Terms and Conditions

Please read through this document
Payment for services implies full agreement with these Terms and Conditions. 

The supplier of the goods featured is It’s Not the Dog ("The Company", "we", or "us").

These terms and conditions set out the basis on which you can use our website and place orders for items from It’s Not the Dog. By registering with It’s Not the Dog you are deemed to have understood and accepted these terms. 

 

You may contact us by email at office@itsnotthedog.co.uk. Telephone calls to and from It’s Not the Dog may be recorded or monitored for training and in a bid to improve our Customer Service.

 

We may contact you for marketing purposes by email or mail with relevant offers from It’s Not the Dog. We may also contact you for market research purposes.  If you do not wish for us to contact you please let us know by emailing office@itsnotthedog.co.uk.  We will never pass your details onto a third party.

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Where possible we create closed Facebook or Whatsapp Groups for communicating with our clients.  Class cancellations and notifications will be sent via these methods and if you do not wish to be included please email into the office office@intsnotthedog.co.uk.  Clients are encourage to post their own videos and comments onto the groups but please ensure that no negative comments are made about other group members or other Dog Training organisations.
 

Payment, Refunds and Cancellations 
Payment is required at time of booking. Once payment has been made, it is non-refundable. Occasionally, where a client is unable to take up their reserved place on a course, their credit may be transferred to another suitable class/ service; this is at the sole discretion of It’s Not the Dog and will be dependent on us having another client to fill your place. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer any refunds on missed sessions but you will be sent the notes for every session of the course for which you have paid, whether you attended or not. 

A couple of the training schedules have a right to cancel clause which can be read when booking.  To exercise your right of cancellation, you must give notice in writing giving details of the class registered for. 
 

For courses that have a right to cancel clause (and only for course that have this clause) once you have notified It’s Not the Dog that you are cancelling the contract, It’s Not the Dog will refund or re-credit you within 30 days.
 

In the event that we cancel the class due to unforeseen circumstances, such as adverse weather, instructor illness, emergency medical requirement, It’s Not the Dog will make every effort to reschedule your class to an alternative day/night. If this is not possible, at the discretion of It’s Not the Dog, a partial refund will be provided for the value of the cancelled work. 
 

Where a training plan is warrantied it is under the agreement the client will follow the training/exercise/medical/behavioural or management plan as set out and re-evaluated during the agreed period.  Failure to do so will render the warranty null and void.

 

All necessary forms/questionnaires are to be completed and returned prior to your It’s Not the Dog session(s).

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Marketing/ Privacy 

Data Protection: It’s Not the Dog do not disclose client information to any third parties. Data collected by us is used to take and fulfil customer orders, administer and enhance the site and service.

Photographs may occasionally be taken during training sessions. It’s Not the Dog may use such photos for the purposes of marketing. For example, graduation photos are posted on our Facebook page. By making payment and therefore agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, you give It’s Not the Dog Ltd permission to publish in print, electronic, or video format the likeness or image of you and/or your dog. You release all claims against It’s Not the Dog Ltd with respect to privacy rights, publicity rights, copyright ownership and publication, including any claim for compensation related to use of the materials. If you do not wish for photographs/videos of you and/ or your dog to be used or shared, please let us know. 

Any written feedback (eg. by email or on feedback forms) may be used for marketing purposes (for example, posted on the website). Only the first name of the person will be used as identification. If you are not happy for us to use your feedback in this way, please let us know. 

Photography and videography is NOT permitted, without the express permission of It’s Not the Dog. 
 

Training and Handling Methods 

The training techniques used by It’s Not the Dog are based on the principles of positive reinforcement and, as such, are kind, fair and reward-based. Harsh handling of dogs, physical force and the use of punitive methods/ punishment/ corrections or equipment designed to be aversive (including slip leads, choke chains, check chains, prong collars, spray collars, e-collars or any other device deemed unacceptable by the trainer) are not permitted in classes or and should not be used in training. 

 

Results are dependent upon the owner commitment to the programme by working consistently with your dog after or in between sessions to gain and sustain the best results.

Suitability for Class Environment 

Some dogs show over-excitement, fear, anxiety etc are not suited to a class environment due to this. (this is not the same as a young puppy who is new to socialisation and is just a bit nervous!). Dogs that are known to be reactive to other dogs or people will not be best placed in a class environment; it is not fair on the dog or the other class members. If your dog is not suited to the class-training environment at this time, we may be able to offer alternative solutions, such as one to one training sessions. If a dog is deemed by the trainer to be particularly stressed or reactive, despite the efforts of the owner and/ or trainer, the owner will be asked to remove the dog from the training (for that class or the rest of the course), in the best interests of both the dog and the others attending. If you are unsure how your dog will respond to a class/ group environment, or have any concerns, you should discuss this with us before booking on to a course; refunds for course fees will not usually be be given but an agreement could be made if known prior to booking. 

 

Links from our site

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources, and does not accept responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. When accessing a site via our website we advise you check their terms of use and privacy policies to ensure compliance and determine how they may use your information.

Children 

Children are welcome to attend classes/ training sessions. However, we ask that adults ensure that children do not approach or touch any dogs without appropriate supervision and permission. It’s Not the Dog does not accept responsibility for children at classes; it is the responsibility of the supervising adult to ensure the children’s safety at all times. Children must not be allowed to disrupt the learning and we reserve the right to ask for disruptive children not to be brought to classes in the future. Young people under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.  We hold special Child Handler Classes and would prefer children to attend these as applicable.
 

Safety 

Any instances of accident or injury must be reported to the trainer at the time they occurred. A first aid kit is usually available at training classes. All dogs must remain on lead and kept away from contact with other dogs unless specifically instructed by the trainer. Extending leads are not permitted in class in order to avoid injury. 
 

Health and Vaccination 

It’s Not the Dog reserves the right to advise a veterinary consultation if we feel your dog’s behavioural issues may be linked to a medical issue. Any pain or medical related condition needs attention prior to commencing on any new training plan.

All dogs and puppies attending classes should be suitably protected from the potential risk of disease as well as being appropriately treated for internal and external parasites. It’s Not the Dog advises that owners should consult their veterinary professional with regard to such issues. Whilst the indoor venues used by It’s Not the Dog are not routinely accessed by dogs (other than those attending classes), there can be no guarantee that there is absolutely no risk of disease at any venue or when in contact with any other dogs or materials, such as toys, which may have been in contact with other dogs. It is the owner/ handler’s responsibility to ensure that their dog is appropriately protected against the risk of disease: It’s Not the Dog does not take responsibility for the potential or actual exposure of dogs to disease. If an owner chooses not to routinely vaccinate their dog/ puppy, this is the choice of the owner and is a decision made at their own risk. By booking a place at a class and agreeing to these terms and conditions, you are accepting full responsibility for the protection of your dog from the risk of disease. Please do not bring your dog to class if he or she has been in contact with another dog infected by a contagious disease or if they appear to be unwell (eg. vomiting, diarrhoea, coughing, runny nose etc). We also ask that bitches in season are not brought to class and mature male entire dogs are not allowed in group classes.  By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, you are agreeing that you will not bring your dog to classes in these circumstances. If a dog is unable to attend classes, owners are more than welcome to attend without their dog in order to keep up to date with the training course. If your dog has any known allergies or intolerances to certain foods or has any other special needs, it is your responsibility to bring this to the attention of the trainer prior to the start of the session (and to provide appropriate alternative treats etc). 
 

All Puppies under 16 weeks of age must have had their 1st vaccination prior to attending classes.
 

Disclaimer 

We make every effort to ensure the safety of both clients and dogs during training classes. By making a booking with us, you are accepting that participating in an activity with dogs, children and adults poses a risk of injury to yourself and your dog, and you agree to indemnify It’s Not the Dog and its representatives for all personal injury and damage to property while attending training. You agree to assume full responsibility for any risks, injuries or damages, known or unknown, which might occur as a result of your dog attending classes/ sessions. You also agree to make any person who accompanies you to the session(s), or takes your place, aware that they are also there at their own risk. 

You understand and accept that your dog (and its behaviour) remains entirely your responsibility at all times, whether or not in the presence of the trainer/ behaviourist.

 

The materials contained on our site are provided for general information purposes only and do not claim to be or constitute legal or other professional advice and shall not be relied upon as such.

We do not accept any responsibility for any loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on the information on this site and to the fullest extent permitted by English law, we exclude all liability for loss or damages direct or indirect arising from use of this site.

Complaints

If you do have a complaint please write to It’s Not the Dog Training Academy, The Old Stables, 1 Upper Shelton Road, Upper Shelton, Bedfordshire MK43 0LT or email office@itsnotthedog.co.uk.  It’s Not the Dog aim to deal with complaints quickly with empathy. All complaints are logged, investigated and replied to.