significantly more time, labour, product and tool/equipment wear and tear than a routine trim therefore will incur an extra charge. All shavedown costs are payable in full at the time you collect your dog.

AGGRESSIVE AND POORLY SOCIALISED DOGS: THE DANGEROUS DOGS ACT

I reserve the right to refuse to groom any dog at risk of harming me or itself. If your dog is accepted for grooming and displays aggression that I have not been informed of during its session, the groom will be terminated immediately. You will be contacted to collect your dog. The full starting price of the groom will be levied.

You must inform me prior to grooming if your dog has ever bitten or displayed aggression. Failure to disclose this information may result in refusal of further services. Your attention is drawn to the Dangerous Dogs Act, which holds owners liable for bites and injuries caused by their dogs.