Grooming Surcharges

What are Surcharges?

Surcharges are fees charged in addition to the cost of a groom. They reflect the dog's condition or behaviours and the amount of extra work involved.

Whilst we raise our prices occasionally to reflect the current financial climate, The following surcharges will apply…

... After all, why should most of our lovely customers who stick rigidly to their grooming schedules, maintain their dogs beautifully at home and present them for grooming clean, dry and knot free, pay the same as the odd customer who constantly abuses the system?

"No-Shows", late arrivals/pick-ups, matted dogs, overweight dogs, dogs outside the recommended grooming schedule and dogs with dubious temperamental issues cost us hours of unpaid labour each year.

Clean and Dry

Avoid Surcharges

We bend over backwards for any client who presents their dog for grooming in the same condition that they present themselves to their hairdresser.

We appreciate that this is difficult in the middle of winter, but there are customers who manage it.

Incur Surcharges

Muddy / Wet Dog - when a dog gets here it goes into a crate lined with clean soft warm vetbed for it’s comfort. If the dog's condition is so bad that the vetbed needs to be changed before it can be used by a clean dog, additional fees will need to be charged. Whilst we expect to wash the beds at the end of every day, we do not expect to have to do this between each and every dog, though of course we will do so if required.

A booby-trapped dog (burrs or brambles or other sharp debris in coat) A dog that has rolled in anything vile. A dog with any parasites (fleas or ticks)

Removal of anything like paint or tar or oil (etc) from the coat.

Stay within the recognised Groom Schedule

Avoid Surcharges

Stay within the recognised Groom Schedule - as discussed at the initial assessment or as recommended in peer-reviewed publications such as "Notes From The Grooming Table" (Verplank et al)

Incur Surcharges

Each breed has a recommended frequency for visits to a professional groomer. Dogs outside that schedule will be charged appropriately because the clipping pattern has grown out; we are basically starting from scratch and this groom has become a Restyle, not a Maintenance Trim. For example, a Cocker Spaniel that costs £50 at 8 weeks will cost £56.25 at 9 weeks and £62.50 at 10 weeks. There are no savings to be made by pushing out appointments as these dogs always take longer to do and undoubtedly place more strain on our staff and equipment.

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Knot Free

Avoid Surcharges

Customers who brush their dog at home, right down to skin, then get a comb and check it will undoubtedly pay less.

Incur Surcharges

If he's "just a bit knotty" he'll be "just a bit more expensive". Dematting is charged on a sliding scale dependent on severity. If there is more than 15 minutes work we will complete a total shavedown instead. This will always incur a surcharge in addition to the grooming fee for the breed.

Good Temperament and/or Training

Avoid Surcharges

If the dog is easy to do, it will not incur extra charges.

Incur Surcharges

The owner of a dog that needs muzzling for any part of the groom, whether the threat is perceived or real, or a dog that actually bites will incur EXTREMELY HEFTY SURCHARGES if we have not been pre-warned about its behaviour. Whilst we are both qualified and willing to work with these dogs, we will not do so for the same price as a well-behaved version of the same breed.

Exceptionally nervous or shy dogs or over-exuberant / untrained dogs are also welcome and again, we'll happily put the training in whilst the dog is with us and advise you how to do the same at home, or if an alternative method of grooming is required, though if the dog's behaviour increases the duration or difficulty of the groom it will be reflected in the price.

Correct Weight / Fit Dog

Avoid Surcharges

We have noticed, over the last 10 years of grooming all breeds, that dogs fed a holistic natural (raw) diet generally have better coats. They are less porous, self clean more readily and dry more quickly. These dogs are also more likely to be at the correct weight for their height and build.

We can weigh small dogs (up to 15kg) and monitor their weight at their grooming appointments - this service is free.

Incur Surcharges

This sounds very harsh, but it's a sad fact that an obese dog with extra rolls of fat is not as straight forward to clip or groom as a dog of the correct weight and always take a lot longer to do. (It should be said that severely underweight dogs have bony protrusions which also need extra care). 

Over Breed Standard - if your dog is larger than average for their breed, expect it to cost more than a dog within the normal height/weight for its breed.

Enormous effort and care is put into customers' geriatric dogs who definitely need extra TLC during their groom.

Blind and or Deaf dogs have their own special needs, which we are happy to cater for.

Please note that any dog that poops in the salon will incur appropriate clean-up or re-bathing charges.

Promptness

We expect dogs to be picked up within 30 minutes of the time stated at drop off or the text we send to let customers know when their dog will be ready. Day Care will be charged at £5.00 per hour or part thereof from that point onwards.

We close promptly at 12:30 and 17:30. Customers who turn up between 12:30 and 13:30 for collection will incur a surcharge and will not be able to collect their dog until 13:30.