4Paws Grooming Terms and Conditions
4Paws Outdoors Grooming Terms and Conditions
1) Please do not arrive more than 10 minutes early for your appointment.
Prior to this I am often with other clients/handing over the earlier client's dog so will not be able to guarantee giving you my full attention.
2) I work one on one with appointments booked in succession. Therefore if you are late I may not have enough time to groom your dog before the arrival of the next client.
Unfortunately this means that if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment then it will be cancelled and the standard amount for your dog's groom will be due.
3) Appointment types and duration:
The Inbetweener (for existing clients only)
- Bath (double shampoo and conditioner with natural, vegan products)
- Blueberry facial
- Blowdry and brush out
- Nail trim (where necessary)
- Ear clean (where necessary)
- Paw trim, bottom trim, face trim.m
Appointments are for shorter haired dogs or those who have had a full groom in the last 4 weeks who need a tidy up of face/bottom/feet - dogs must be mat free.
From £45 - duration approximately 1 hour
The Full Works
- Bath (double shampoo and conditioner with natural, vegan products)
- Blueberry facial
- Blowdry and brush out
- Nail trim (where necessary)
- Ear clean (where necessary)
- Bespoke styling
Pricing and duration depends on behaviour and coat condition
Puppy Grooming School
You should start bringing your puppy for grooming as soon as they have had their vaccinations and then bring them every 2-4 weeks during their first year until they are confident and happy with the process and able to be handled and groomed safely.
We have one chance with puppies to give them the best possible start for their future grooming experience. I want to avoid reinforcing any anxiety they may have and build up the best possible trust-based relationship we can.
The grooming school is five session to be taken over no more than 12 weeks. Each package
is tailored to the individual dog so progress depends on how your pup feels about grooming and the pace they progress at. They will be introduced to all elements of grooming in a positive and supportive manner.
From £150 - sessions last approximately 1 hour
Additional puppy sessions - £45
Spa Add Ons 🛁🛁
Madra Mor Massage Mud Treatments £10
The ultimate Zen mud bath, infused with a unique blend of mother nature’s finest ingredients that calm, comfort and promote healing.
Available in four options:
Deshed - for double coats
Soothing - for itchy/sensitive/dry skin
Deep cleaning - for super grubby pups
Senior - for older and delicate skin
Nail smoothing £10
In addition to nail clipping which is part of all grooms I offer nail smoothing which helps round off sharp edges.
Secret Weapon Intensive Conditioner £8
Secret Weapon is an intensive conditioner. It is vegan and hypoallergenic and packed full of
Coconut, Macadamia and Avocado oils plus Keratin.
Secret Weapon improves hair quality, making it easier to maintain the coat and reducing the occurrence of matts and tangles.
Ultra Sonic Teeth Cleaning
This can be added to a groom or purchased separately.
The first session is £35 and includes a brush head for your dog.
Subsequent sessions are £25
Package of 10 sessions £200
Birthday/Christmas Pamper Package
* Full groom
* Blueberry facial
* Madra Mor treatment of your choice.
* Relaxing massage
* Pawty bag with carefully selected treats, chews and a Scrappy And Co Shampoo Bar.
This costs from £80 and lasts 2-2.5hrs
Hand stripping
This is charged at £50 per hour and the duration and frequency depends on whether your dog’s coat is rolled on a more regular basis (approx every 4 weeks) or stripped down 2/3 times a year when their coat is blown (we call this stripping to their undies as the dog looks almost naked with all the top coat removed and just the undercoat left).
Not all dogs are suitable for hand stripping. Neutering, previously clipping and of course their willingness to be stripped all need to be taken into consideration.
4) All appointments where a dog's body fur is cut count as a 'full groom' and will be charged accordingly. I do not offer reduced price appointments for ‘trims’, the best way to keep the cost down is to stick to a regular schedule. If your dog needs a little tidy up around face/bum/feet and has had a full groom within the last 4 weeks then ‘The Inbetweener’ may be suitable.
5) COST - Grooming costs depend on size, coat condition, style, schedule and behaviour. Because of this your dog's grooming price can vary from session to session.
Keeping your dog on their recommended grooming schedule, typically 6 weeks (4 for rehab clients), is important not just for the maintenance of their coat, but so that your dog is used to the grooming process, finds it as stress free as possible and is good to handle.
If your dog goes longer between grooms than their advised schedule, is matted, difficult to groom, or particularly filthy (eg covered in mud, fox poo, paint, burrs) then your groom will cost more.
If your dog goes over their advised schedule then the price increase is worked out by calculating the pro rata weekly cost as follows:
Cost of groom (eg £60)
Divided by number of weeks of recommended schedule (eg 6)
= cost per week (eg £10)
Therefore any additional weeks beyond a recommended 6 week schedule would be charged at £10 per week until the 12 week point at which your dog will be removed from my books.
6) MATTING
Lots of people want to keep their dog’s coat long and fluffy, but if you wish to keep their coat long and it becomes matted then their welfare is paramount.
Matted fur is a serious welfare issue for your pup. Matted fur is VERY uncomfortable for your dog. It prevents the air from circulating to the skin and the combination of pulling on the skin and a build up of sweat, oil and dampness is perfect for bacteria, fungus and parasites to thrive.
Brushing out dense matting is impossible, it damages the coat and skin and is very painful for your dog. I want your dog to have a positive grooming experience and attempting to brush out extensive matting isn’t one. If your dog is severely matted they will require a close clip known as a shavedown.
The tightness and the areas of matting will determine how short your dog needs to go, and whether I can leave them with a longer face, tail or legs. Unfortunately the most matted area of the body usually dictates how short the clip will need to be.
A SHAVE DOWN DUE TO MATTING MUST NOT BECOME A REGULAR OCCURRENCE
Instead you should aim to brush your dog more regularly, choose a more manageable length/style and/or bring it for more regular grooming appointments.
A shavedown is an unpleasant experience for your dog and has more potential for injury than a regular groom. Due to the mats being tight against the skin the only way of removing them is to use a short blade to clip between the skin and under the mats.
As this requires clipping close to the skin there is an increased possibility of irritation, abrasion or even cutting of skin. While I am very careful, please be aware that there is a much higher risk that the dog’s skin could be nicked with the clippers as I have to get the blade underneath the mat in order to remove it.
This risk is increased even further if your dog is unused to being groomed and handled and is stressed out and wriggling, so you need to be aware of this and give permission to proceed should it be necessary.
Additionally if a dog has excessively matted ears, bleeding at the tips of the ear can occur when the matting is removed, this is because circulation to the ear has been restricted by the tight matted hair and releasing this pressure means blood rushes to the tips of the ears and can cause the ears to split at the tip.
Please note standard pricing is for a dog who is brushed daily, on a regular grooming schedule and whose coat is mat free.
Should your dog be matted and require either close clipping (shavedown) or dematting there is a surcharge of up to £40 depending on severity and time taken.
This is for the additional wear and tear on the equipment as mats blunt blades and scissors, as well as additional time and products.
If you find your dog is frequently getting matted then there are three things that need to be considered:
Your home maintenance (more is required),
The length of coat (you should go shorter),
The frequency of grooming (visit more often).
I am always happy to advise you on how to care for your dog’s coat and have handouts available on how to keep your dog fluffy and tangle free.
7) FLEAS - if your dog is suffering from fleas please do NOT make an appointment as I will have to fumigate and cancel subsequent bookings for that day. Any dog who is found to suffer from a flea infestation will be charged an extra £30 to cover premises treatment.
8) HEALTH- please advise me of any health conditions your dog suffers from or any changes to your dog’s health - lumps and bumps, injuries, skin conditions and vet visits as these can all have an impact on grooming. If you know your dog is going to the vet then I strongly advise against booking a grooming appointment on the same day.
I do not groom dogs that are in season or are pregnant.
If your dog has any signs of a transmissable illness such as a cold (coughing/sneezing) or an upset stomach (diarrhoea or vomiting) please reschedule your appointment.
I perform a health check on each visit so if I notice any areas of concern I will flag these to you upon collection.
9) STYLE SATISFACTION - When you collect your dog please take a moment to look over their furstyle. If you are unhappy with your dog's groom then I may be able to rectify it then and there. I will always do my best to achieve your desired look, but please be mindful that your dog’s coat and behaviour impact upon my ability to achieve this.
I will always give advice on collection about what you can do with your dog to make their grooming experience better - both in terms of handling practice at home and coat maintenance.
Adjustments to style after the time of grooming are charged on a sliding scale depending on what is required.
10) COLLECTION - You will be texted with a collection time 30 minutes before your dog is ready. I would be grateful if you would acknowledge this text (even just a thumbs up!) so I know you have noted the collection time.
As I work with one dog at a time your dog’s behaviour on each visit as well as its coat condition dictates the speed we can go at. Sometimes they may need more breaks, a different method of drying, more cuddles or treats, so appointment duration can vary from visit to visit.
Please do not arrive earlier than your collection time - or if you do, just text me and pop to the cafe next door 🙂
Those last few minutes are typically when I’m doing the final adjustments, if your dog is suddenly distracted then not only can this be dangerous but they may end up with an incomplete/uneven style.
There is a STRICT 10 minute grace period for collection - as I work one on one I time things precisely to allow for cleaning between clients and to avoid client dogs meeting as many I work with are anxious.
If your dog stays on beyond this 10 mins then additional time is charged at £10 per 10 minutes.
11) LATE COLLECTION If you know you need your dog to stay on after grooming then let me know as soon as possible - this will be charged as above £10 per 10 mins.
12) CANCELLATION - If you need to cancel your appointment please give me as much notice as possible.
Appointments cancelled - this includes rescheduling - with LESS THAN two working day’s notice will incur the full charge.
As I book clients on a one to one basis a slot missed is a loss that I encounter. As a small business with only three slots per day one missed appointment greatly affects me.
No shows - that is failing to turn up at an appointment with no warning - will not be booked again.
13) PREPARING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT - Please make sure your dog has been exercised and been to the loo - I get many dogs who have an accident indoors upon arrival having not had a loo break beforehand!
14) AGGRESSIVE DOGS - I do not groom dogs that bite. Dogs that bite are not only a danger to me, but to themselves as trying to bite sharp objects such as scissors and clippers can cause injury.
If you know your dog is very hard to groom I recommend either contacting your vet for grooming under sedation, or using a salon where multiple people are able to assist.
15) REHABILITATIVE GROOMING/NERVOUS DOGS
Some dogs find the grooming process distressing. This can be for a variety of reasons such as a late/poor introduction to grooming, infrequent grooming, previously stressful experience of grooming at home or at a groomer, separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, or abuse.
Working with a dog that is already worried about being groomed presents additional challenges.
If you know your dog is particularly nervous or needs rehabilitation then I will tailor a plan to their needs. Sessions will be broken down into smaller, high frequency, manageable chunks. Using my experience as a behaviourist and trainer I then work with your dog to desensitise and counter condition them so their experience and perception of the process changes.
The speed at which we move is dictated by your dog - for example for some this may mean several weekly sessions building up trust and calm before we are able to progress to a bath.
During this process we aren’t focussed on the style but on the dog’s emotional state and physical comfort.
Rehabilitative grooming is charged at £100 per groom if a full groom is achievable or £50 per hour or part thereof after the initial free consultation. Typically it takes place as the last appointment of the day so we have no time pressure and your dog is exercised, fed and calm.
Once your dog is able to tolerate a full groom in one session you should expect to be coming on no more than a 4 weekly schedule. While we are building up to this you should expect that visits will be more often and will not be complete grooms. IT is a condition of working with me that rehab dogs do not go longer than this length of time between visits.
Additionally you should expect to have homework to work on with your dog between sessions.
16) SOCIAL MEDIA - You may already follow me on social media, insta - @laurathefurstylist, https://www.instagram.com/laurathefurstylist/?hl=en
Facebook https://m.facebook.com/4pawsoutdoorsgrooming/
I share photos of the dogs I groom each day as well as hints and tips on coat care and more. If you’d prefer your dog not to be featured just let me know.
17) PRE BOOKING - Please note that I do get fully booked up several weeks in advance with some clients booking six months in advance. I cannot guarantee being able to offer your desired day/time with less than about 6-8 weeks notice.
Appointments are offered on a first come, first served basis. Unless you have a regular repeat slot (eg every 4th Friday at 9) then appointments are not held after being offered. This is especially the case with last minute cancellations where the first to reply from the waiting list will get the appointment.
For this reason I recommend either booking your next appointment at collection or scheduling a repeat booking. If your dog is on a 2/3/4/6 week schedule then please do be mindful of availability and book a few appointments ahead of time so we can stay on that schedule.
If you cancel at short notice then please bear in mind it may be several weeks before a free slot is available.
For last minute availability please check out my Instagram @laurathefurstylist where I mention any available slots.
18) TREATS - I use a variety of treats during my grooming appointments. They vary but are selected to be high value to aid with making the session as positive as possible. This is especially true with young puppies during their initial puppy sessions when we may use lickimats, snufflemats and treat dispensers. If your dog has food intolerances then please either bring your own treats, or some of your dog's kibble (and maybe feed them a smaller meal if they are coming for a morning groom). If your dog is overweight then just bring some of the kibble that makes up their meal.
19) GROOMING TUITION - if you would like me to show you the tools and techniques needed to care for your dog's coat or how to groom them effectively at home then this is charged at £50 per hour.
20) My working hours are Monday-Friday 9-6, Saturday 12-6. If you contact me outside of these hours please note I will not respond until the next working day.
Thanks for reading!
