Terms and Conditions of Service

By making a booking to a group course you acknowledge that you have read, understood and fully accept the terms and conditions as detailed below:

Bookings:

• When time allows before the first class, we will send you confirmation of your booking (including start date, time & location).

• It is the client/guardian’s responsibility to ensure they are available on the correct date, time and place for the group class, as per the confirmation email. Booking confirms your attendance for the full duration of the course. Please make every effort to attend each week but if you are unable to attend, please let your trainer know as soon as possible.

Payments:

• The full course fee must be paid at the time of booking. The system for payment will depend on the course being booked. Failure to pay in a timely fashion may result in your place on the course being given to another client. The price advertised at the time of booking will apply.

During class:

• Puppies must be vaccinated. Your vet will advise when it is safe for your puppy to attend. If you are unsure about vaccinations please consult your vet directly. This is for the safety of your puppy and therefore no exceptions can be made. It is your responsibility to have your puppy vaccinated. (NB: We do not consider homeopathic nosodes an acceptable alternative to conventional vaccines for young puppies in Puppy School.)

• Only puppies under the age of 20 weeks on the start date of the course will be accepted. (This only applies to the Puppy School course).

• Occasionally, we may find that a class environment does not suit a puppy or owner. Full discussion concerning the best way to proceed will be undertaken and this may result in us making alternative arrangements to assist you.

• We encourage older children to attend our classes as we consider this to be in the best interest of all puppies attending. However, we cannot guarantee their presence at every class for the purposes of socialising the puppies present.

• All children must be under the supervision of a responsible adult who must agree to prevent them from disturbing the process of learning during the class. The trainer reserves the right to ask disruptive children not to attend future classes. Children under 5 years of age may attend only at the discretion of the tutor.

• During Puppy School group courses, although we make every effort to allow your puppy to play with other suitable puppies in the class for short periods, we cannot guarantee the right mix of puppies on every course for this to be done safely. Consequently, puppy play may not occur in all classes.

• We make every effort to ensure safety of both clients and puppies during the classes. By making a booking, you are accepting that participating in an activity with puppies, children and adults poses a risk of injury to yourself and your puppy, and you agree to indemnify My Complex Canine for all personal injury and damage to property owned by you while attending the training classes. You also agree to make any person who accompanies you to the class aware that they are also there at their own risk.

• All instances of accident or injury must be reported to the tutor at the time they occurred.

• Missed classes cannot be taken by joining another group run by the tutor, as there may not be spare places and it is disruptive to the other group to have an unfamiliar puppy join part-way through the course.

• The Puppy School method of training relies heavily on rewards with food treats. Although we will have some treats available at the class, it is important to bring with you a supply of tasty, smelly food treats that your puppy will work hard for and is used to eating.

• Flexi leads are not permitted in class to avoid injury to others.

• Head collars are not permitted in class to avoid injury to the puppy’s neck and to avoid distraction during training.

• The following items are NOT PERMITTED in classes under any circumstances: choker chains and/or check chains of any description; electronic training collars including citronella; any other device that causes discomfort, pain or fear to the puppy; prong or pinch collars; any equipment that the trainer deems unacceptable.

• The use of physical force and punishment-based training techniques are not permitted in Puppy School classes.

Refunds and cancellations:

• If a training class is cancelled or postponed due to circumstances outside of your trainer’s control, for example (but not limited to) venue availability, illness, extreme weather or a problem on route - for example (but not limited to) snow, flooding, fire, car break down, traffic incidents/road closures that cause significant delay or other circumstances that adversely affect attendance by your trainer, or changes to Covid-19 related restrictions/isolation/tutor contracting Covid 19, you will be contacted as soon as possible to advise you of the cancellation/postponement. If an online option is provided, a refund will not be issued if you do not want to continue via this format.

• Please ensure you have provided your mobile number to your trainer, as any late cancellation/postponement will be advised by phone/text message in the first instance.

• Because we operate our classes using a very low tutor: puppy ratio, refunds may not be given for any cancellations unless the place can be filled by another client, or unless at least 7 DAYS NOTICE is given. There are no exceptions. We may be able to transfer or defer your place to another course, but this is at the discretion of the Puppy School tutor and dependent on the age of your puppy at the start of the next available course. Failure to notify us of a cancellation within this time frame will result in no refund. Refunds for courses cancelled prior to starting a course as advised above, are subject to the deduction of a 20% administration fee.

• There will be no refund for cancellations due to lack of vaccination or no vaccination card, unless we are notified 14 DAYS in advance of the course commencing. It is your responsibility to have your puppy fully vaccinated and health warranted.

• There will be no refund if you attend the first Puppy School class with a puppy that is over the age limit and are then subsequently turned away.

• There will be no partial refunds for missed classes and it is not possible to move you to an alternative course if you miss a class.

• Refunds will not be issued where classes are missed due to Covid-19. An alternative to attend via live streaming will be offered; if you do not wish to use this option you must miss that class and continue the course the following week. Your Puppy School manual contains all details of exercises missed and you have access to video reminders in your Puppy School portal to help you practice at home.

• All other cancellation and refund requests are at the discretion of your trainer and dependent on individual circumstances.