Terms and conditions

By paying a deposit or other booking payment after being provided with these Terms & Conditions, you confirm that you have had the opportunity to read and understand them. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory consumer rights.

1. Honest information

All questions during enquiries, discovery calls, forms, assessments, consultations and training sessions must be answered honestly so that Layne can understand your dog's needs and provide the most appropriate support as safely as possible.

You must tell Layne about relevant past or current physical or behavioural issues, including bite history, and notify Streetwise Dogs of meaningful changes in your dog's behaviour, health or circumstances before subsequent sessions.

2. Working together

Streetwise Dogs provides science-led, evidence-based training and behaviour modification guidance. Your participation, management of your dog and practice between sessions are important parts of the process.

Behaviour change can take time and no particular outcome or timescale can be guaranteed. Some behaviours may be improved rather than completely eliminated, and long-term management may sometimes be the safest and most appropriate option.

3. Dogs presenting with aggression or higher-risk behaviour

Dogs presenting with aggressive, reactive or otherwise higher-risk behaviour must be managed in accordance with the safety guidance provided. Failure to follow reasonable safety instructions may place people or animals at risk and may result in a session being stopped or the working agreement being ended.

You remain responsible for the day-to-day control and management of your dog and for complying with applicable law.

4. Veterinary assessment and health

Physical health, pain and discomfort can influence behaviour. Streetwise Dogs may recommend or require an appropriate veterinary assessment before or during behaviour work where physical causes need to be considered.

Where veterinary information is relevant, you may be asked to provide records or authorise appropriate communication with your veterinary practice.

5. Accessibility and safety

Please tell Layne about any accessibility needs or reasonable adjustments that would help you take part. Training skills, communication and the environment can be adapted where reasonably possible.

Streetwise Dogs may decline, pause or end services where there are reasonable concerns about the safety or welfare of a client, staff member, another person or an animal.

6. Booking, deposits and payment

Appointments are offered subject to availability. When Streetwise Dogs offers you a consultation date, the applicable deposit must be paid on the day the date is offered and within 2 hours of the offer. If the deposit is not received within that period, the appointment will not be held and may be offered to another client.

Behaviour consultations: £150 booking deposit.

Training consultations: £80 booking deposit.

The deposit forms part of the total consultation fee and secures the appointment in the Streetwise Dogs diary.

Unless a payment plan has been agreed, the remaining balance must be paid within 7 days of the deposit being made. Streetwise Dogs will issue an invoice for the remaining balance after the deposit has been received.

Streetwise Dogs does not operate a routine payment-chasing service. It is the client's responsibility to make payments by the dates stated on the invoice or agreed payment plan. If payment is not received when due, Streetwise Dogs may cancel the appointment and release the date.

Where a payment plan is agreed, payment dates will be provided in advance. The final payment must be received no later than 14 days before the consultation date.

Fees may change for future bookings. A change in advertised fees will not alter the agreed price of an existing confirmed booking unless the service itself is changed by agreement.

7. When the behaviour service begins

For behaviour consultations, the professional service begins before the face-to-face assessment. Once the booking has been confirmed and the information required to begin the case has been received, Streetwise Dogs may start professional preparation specific to your dog.

This work may include reviewing and analysing your dog's behaviour and health history, considering risk and management requirements, preparing the assessment, deciding what needs to be observed, arranging an appropriate environment or venue, coordinating staff or other participants where required, and other case-specific preparation.

This preparatory work is part of the behaviour service for which you are paying; the assessment appointment is not the first point at which professional work necessarily begins.

8. Starting the service during the 14-day cancellation period

If your booking is a distance or off-premises contract and you have a statutory 14-day right to cancel, Streetwise Dogs will ask you to expressly request that the service begins during that cancellation period before paid work starts where such a request is required by law.

If you make that request, Streetwise Dogs may begin case preparation and other professional work as soon as your booking is confirmed and the information needed to begin has been received.

If you exercise a statutory right to cancel after the service has begun but before it has been fully performed, you may be required to pay a proportionate amount for the services supplied up to the time you communicate your cancellation. Any amount retained or charged will be calculated in accordance with applicable consumer law.

If the service is fully performed during the statutory cancellation period following the required express request, and you have acknowledged that your cancellation right will be lost once the service has been fully performed, your statutory right to cancel may end at that point.

Nothing in these Terms & Conditions removes or reduces your statutory cancellation rights.

9. Cancellations and postponements

If you need to cancel or postpone a consultation, please contact Streetwise Dogs as soon as possible.

Outside any applicable statutory cancellation rights, the Streetwise Dogs standard cancellation policy is:

14 days or more before the consultation: payments made above the applicable booking deposit will normally be refundable. The booking deposit is intended to cover the reserved appointment and legitimate preparatory work/costs already undertaken or committed to, but any amount retained will remain subject to applicable consumer law and the circumstances of the cancellation.

Less than 14 days before the consultation: no refund will normally be provided for payments relating to that consultation, subject to applicable consumer law and any exceptional circumstances agreed by Streetwise Dogs.

Exceptional circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If Streetwise Dogs has to cancel a consultation, reasonable efforts will be made to rearrange it. If a suitable replacement cannot be arranged, payments for services not provided will be refunded as required by law.

10. Responsibility and liability

Streetwise Dogs will provide services with reasonable care and skill. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

Dog behaviour can be unpredictable. You are responsible for following safety and management advice and for the supervision and control of your dog outside the direct control of Streetwise Dogs.

Streetwise Dogs is not responsible for losses caused by a client's failure to disclose relevant information, failure to follow reasonable safety guidance, or the independent actions of the client or dog, except to the extent that the law provides otherwise.

11. Code of conduct

Streetwise Dogs has a zero-tolerance approach to threatening, abusive or seriously disrespectful behaviour. If Layne or anyone working with Streetwise Dogs reasonably believes their safety or welfare is at risk, the session may be ended and future services may be cancelled. Any refund due will be considered in accordance with these terms and applicable law.

12. Training methods and equipment

Streetwise Dogs advocates reward-based training and behaviour support. Appropriate equipment may include clickers or markers, food, toys, agility equipment, body harnesses, flat collars, basket muzzles and training lines. Management, training, enrichment and nutrition may all be considered where relevant.

Aversive methods or equipment intended to cause pain, fear or discomfort are not permitted while your dog is receiving training or behaviour support with Streetwise Dogs.

Methods not permitted include physical force, lead-jerking, kneeing, prodding and shouting.

Equipment not permitted includes prong collars, choke or check chains, shock collars, punitive spray devices, closed-mouth muzzles, shaking bottles, air canisters, or other equipment used in a way that causes pain or distress.

If you have previously used these methods or equipment, please tell Layne so that safer alternatives can be discussed. You are welcome to ask questions about any method suggested by Streetwise Dogs.

If threatening or harmful behaviour towards a dog continues after alternatives have been explained, Streetwise Dogs may end the working agreement.

13. Dog welfare during sessions

The dog's welfare is paramount. A session may be shortened, altered or stopped where the dog is showing high levels of stress, fatigue, pain or other welfare concerns. Where appropriate, an alternative date, format or type of support will be discussed.

14. Photographs and video

Photographs or video may be used during behaviour or training work to document progress, review behaviour or support professional records. Promotional, educational, website or social-media use will only take place where Streetwise Dogs has an appropriate lawful basis and, where consent is required, permission has been obtained.

Please tell Layne if you would prefer your dog's images not to be used beyond the purpose of providing your service.

15. Privacy

Streetwise Dogs' Privacy Notice is provided separately. It explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and shared, together with your data protection rights. The current Privacy Notice is available on the Streetwise Dogs website and may also be supplied when you book.

16. Ending the working agreement

Either party may end the working relationship. Streetwise Dogs may also end it where continuing would be unsafe, inappropriate, impractical or contrary to animal welfare. Any refund for unused services will be considered in accordance with these terms, the circumstances and applicable law.

17. Questions, cancellations and complaints

If you have a question, need to cancel, or wish to raise a concern, please contact Layne at info@streetwisedogs.com or 07414 727790.