When your dog is with us, its health and welfare is our main concern at all stages of the grooming process. Should we believe your dog is experiencing any fear or stress at any time, we will where possible employ alternative strategies to alleviate this. This may require extra time or sessions to overcome this problem.

During grooming it is possible pre-existing conditions are noticed, which you will be informed of, so that you can seek veterinary advice. Unfortunately on occasions accidents can happen whilst grooming, or medical issues can arise. In the unlikely event of this happening you authorise us to seek emergency veterinary treatment.

Matted Coats Policy

Barking Barnets Dog Grooming believe ‘humanity before vanity’, which is why we will not spend hours brushing out matts from your dogs coat. 15 minutes is the maximum time we spend de-matting.

Animal Welfare Act - To Prevent Animals Suffering
Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act places a duty of care on people to ensure they take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to meet the welfare needs of their animals to the extent required by good practice.

This includes:

• Need for a suitable environment
• Need for a suitable diet
• Need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns
• Need to be housed with, or apart, from other animals
• Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Barking Barnets ensure your pet does not endure any pain or suffering in our care.

If your dog is matted, under no circumstances will we put them through any pain or discomfort. We will not spend longer than 15 minutes grooming out a matted coat, as this is cruel and uncomfortable for your dog. In addition to this we are legally obliged to work within the constraints of the Animal Welfare Act, considering your dog’s welfare at all times.

If you bring your dog to us with a coat in a neglected, matted state; please be prepared for it to look very different on collection. The majority of dogs love coming to our salon because they have an enjoyable, pain free time when they are with us, and this is how we would like it to stay. Remember, it is your responsibility to brush your own dog.

Therefore, matted coats will have to be clipped off. Prior to clipping off we will require your permission. It is much more beneficial for your dog’s welfare and the condition of your dog’s coat to clip it off and start again.

Brushing out a matted coat, in addition to being cruel, damages the coat. This means it is much more likely to matt up again, causing more problems for you and pain for your dog. Clipping off and growing the coat back in maintains a much better quality and stronger coat in the long run.

At Barking Barnets Dog Grooming we operate strictly by appointment only via our online booking system. 

Time Keeping

Our appointment slots are timed to each individual dog, with a period of time to try and prevent any overlap. This ensures we are not rushing to complete your dog. The appointment time given, is the time we expect to admit you to the salon. If you are early for your appointment, we may not be in a position to grant you immediate access. Likewise if you are late we may have to refuse to groom your dog. This will incur a fee. Customers who are 15 minutes or more late will be deemed to be a ‘no show’ and charged the full appointment fee. If you leave your dog with us, and are late collecting, this will also incur a fee, as it will impact on the next customer. We ask that everyone shows the same courtesy afforded to you, to others.

Pricing

All quoted prices assume:

The dogs coat is well maintained free from Knots, matts, tangles and fleas.

The dog is well behaved, shows no aggression and groomed at our recommended periods.

The dog is not overweight or oversized for the breed.

Whilst we are happy to work with nervous/ timid dogs, these may incur extra charges due to the extra time and handling skills required.

Charges will be incurred for matted coats, those that are poorly maintained.  Payment can be made by card or cash, payable before you leave the salon with your pet.

Cancellations and No Shows.

We appreciate that sometimes you may need to rearrange your dogs appointment. As long as this is done with more than 48 hours notice there will be no charge. Any failure to not show or  a cancellation with less than 24 hours notice (except in extreme circumstances) will result in the full fee payable, and no further appointments being booked until the account is settled. Cancellations between 24-48 hrs will be charged at half the appointment fee.

At Barking Barnets, we use the Emmi-Pet ultrasonic toothbrush as part of our teeth maintenance service to support your dog’s oral health and welfare. While we strive to provide the best care, this service does not replace professional veterinary dental treatments. If any underlying dental issues are identified during the session, we will inform you immediately, but we cannot be held liable for any pre-existing conditions or concerns requiring veterinary attention.

We offer ear plucking to help maintain your dog’s ear hygiene as part of their grooming routine.  If we notice any signs of infection or abnormalities, we will inform you immediately; however, we cannot be held liable for pre-existing conditions or issues requiring veterinary attention.

We offer anal gland expression as an additional service to support your dog’s hygiene and comfort. While we take every care to perform this service safely, it is not a substitute for veterinary care. If any abnormalities or concerns are detected during the process, we will inform you promptly, but we cannot be held liable for pre-existing conditions or issues requiring veterinary attention.

We reserve the right to refuse to groom any dog if we believe it may cause injury to itself or any members of staff at our Salon. If a dog exhibits aggression or behavioural issues, we have not been informed of prior to the groom, the session will be stopped immediately and the full fee incurred.

You agree to inform us prior to grooming of any previous history of biting or aggression. Your attention is drawn to the dangerous dogs act which holds owners liable for bites and Injuries.

Please toilet your dog before attending their appointment to avoid any accidents.

Your details are held in confidence by us, as a reference to the safe grooming of your dog.  We respect your privacy and are GDPR Compliant.

After each session we will inform you of any problems we have encountered, or any concerns we have regarding your dog. This is the time to inform us of any concerns you have in relation to the groom. The majority of our business is repeat custom, and we wish to maintain our standards and reputation. We often take pictures to show examples of before and after work and to use for training and information. Should you not wish photos of your dog to appear on social media please inform us at the time of the groom. We also ask that if you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, that you discuss with us, so that we can resolve the matter with you directly, rather than posting negative reviews on social media