Terms and Conditions

These T&Cs are for the interest of safety, responsibility and welfare for our clients. We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions at any time. Any changes will take immediate effect and it is the responsibility of our clients to read these.

1. Training Classes and 1-2-1 Training

Bookings:

Payment is required in full before attendance to a class. To ensure you are guaranteed a place on a course, it is advisable to pay over the phone, in our shop or book online. By completing your booking you have acknowledged and accepted our terms and conditions. Confirmation of your booking will be forwarded by email. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure they arrive at the right venue and at the correct time.

We cannot guarantee a place on a course unless prior payment has been made via our online booking or in our shop. We are no longer able to take cheques as payment. If you request a place on a course without paying by the return of a booking form, there is no assurance a space will be available on commencement of the course. We will endeavour to contact you when places are limited.

Classes:

We limit the number of dogs in our classes to provide the appropriate trainer-to-dog ratio. Booking in advance guarantees a place on our courses.

You must not knowingly book a dog that shows aggression or nervousness onto a training course unless it is a specific course that is intended to address these issues. We reserve the right to move dogs that are aggressive in class to a more suitable service such as one-to-one sessions. If you do not advise us of potential problems and your dog shows aggression in class you will not be entitled to a refund should you not wish to transfer your fees towards one-to-one sessions. Please contact us if you are not sure whether a class is suitable for your dog. If you are unsure about the suitability of your dog in class and have not asked us to assess your dog before your attendance, you will not be refunded if your dog is unsuitable for the class you have booked.

We are unable to refund course fees once the course has commenced and partial refunds for missed classes are not given. Please notify us beforehand if you will miss a class. Unfortunately, we are unable to guarantee that you will be able to make up sessions however we will endeavour to ensure you are able to catch up at your next attendance. Extra lessons are sometimes available for you to make up the missed class or classes but the class MUST be attended during the time frame of the original course. This is not a guaranteed offer and simply SCDT trying to offer the best service.

Considerations:

When arriving at class please avoid meeting the other dogs on lead. Not all dogs like to be near other dogs when restrained on a lead and may react as a consequence. Do not crowd doorways and allow plenty of room for a dog to enter and exit any of the training facilities. On arrival enter the facility where you will be training when requested and take a seat. Do not allow your dog to play with dogs you do not know outside the venue before a class, as this can cause excitement and a lack of attention during the session. We do have fenced dog walking fields and you are advised to rent these should you like your dogs to have a good play, but arrange this for after class.

A toilet break before each class will ensure your puppy/dog is empty and comfortable. Please be a responsible dog owner and always clean up after your dog. We have several poo bins on-site for your convenience. This is especially important in our indoor sand school and flyball tunnel where the facilities are extremely difficult to disinfect and clean.

For livelier, excitable dogs it can be beneficial to exercise your dog before class with a game or a short walk. Do not over-exercise your dog before a class otherwise, they will be too weary.

We may occasionally record for promotional purposes, however, please alert us if you do not wish to appear.

What to wear:

Our training involves practical handling therefore appropriate shoes and clothing is recommended. Please wear comfortable flat shoes for safety reasons, as you will be moving about. You will be required during training to get down on the ground therefore suitable attire is recommended.

Welfare and safety:

Please keep within the areas of the centre designated for our training purposes. All dogs must be kept under the owner’s control and on a lead, except where specifically instructed by our instructors. You are responsible for the conduct of your dog at all times. Dogs in class must not lunge or bark at other dogs present.

We provide a safe and secure environment as practicably reasonable and endeavour to apply good practices with all our training services. We endeavour to run all classes in as safe and professional manner as possible. SCDT also takes all reasonable precautions when providing behavioural services to minimise the risk of injury from being bitten. However remote, dog training is not without risk therefore participation in training and behaviour services is at the owner’s risk. SCDT or any of its individual assistants, or helpers, will not accept responsibility for any loss, injury or damage to any persons, or dogs attending a course, or to their property however caused during the provision of dog training activities.

All training provided will be by instructors who have been trained by SCDT and have been deemed by SCDT to have the necessary experience and skills.

Use of information or advice given in connection with the above sessions including but not limited to any liability for errors, inaccuracies, omissions or misleading or defamatory statements.

Owners are advised to have appropriate pet insurance cover that includes third party liability insurance. SCDT has public liability and relevant business insurance to run classes and provide behavioural counselling, providing adequate cover for our business liabilities.

Hot weather

If the temperature hits 30 degrees Celsius (Source: Met Office), we will cancel outdoor classes. All customers will be offered credit for the missed class, or they can make up the class at a convenient time. No refunds will be given.

Children in class:

We encourage family members to attend classes. Children are welcome and when encouraged to participate often make competent handlers. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult at all times and must not be left alone. Children are encouraged to behave appropriately in the presence of unfamiliar dogs and are requested not to run in class, or distract other dogs from working. For safety reasons it is advisable all children are educated in how to approach an unfamiliar dog. We do provide instruction in how to interact with an unfamiliar dog.

Young children may not find training classes exciting. It can be challenging to supervise young children while training a dog. Very young children can become bored and may need another adult to supervise them. Feel free to provide your children with entertainment during a class, where possible please ensure it is fairly quiet and will not distract the class.

Cancellation Charges:

Group Classes

A 100% cancellation charge will apply if your booking is cancelled within 7 days of the course commencing. We must receive this via telephone call or email to avoid the cancellation fee. If you cancel prior to 7 days

121s

There will be a 100% cancellation charge if you cancel your 121 within 48 hours of the session. We must receive this via telephone call or email to avoid the cancellation fee.

Start times:

Please where possible arrive in time for each class as latecomers can be disruptive to the other dogs in class.

Our methods:

SCDT has a moral and professional Code of Practice, we practise kind, fair and effective techniques avoiding the need to use physical correction of any type. Harsh handling of dogs is wholeheartedly discouraged and the use of check chains and other coercive or punitive methods, including lead jerking, shouting or smacking, is not permitted.

You may not use any gadget or device in class that we consider aversive, such as pinch collars, spray collars, compressed air canisters, rattle cans or water squirters, or any other device, or method, that has potential to cause injury, pain or fear.

Dogs unfit for class:

Welfare and safety of all dogs is paramount to us. Dogs in an unfit state of health due to illness, disease or injury cannot be brought to class. Do not bring your dog to class if they have been in contact with an infectious disease, such as kennel cough or conjunctivitis. If you unsure as to whether your dog is well enough to attend, please refer to your Vet. If your dog is unable to attend you are encouraged to attend the class without your dog so you can maintain continuity of training.

Dogs should be adequately protected by vaccination as advised by your vet and verification may be requested. Puppies can attend our classes from one week after their first vaccination has been administered by a Vet. Puppies not having completed their vaccination programme must not walk on the ground outside of the venue and are to be carried into and out of the facilities, to and from vehicles.

Bitches in season are not permitted to attend a class. Please notify us if you consider your bitch may come into season during a course. Refunds are not given though we may offer alternative arrangements, such as credit towards another course.

Home Visits and Behavioural Sessions

Before:

A behavioural consultation helps to identify the underlying motivation for any unwanted behaviour. A programme will be devised for your needs based on our behavioural diagnosis and specific to your requirements to help you manage and modify this behaviour. Behavioural issues are often complex having taken time to develop. Therefore before proceeding it is necessary that any potential underlying medical condition or potential cause of pain that could be contributing to your pet’s behaviour is ruled out. Prior to your appointment you will be required to complete and forward the following:

Thorough Veterinary Check : To comply with the guidelines of the professional organisations to which we belong and to rule out any potential underlying medical causes, you are requested to have your Vet complete a full health check.
Where appropriate Pre-Visit Questionnaire: This helps build a case history and you should complete this as fully and as honestly as possible, citing examples where necessary
Video footage: You may be asked to provide video footage of your pet’s behaviour on a day-to-day basis as this can aid the consultation process, as it is possible your pet will not perform certain behaviours during our appointment /visit. It is not necessary to provoke your pet into performing the problem behaviour, as we do not need to see the full extent of the behaviour to treat it.

During:

The consultation may take place at our centre, at your home or we may ask to accompany you on a walk. Practical aspects of the programme are included and will be demonstrated to you.

Fees must be paid at least 24 hours prior to the consultation and include all pre-visit correspondence and contact, the initial consultation and an assessment. Any parking expenditure or congestion charge, if applicable, will be in addition. There is no travel charge for journeys within 20 miles of our centre, outside this radius there may be an additional charge.

Disclaimer:

Animal aggression can cause injury, including fatal injury, to other animals and people. Treatment for aggression is not a guarantee of success and modifying behaviour does not assure that the aggression will be successfully controlled. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their pet does not harm in the future. Precautions may involve, but are not limited to, keeping a dog on lead, the use of muzzle, informing others of the dog’s aggressive tendencies, not mixing with certain types of people or other dogs, or confinement behind fencing and doors. Owners remain responsible for their dogs at all times and are advised they have adequate pet or household insurance cover for liability in the unlikely event of damage or injury caused by their dog to property or to a third party. It is strongly recommended that your dog is insured for third party liability with or without vet cover.

Confidentiality:

Privacy Notice:

(why we collect your personal data and what we do with it)

When you supply your personal details to us they are securely stored.

We need to collect personal information in order to provide our services safely and effectively and as such have a a ‘Legitimate Interest’.

Provided we have your consent, on occasion we may email you news, updates from us, announcements about and offers for our training courses. You may withdraw this consent at any time by opting out.

We will never pass your details on to other parties.

You have the right to see what personal data of yours we hold, and you can ask us to correct any factual errors.

Provided the legal minimum period has elapsed, you can also ask us to erase your records by contacting us.