Why the name Arnie’s?
Arnie was Gurj and Nate’s German Shepherd that shaped their lives in more ways than you could ever imagine. Named after a certain 80’s action star who made his very own American dream, Arnie was kind, loving, loyal and was truly man’s best friend. He was a perfect ambassador to his breed. Sadly, like all our companions, Arnie’s story doesn’t have a happy ending and he passed away from stomach cancer when he was nine. Naming the shop after him is the very least Gurj and Nate could do to honor him.
Love you always and forever, Arnie.
Will I always have the same Stylist?
As much as Arnie’s values its stylists greatly, they are employees. Employees get sick, take an emergency vacation, and quit the industry altogether at very, very short notice.
Arnie’s does not have the time or the manpower to call each and every client and advise them of any changes in personnel.
If an employee is sick or has to take a very, very last-minute emergency vacation, then your appointment “may” be reassigned to another stylist. They will be equally capable (some even more so) and can follow grooming notes to the letter.
This is done so as to not disrupt you and your dog’s grooming schedule as we cannot guarantee when you would be able to next get an appointment with your desired groomer.
We apologize for any upset this may cause but this is in the best interests of a working, busy salon.
If this is not acceptable to you, then we would suggest searching for a Home-based groomer. They will be someone who works on their own from their own personal home and would be guaranteed to be the only ones to ever interact with your dog because they work solo. That would be the best type of Dog Groomer for you.
My dog doesn’t like a kennel
Don’t worry, neither do we. We want your dogs to associate Arnie’s with a good place, a place that they will be happy to come to again and again. That’s why we’re very passionate about zero wait times. We schedule our day so that the dog is not waiting for a stylist or their parent for pick ups.
Why don’t you offer a Mini Groom service?
The main reason we have stopped offering a Mini Groom is that it really wasn’t good value for money for the client or us as a business. We found that most Mini Grooms that were booked in needed a full haircut, and the client would be disappointed when we weren’t able to do it because of time. Our current team members are also perfectionists and try and do more on a mini groom because they did not want to leave a dog looking half finished. That would affect their schedule and we noticed delays. For that reason, we’ve gone the “All or Nothing” route, your dog gets the ultimate experience every time they visit us.
Is it cheaper if I don’t want certain parts of the experience?
We believe that every dog should receive the ultimate experience and have tailored our services to reflect that. The price is determined by multiple factors and not just the spa add ons.
I have a new puppy! When can I bring he/she in?
First off, congratulations! We’d recommend a Puppy Grooming Intro for all our new pups and we can welcome them to our spa as soon as they are fully vaccinated. They must have had all 3 rounds of shots in order to be considered fully vaccinated. This would usually be around the 4-5 month period.
Can I drop my dog off early?
Because of how we operate, we cannot allow early drop offs. We are not a dog day care and are strictly one on one, our clients pay for that privilege so it’s very important that you drop off your dog at the allotted time and pick up when we advise you to.
The Late Pick-Up fees seem harsh
For Arnie’s to run smoothly we need dogs picked up on time. It’s as simple as that. As much as we love having them, when their spa session is over it’s time for the next dog. Each client has paid for one-on-one care and it’s not fair if they are not receiving that because the last client hasn’t picked up yet.
Do you do walk in nail trims?
Yes, we do. It’s always best to call the spa before you do pop in just so we can advise if anything unexpected has come up that day and we wouldn’t be able to accommodate. But in most cases, yes, we do walk in nail trim and grind and they are $20.
I’d like my dog’s Anal Glands expressed, why don’t you do that?
Anal Gland expression should only ever be carried out by a licensed veterinarian.
Why do you charge a length fee for Doodles?
For those doodle parents that like their dogs extra fluffy, we do have to charge for any length over ½. This is due to the extra time it takes to bath, brush and scissor the dog. A lot of work is required and we’re sure you’ll love the results.
Will my Doodle look ugly if we go ½ inch all over?
Absolutely not. We have lots of clients that choose to keep their doodle shorter, and they look beautiful. To suggest that the dogs look ugly because of a personal preference is an insult to our client, an insult to the dog and an insult to our dog grooming stylists. You can find many examples of doodles that have rocked the ½ inch look on our social media pages.
I’m not happy with my experience at Arnie’s
We feel that excellent customer service is as important as the groom itself. We employ people that share those values, and our wish is for you to have a great experience each time you visit us. If something was wrong, we implore you to talk to us directly so we can hopefully resolve any issues that may have occurred.
You can call 385-308-8527 or email email@arniesdogspa.com with any issues.
I’ve got home and I’ve noticed something that I don’t like about my dog’s groom
We want you to be happy and allow 48 hours to correct any minor alterations. Of course, we can’t grow hair back, but we can make minor adjustments. We can only allow 48 hours as we feel that should be enough time for you to notice any issues.
Why do the owners talk funny?
Gurj and Nate aren’t from around here. They were born and raised in a little seaside town that sits on the south coast of England. Their humor is drier, and you will find them more excited about standard American things than you would be.
Gurj has met the Queen but neither of them has any opinion on Meghan Markle.
Nate has been playing an accent game and keeping a list of what nationality he gets mistaken for. So far, we have English, Dutch, South African, Kiwi, Australian, Italian and…Floridian (We know)
You can find out more about why and how they established Arnie’s here.
Service Agreement
Dogs are accepted for grooming only under the following circumstances…
- The dog is fit and healthy. The grooming that takes place on an elderly or infirm dog will be at the owner’s risk. Grooming may expose pre-existing health\skin conditions for which Arnie’s Dog Spa cannot be held liable.
- The dog’s rabies vaccine is up to date (as required by law) and a digital copy has been sent to email@arniesdogspa.com or has been provided upon check-in.
- Payment is to be made at the time of service. Payment can be made by debit or credit card. We do accept cash but due to Covid-19, we would prefer a contactless form of payment.
- We do NOT offer anal gland expression, as this should be performed by a licensed veterinarian.
- “De-matting” or complete coat removal will dramatically alter your dog’s appearance. This procedure may expose pre-existing health\skin problems for which Arnie’s Dog Spa cannot be held liable. Arnie’s Dog Spa does charge a “De-Matting” fee and the cost can vary based on the degree of the matting.
- We have the right to refuse pregnant dogs regardless of the stage of pregnancy.
- While we have a great deal of experience and success in the grooming of difficult dogs, we reserve the right to halt the grooming process should a dog become aggressive to the point of being a danger to any member of Arnie’s or to themselves. Full or part of the grooming charge may apply.
1. Cancellations
- Cancellation and rescheduling of an appointment, by the client, requires 48 hours’ notice to waive the FULL appointment fee.
- In the event of inclement weather, a family emergency, or any other uncontrollable circumstance, we have the discretion to waive the fee within the 48-hour period.
- We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule a groom if we feel the need to do so. Every effort will be made to reschedule at a time convenient for both the client and the groomer.
- We reserve the right to turn a client away if they are 15 minutes late for their appointment.
2. No-Shows
It is considered a “no-show” when the client is not at the scheduled appointment time and does not contact the spa to cancel or reschedule.
- We reserve the right to charge the FULL grooming fee due to the loss of revenue caused by a “no-show”. Please make every effort to call and cancel or reschedule when possible to avoid such situations.
- We reserve the right to refuse service to any dog or client for any reason.
3. Attendance
- You will receive a text message reminder 3 days before your appointment. Please check the time and date carefully and reply Y if you’d still like the appointment. Please reply N if you wish to cancel. This allows our schedule to be accurate and allows us to offer any unwanted appointments to someone else.
- Arnie’s operates on a one-to-one basis, which is a premium grooming service. This ensures that your dog is given 100% of the groomer’s attention throughout the appointment. This system can only work if clients bring and collect at the correct times. Your appointment slot includes time allocated to a pre-groom consultation so there is no need to arrive early.
- When your dog is ready to be picked up, we provide a text 15 minutes before to notify you that you need to start making your way back to the spa. This gets sent to the phone number on file unless an alternative has been provided. Please start to make your way back to the spa once you have received the text to avoid Late Pick Up Fees. These are $15 for every 30 minutes. This may seem strict but we do this to ensure that the next dog is receiving the one-on-one experience that they are paying for.
- If you happen to be a few minutes early to collect, your dog may still be on the grooming table being attended to, please remain quietly in the lobby whilst you wait. We ask for your patience because once your dog sees or hears you and naturally starts to get excited, your groomer may have to consider the groom finished for safety reasons.
3. Haircuts
- We will groom your dog to your specifications, which will be discussed in the pre-groom consultation. If you are sending your dog in with a friend or family member, please send written instructions or call prior to your appointment with your requests. This eliminates any confusion which can occur when receiving a client’s wishes ‘second hand’.
- We groom each dog to the owner’s specifications, as far as the dog will tolerate and the coat condition and type allows. We will always place a dog’s welfare, safety, and peace of mind above adherence to a particular style. In case of being unable for any reason to groom to the exact style wished by the owner, we will endeavor to contact the owner and agree upon a suitable alternative style.
- If, after the groom is complete, there is anything that you would like altered, please advise your groomer accordingly before you leave the salon. We can only allow 48 hours for alternations. We are never offended by timely requests to make minor changes, so please just ask.
4. General Housekeeping
- Please ensure your dog has been to the bathroom before arriving at Arnie’s. We cannot take your dog out due to insurance reasons. Please make sure to pick up your dog’s mess if they have relived themselves in the parking lot or surrounding areas of the spa.
- We do not offer a restroom for humans at the spa. This is due to health and safety as well as insurance reasons. Luckily, we are close to a Mall, a Starbucks, and a Gas Station which all have public restrooms.
- Any dog found to have Fleas or Lice will go straight into a flea bath with special shampoo to remove them. The salon will also need to be treated to prevent cross-contamination therefore we make a charge of $15-20 per dog to cover the extra costs involved. You will be advised to treat your dog and your home environment to eradicate the problem.
- Your groomer may uncover evidence of a health issue while grooming your dog and will always advise you of any further recommended actions i.e. visit the vet, dietary requirements, etc. Arnie’s Dog Spa is not liable for any pre-existing condition that is discovered while in our care.
- Each member of Arnie’s works extremely hard and cares for each dog as if they were their own. Any abusive language or behavior towards our staff or other visitors to the spa will not be tolerated. You will be asked to leave and you will not be welcomed back.
Thank you for your time and we look forward to seeing you and your dog at Arnie’s!