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Q: Does my dog have to be up to date on his vaccinations?
A: Yes, you will need to provide a copy of your pet’s rabies and vaccinations, along with your veterinarian’s name and phone number. This is protection for your pet and the groomer.
Q: How often should I have my pet groomed?
A: Grooming your pet is a part of keeping them healthy and happy. Depending on breed, coat type, style choice, as well as your at-home maintenance routine, some dogs require regular grooming every four to six weeks, and some just need the occasional bath. We will be happy to discuss your dog’s specific needs with you. Since we only have one mobile unit, you should try to "lock in" a recurring appointment to prevent being closed out when we are no longer able to accept new clients.
Q: Does frequent bathing harm my pet’s coat?
A: No, veterinarians will encourage you to have your pet groomed on a regular basis. I use only high quality all-natural Bark-2-Basics and Kelco shampoos and conditioners to help relieve dry, itchy skin. I use a variety of shampoos such as medicated, tearless, soothing oatmeal, whitening, and conditioning.
Q: My dog sheds all the time, any help for that?
A: Yes, we can use the FURminator Shed-less Treatment which reduces shedding by removing the loose undercoat without sacrificing the healthy top coat. This service is considered an "add-on" but well worth it if you are struggling with all that hair in your home.
Q: My dog is really, really matted, what can you do for him?
A: We offer a relaxing, pain free, grooming experience for your pet. If your pet is severely matted, we will be able to offer you a “shave down” using our longest length blade that will penetrate the mats. If this is not acceptable to you, you may want to comb out the mats, with particular attention to the skirt, underarms and behind ears, before we arrive. Just remember, it is more humane to cut down the coat and start all over again than to de-mat a heavily matted coat. Also, decreasing the time between appointments and/or settling for a different coat style should be discussed at this time.
Q: What if I want my dog short but not shaved?
A: In grooming lingo, "shaving" and "clipping" are one and the same. When we talk about shaving, it does not mean that your dog will end up bald! Grooming blades come in a variety of different lengths. Not all blade lengths work well on every dog. Depending on your dog's coat type and condition, we will be able to discuss the possible lengths of hair for its haircut.
Q: How do you know your exact arrival time?
A: We will provide you with an "appointment time" but that time has an open window of 1/2 hour either side of the time given for our arrival. We do my best to get to every appointment on time, but some things are out of our control. If we know that we will not be able to arrive within that window, we will call you. Please make sure you take your pet out to potty before we arrive.
Q: Do I have to be home for you to groom my pet?
A: For the first or second time, yes. When both your pet and I feel comfortable with each other, we can make arrangements for grooming to be done without your presence.
Q: What if I need to cancel my pet’s appointment?
A: No problem, as long as you notify us 24 hours in advance of your appointment, (so that we can fill this time slot with another client’s pet). You can leave a message on my cell phone voice mail or you can leave me a text message. If it is less than 24 hours, call me on my cell phone, thus saving me from driving to your residence. If you do not call to cancel your appointment, a $20.00 fuel fee will be accessed, which must be paid prior to your next appointment.
Q: What happens when Mutt Lover's needs to cancel an appointment?
A: On rare occasions, we may need to cancel an appointment due to weather conditions, road conditions, equipment or van breakdowns or personal/family illness. We will make every effort to contact you in advance to reschedule your appointment.
Q: What if I forget which day I had made my pet’s appointment for?
A: We will send an email, text or postcard reminder (whichever you prefer) 1-2 days before your appointment.
Q: What about No Shows?
A: If you are not home when we arrive for your scheduled and confirmed appointment, you will be assessed a $20.00 No-Show Fee per pet.
Q: What type of payments do you accept?
A: All grooming fees must be paid at the time of service by cash or check. A $30.00 fee for returned checks will be charged and must be paid before another appointment is made. At that time, we will go to a cash only basis.
Q: Is mobile grooming more expensive than shop grooming?
A: Yes, usually around $15.00-20.00 more per pet. For that extra money, you get the convenience of not making 4 trips to your local grooming shop and having to wait approximately 4 hours in between drop-off and pick-up time. Your pet will also benefit from a less stressful environment with no barking dogs, no cages, no wait time, with only me grooming your pet each and every time.
Q: Do you need to plug into my electric outlet or use my water?
A: No, our truck is a completely self-contained unit. We have both warm fresh water and grey water tanks on board. We will never empty our grey water on your property. We have a generator that provides for all of our electrical needs. The unit is warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
Q: Do you have evening or weekend appointments? What about an emergency appointment?
A: We schedule appointments Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm (which gets me finished by 7pm) and on some Saturdays. Beyond 5pm and Sundays can be scheduled if the situation requires it. There is a $10.00 extra charge for this accommodation.
Q: Why does it seem like I frequently get voicemail when I call Mutt Lover's Travelin' Spa?
A: If you are calling during business hours, chances are, we are up to our elbows in suds, or in the middle of a groom, making it difficult to answer the phone at that time. We like to give our clients our undivided attention, so will not usually answer phone calls when we are in the middle of an appointment. We will give your pet the same curtesy during their appointment. We regularly check voicemail throughout the day and will give you a call right back!
Q: At what age should my puppy visit the groomer for the first time?
A: It is very important to bring your puppy in as soon as it gets all of its shots; this is usually between 4 – 5 months. Puppies are much easier to train and get into a routine than if you wait until they are a year old. We provide a Gentle Puppy Package that allows the owner to bring the puppy in as early as 6-8 weeks and then every 4 weeks for 4 appointments. The first few visits we will just bathe them and trim up their feet, face, and hygiene so as to not overwhelm them. During these monthly visits, we will work on desensitizing them to all that comes with a whole groom.This way it is more pleasant for them and they get used to the process. But we also recommend that you start brushing your puppy and get it used to being handled as soon as you bring him home. Rub their feet, inbetween their toes, squeeze their nails, gently rub the inside of their ears...what ever you can do to help make grooming a pleasant experience. Some poodle breeders start shaving the feet and face on their puppies as young as 2 weeks old to get them used to the process. And these puppies are a dream to work on.
Feel free to call or email us with any other questions you may have...
we'd be happy to answer them.
Contact Us
Mutt Lover's Travelin' Spa
Serving the Janesville, Milton and surrounding areas
Phone: (608) 774-9800
muttloversspa@yahoo.com
Office Hours: Monday-Friday
(Some Saturdays)
By appointment only!
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Policies
Matted Coat:
All attempts will be made to salvage a matted coat; however the client will need to allow Mutt Lover's to make the final decision to cut down the coat if dematting can not be tolerated by the pet. If client does not want the coat cut down, the client will assume responsibility to demat the pet’s coat or Mutt Lover's will return at a later date to complete the dematting and groom of the pet. The client will have to agree to incur a $20.00 fuel fee for the initial visit to be paid at the initial visit and an Extreme Dematting fee of $25.00/hour and the original grooming fee to be paid to Mutt Lover's at the end of the grooming session.
Refusing Service:
Mutt Lover's has the right to refuse service to client's pet at any time for any reason. Mutt Lover's also reserves the right to refuse service if a client's pet that has a history of or repeatedly demonstrates aggression or biting of humans or animals. All bites will be reported to the local authorities as required by law.
Pictures:
Mutt Lover's may take pictures of a client's pet, before and after grooming, for their website, advertising and education.
Flea/Tick Policy:
Fleas and tick will NOT be tolerated. Owners are responsible for keeping the pet flea & tick free. If we find mass fleas or ticks, there is a $75 cleaning fee to de-bug the Mutt Lover's Travelin' Spa before we can go to the next house! This fee is in addition to the groom fee,
Cancellation:
In the event that a client needs to CANCEL their appointment, they must notify Mutt Lover's at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment. Leaving a message on their cell phone voice mail or leaving a text is fine. Clients need to be aware that should they fail to do so the client will have an additional $20 Fuel Fee added to their next grooming charges or will be billed.
Emergency Care:
Client's must authorize Mutt Lover's to act as their agent in the event emergency veterinarian services, boarding, care-taking, and/or transportation is necessary if the client is not home at the time of services. They must agree to pay all costs associated with such care. Any/all damages, loss or claim shall include but not limited to death, injury, or shock. Said pre-existing conditions shall not be limited to advanced age, extreme nervousness, neurosis, illness, previous injury, skin or coat conditions, or mental conditions.
PREFERRED CLIENT PROGRAM:
This program offers two appointment scheduling options.
OPTION A: Become a standing appointment client by selecting appointment intervals of one to eight weeks. You will have the date for your next groom before I leave your home. As a additional courtesy, you will receive a telephone reminder two days in advance of the appointment.
OPTION B: You will select the interval for your appointments, then you will receive a telephone call two weeks before the interval selected to schedule a confirmed appointment.
The most important benefit of the Preferred Client Program is that it offers priority holiday appointments. I will leave the two weeks leading up to Christmas for “members only” appointments. This guarantees members an appointment during the peak holiday season. If you must cancel a holiday appointment, you will be put on the priority cancellation list.
