Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

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

Bookings:

  • When time allows before the first class, we will send you confirmation of your booking. This will confirm payment, start date, and give other information pertinent to your booking.
  • It is the client’s responsibility to ensure they attend on the correct date, time and place for the classes according to the tutor’s instructions.
  • Booking confirms your attendance for the six-week course. Please make every effort to attend each week. If you are unable to attend, please let your tutor know as soon as possible.

Fees and Prices:

  • The full course fee must be paid in advance of joining the class through the Puppy School Central Booking System. Space on the class is limited up to eight so please book early to avoid disappointment.  Failure to pay in a timely fashion may result in your place on the course being given to another client.
  • Price advertised at time of booking applies

Training Class Attendance:

  • Our courses consist of 6 weekly classes, rather than a roll-on, roll-off programme or random attendance. For optimum results, we hope that you will attend all the classes and complete the course.
  • To make the most of the classes and achieve optimal results, many short daily training sessions at home are favourable to allow you and your puppy to practise the techniques and lessons prior to the next 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: Due to the British Small Animal Veterinary Associations policy on this, we cannot consider homeopathic nosodes an acceptable alternative to conventional vaccines for young puppies.)
  • Only puppies under the age of 20 weeks on the start of the course will be accepted into Puppy School classes. Only puppies aged between 20 weeks and 12 months old be will accepted into Older Puppy Classes. (NB age restrictions do not apply to our Puppy University or Super Pup classes).   
  • 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. Tutors reserve 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.
  • 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 Puppy School 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.
  • Missed classes cannot usually be taken by joining another group run by the tutor at the appropriate time 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 (please see Reward-based Training for further information).

Training Class / Premises Rules:

  • All puppies must remain on lead and kept away from contact with other puppies within the premises unless specifically instructed by the tutor.
  • All instances of accident or injury must be reported to the tutor at the time they occurred.
  • Well-fitted harnesses and collars are permitted in class. 
  • 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 Puppy School 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.

Digital Materials, Video Footage and Recordings:

  • All Puppy School online videos are the intellectual property of Puppy School Ltd and are not to be recorded or reproduced in any way. It is not appropriate to film tutors, other attendees, their families or their puppies either in classes or via our online classes. In light of this, all filming is prohibited unless specifically arranged by the tutor. 
  • In sending any digital materials i.e. photographic images and/or videos to your Puppy School tutor, you give permission for Puppy School Ltd to use these materials for teaching and marketing purposes.

Refunds and Cancellations:

  • 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.
  • Failure to attend a course that you have booked a place on, but not yet paid for, will result in a request for full payment, which you agree to be liable for.
  • 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 partial refunds for missed classes.
  • If a class has to be cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances beyond our control (such as weather that prohibits travel or is too extreme for safety), a refund will not automatically be given but every effort will be made to provide an alternative arrangement.  This could involve a replacement class on an alternative day or a temporary switch to online teaching. 
  • All other cancellation and refund requests are at the discretion of the Puppy School tutor and dependent on individual circumstances.