Policies

Policies & Risks

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hrs’ notice, or you NO SHOW, the full grooming cost will be charged to the CC you have on file.

In the event that you are more than 15 min late and we cannot take your dog, you will be charged the full grooming cost and re-scheduled.

Credit Card on file

Your CC will be kept on our online encrypted system and monitored by Stripe.

Daycare fee and late pickup

Please be on time dropping off and picking up your dog(s). We work by appointment and do not have the staff available to look after them after the grooming has been completed. If your dog needs to stay longer than 2 hours before or after its grooming time, there will be a $15 daycare fee. If you are late & pick up after hours, we will charge an additional $ 25 per 30 minutes.

Difficult Dogs

There will be a charge of $25 on top of the regular grooming fees for any dog that is difficult to handle. Grooming a difficult dog requires more time, and more handlers and can be dangerous to both the dog and groomer.

Senior Dogs

Terms and conditions for which a senior dog will be accepted for grooming:
Your dog needs to have been groomed within the last year
Your dog needs to be able to stand on its own
You need to inform us of ALL medical conditions
Grooming a senior dog can cause stress and can exaggerate or expose new problems and underlying health issues. It can even lead to a serious medical event.
There can be mental and behavioural changes in senior dogs or dogs with medical conditions, and they are groomed for COMFORT & HYGIENE ONLY and NOT appearance. We will do our best to make your dog look good but we will not stress them out for the sake of being “pretty”.
Older dogs are often thinner and bonier, making it harder to shave and the finished look will be un-even.
Senior dogs have thinner & fragile skin making it easier to get nicked especially if matted.
Older dogs often have body aches and/or arthritis setting in, especially in their legs – making it harder to manipulate. Dogs can get very agitated when manipulating feet – creating an uneven or unfinished cut.
Dogs need to stand for at least part of the bathing, drying and clipping process and may be tender/sore/lethargic after grooming.
Older dogs often get cysts, warts, bumps & lumps that can get scratched and bleed in the bathing, brushing and clipping process.
They can be crankier and more often than not – have an underlying health condition known or unknown. UNKNOWN REACTIONS – underlying health issues such as Thyroidism, cushings etc. make your dog’s skin thinner and more susceptible to “normal” grooming practices.

All of these affect how the grooming will go, and how it will look and may cause a reaction that normally would not come up.

Senior dogs are, therefore, groomed for health/sanitary reasons. If we find the grooming to be too stressful, dangerous or unhealthy, they can’t stand, or too fidgety, we may stop. We do our best, but THEY decide how much we can do. Your dog’s tolerance level for stress, strangers or handling can make them anxious or reactive. We may decide that we can no longer groom your dog. We will not risk hurting your dog.

De-Matting/Shaving

Why do we need to shave down a matted dog?

The blades cannot get through the matting so they have to go under, which means that it is often close to the skin which can cause razor burn or nicks. We take precautions to avoid this but it can still occur, similar to a man’s face reacting after a beard gets shaved off. Matting will determine the length of hair that can be left.

If your dog needs to be shaved down due to extreme and/or dense matting there are some things to watch for after a close shave down:

Dense matting pulls at the skin and does not allow air to circulate to the skin, therefore razor burn or rashes can occur.

Fleas and lice – Matting is a great place for ticks, fleas and lice to “hide”. Grooming disturbs them and egss may hatch therefore your dog may have an infestation afterwards.

Razor burn – mostly in sensitive areas but can happen anywhere (ears, face or muzzle, neck, belly, armpits, sanitary areas).

Aftercare – wash the area with a mild soap. Use a topical mild antibiotic like Polysporin or salve like coconut oil to help give some relief. Always go to your vet if you feel like you need to have it looked at and treated.

Shaking head

Cause – Plucking of ears that were blocked or shaving long hair off the ears making them lighter.
Why – Ears need to be plucked if your dog has a dense coat as it may have quite a bit of hair in their ears. Mix that with wax, sand or dirt and the hair can become a super dense blockage. This stops the airflow and can cause yeast and/or bacteria build-up which can lead to hearing loss or severe infections. Shaking the head can cause blood blisters in the tips of the ears.
Aftercare – If you notice your dog shaking their head or rubbing it, try to discourage it. You can wrap their head in a scarf to keep the ears from flapping. Always go to your vet if you feel like you need to have it looked at and treated.

Nicks or Cuts

Why – With extremely tight matting, it is sometimes hard to separate the hair from the skin. We go slowly and it is very rare for a nick to happen but can still happen in areas where the skin is thin or taut. Areas of caution are legs, pads, in between toes, ears, and groin.
Aftercare – we will wash the area and treat it right away. You can keep it clean and use a mild antibiotic like Polysporin. Always go to your vet if you feel like you need to have it looked at and treated.

Uneven looking hair

Dogs have different types of hair so this may happen or may not happen. You may also only notice this if you are used to a longer cut.

When a close shave is done, you will notice that the hair looks uneven in some areas, especially on the legs. Legs are not straight, they have bones, tendons and muscles that create bumps and grooves. The close shave follows those bumps and grooves and sometimes cannot pick up longer bits of hair. We try and even it out as much as we can but dogs are often finicky with their legs and do not stand still. It can be dangerous for both to try and scissor the hair. The dog can get nicked and the groomer can get kicked in the face.

Aftercare – The hair will even out as the hair grows.

If we can de-mat, there will be an extra charge starting at $15/15min to de-mat your dog’s fur to get the clippers through the coat.

We will NOT de-mat if the matting is severe/profuse as there is a greater risk of injury, stress and trauma. Your dog has to also be able to tolerate it (most cannot).

Some matting CANNOT be brushed out, and your dog will be shaved short as the blades need to get underneath the matting (knots).

Hidden/Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Occasionally, grooming can expose or aggravate a medical condition. We will DISCONTINUE grooming and call for you to pick up.

Health issues must be disclosed. Common underlying and unknown health conditions can cause reactions to the grooming process.

ALL vet costs and expenses will be the responsibility of the dog’s owner.

Ear Plucking

Dogs have hair growing in their ears. If it is profuse/matted, it can cause damage so we pluck. If you DO NOT want them plucked, please let us know. Plucking can cause irritation and head shaking which can cause bruising on the tips of the ears.

Anals

Please request if you need them done or not done. We are not vets, if they are extremely full/impacted, a vet may still need to express as they can go internally (we can only do this externally).

Photos and Videos

Photos and videos of your dog may be taken before, during and after grooming. All photos are the property of WDS and may be used for our website, advertising, social media and/or educational purposes.

Return policy

All sales on frozen raw food are final. We have no control over what happens to the food once it leaves the store and therefore no way of knowing if the frozen product had thawed out. For safety measures, we have to ensure that all of our frozen raw food has been properly stored.

All sales are final on Special Orders, sale items and chews that have been tasted.
Exchanges can be done on treats and unopened chews.
Refunds/Exchanges can be done within 14 days. Tags must be on.
No refunds without a receipt (store credit can be issued).

Shave Down of Double coated dogs

We DO NOT shave down double-coated dogs as it can alter their coat. Examples of double-coated dogs are Pomeranians, Golden Retrievers, Aussie Shepherds, Bernese Mtn Dogs etc.

Shaving your double-coated dog can result in the following:

The texture & colour of the coat can change.
The undercoat will choke out the good course guard hairs. The coat will get matted easier and it will limit the style that can be maintained.
Alopecia may also occur.
Skin may get sunburned.
Depending on the clipper length, clipper marks may be visible for a few weeks.
Shaving off the coat does not keep them cooler as the “down” coat is left, which is what keeps the heat trapped.

Summary of the Risks of Grooming

ALL vet costs and expenses will be the responsibility of the dog’s owner.

Occasionally, problems can arise, either during or after grooming such as nicks, clipper irritation, mental or physical stress, shaking the head, ear bruising, & uneven-looking hair.

NICKS & BRUISING – Matting can pull at the skin when being shaved causing strain making it easier to get nicked and bruised. This is especially the case for older dogs as they have thinner skin.

RAZOR BURN – especially in the sanitary area. If the sanitary area was shaved short due to matting it may also be irritated due to urine and feces being trapped against the skin in the matted fur. A short, close trim on a dog not used to the grooming process can also irritate. Your dog may lick the affected area, which can lead to further irritation to the sanitary area.

PERSONALITY CHANGE – A change in your dog’s personality may occur. Hiding or depression can both be changes in behaviour. (This is temporary and your dog should return to their normal self within two to three days.)

SHAKING HEAD – If the ears were matted and shaved it makes the ears feel “light & different”.

If the ears are packed with hair/matted hair we will have plucked them.

(Make sure you do not let your dog shake their head excessively. You can protect their ears by wrapping them in a bandage/head wrap if needed. Head shaking can cause a hematoma to form on the tips. If swelling or bruising appears on your dog’s ears a cold compress can help. Please consult a vet immediately).

CUTS FROM SCRATCHING – As your dog’s nails have been freshly trimmed they may be sharp. This can result in more severe irritation to the skin due to scratching at their now-exposed skin once the matted hair has been removed.

UNDERLYING HEALTH ISSUES – Underlying skin or health issues such as Thyroidism or Cushing’s etc make your dog’s skin thinner and more susceptible to “normal” grooming practices. Unknown reactions may occur.

UN-EVEN CUT – Uneven or unfinished-looking cut due to matting. Lumps and boniness may also cause the grooming to look un-even. Older dogs are often thinner/bonier, making it harder to get the clippers around the body and the finished look will be un-even.

BUMPS & LUMPS – Older dogs often get cysts, warts, bumps & lumps that can get scratched in the bathing, brushing and clipping process.

ARTHRITIS – Arthritis in joints especially legs – making it harder to manipulate. Dogs can get very agitated when manipulating their feet – creating an uneven or unfinished cut.