It's hard to believe it's been almost 6 months since we expanded and opened the shop location in addition to our mobile service. Time flies when you're having fun, as they say. We are still working out the kinks and appreciate your business and your patience. You all are great! Speaking of working out the kinks, we have some upcoming changes and updates. Appointment wait times: We are currently booked in the shop for 6-8 weeks and 10-12 weeks for mobile. We know how frustrating it is to not be able to get your pet in right away for a grooming appointment. It's frustrating for us as well. A few things are contributing to the unfortunate wait time. Several shops in the area have closed recently and there is a surplus of dogs looking for a new place to be groomed. Some local shops have decided to stop accepting new clients, but for now we are still open to new clients and that is increasing wait times. This is the main reason we recommend scheduling your appointments out for the year. If you haven't already done this, and want to, please let us know and we will get you scheduled out for regular appointments. We are also still looking to hire additional groomers to accommodate everyone, but at this time, we have had no viable candidates for the open positions. We will keep searching! You may have noticed we finally got Olivia back in the shop after her maternity leave (yay!). However, she will be having a surgical procedure that will require her to be off work for another 6 weeks starting at the end of July. So, please be patient with us again as we navigate appointments with one less groomer. At Hair of the Dog, our groomers' (and their family's) well being will always come first. We appreciate your patience while she heals so she can be 100% starting in September. 2023 Booking: Currently, we are only scheduling for the remainder of 2022. But please watch for the announcement in October regarding booking for 2023. We recommend you take advantage of the opportunity to schedule your pet's appointments for the year to reduce wait times. Pricing Updates: There will be some pricing changes for some of you beginning July 1. Handling Fee: You may have an extra handling fee if your dog is difficult or aggressive. If your dog requires extra time, or additional staff to complete, a fee will be added to cover the additional time/staff. If your dog is too difficult or aggressive, you will be called to pick your dog up no matter where in the grooming process it is. You will only be charged for whatever services were completed. Doodles: If you are a doodle owner, you may notice some pricing changes as well. Some of you have called to schedule appointments and told us other shops will no longer accept new doodles. There are several reasons for shops to make this decision. We have decided to continue accepting doodles, but need to make some adjustments to do so. Doodle coats take longer to wash and dry. They also tend to mat easier and are more time consuming to brush, cut and style. Due to the extra time needed, our groomers are unable to do as many dogs during the day (which is also contributing to appointment wait times). The coat type also causes more wear and tear on our equipment, therefore costing us more money in maintenance of our tools. As a staff, we decided to not increase prices across the board to accommodate the additional expense. Instead, we will be adding a Doodle Fee that will range between $10-$25 depending on size, coat type and coat condition. We love your doodles as much as you, and look forward to continuing to provide for their grooming needs. We appreciate your understanding. We hope everyone is having a great summer and please remember to keep your pets safe during the upcoming holiday weekend!
