Puptopia TRAINING POLICIES

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Your dogs must be fully vaccinated by a veterinarian or veterinary tech.  You must submit proof of the records before you arrive.  Vaccines that you buy at a local store and that you administer at home will not be honored because there is no record of it.  Vaccines required are Rabies and the Distemper Combination.  We also HIGHLY suggest dogs have flea and tick protection and heartworm protection.    Check with your veterinarian to see what the appropriate shots are at what ages.  Should your dog have adverse reactions to any of these vaccines, please contact us.  You can get a letter from your vet.   It does not necessarily mean they won't be able to take any classes.   We will need to talk to your vet, assess which vaccines and what your dog's age is and make a determination.  

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Female dogs in heat cannot attend any classes or daycare. You, as the owner, should still attend class though.  Female dogs wearing 'garments' to cover them in heat are not permitted.  Intact male dogs over 8 months of age are not permitted to participate in any classes unless they have been evaluated by the instructor before class starts. Intact males over the age of 8 months cannot attend daycare.
 

Payment

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Payment is due before the trainer comes to your home or before you arrive at their class.   Services start with material preparation and planning at our office, the commute and then execution and education for you in your home or in a class.  In certain instances, the trainer may allow a last-minute client add to pay at the first class.   Check cancellations or refusals to pay will be subject to fees.

Attire

Please wear comfortable and appropriate clothing and shoes.  We are a family-oriented business.  No open-toed, open-heeled sandals, flip flops, or high-heeled type shoes/boots please. If proper footwear is not worn, you will not be permitted to do class.  You can not take class in bare feet.  This is a safety concern for all, so please be prepared.  Scarves or items hanging down into the dog’s face will be asked to be removed while training.  Please refrain from wearing jewelry that may jingle or make a lot of sound.  

Injuries

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If a dog is injured before or during a class, they must stay home or go home to heal before returning.  If an instructor witnesses a dog's discomfort, they have the right to inform you that the dog must go home to heal and return the next week.  

Cancellation/Refunds

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For private lessons, we do try to accommodate people in emergency situations or if their dogs are severely ill.   We request that you cancel appointments at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointment time.  This gives us the opportunity to fill your slot should you not be able to keep the appointment. You may cancel your appointment by phone, text or email (puptopiatraining@gmail.com).   In the event of a true, unavoidable emergency or severe illness we will do our best to reschedule your service for another time that is convenient to you.
If you have booked a group class but change your mind, we ask that you cancel 2 weeks before the class start date.  No refunds will be issued after that.  If you miss a session within a class due to an emergency or medical reason with you or your dog, you are welcome to make up the session in a later class and pay the difference.  No partial refunds will be given starting 8/19/20.
We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule an appointment at any time due to unforeseen situations that may be due to a medical, travel, or personal situation.

No Shows
 

Your business is very important to us but we ask that you respect us, and other clients, with good communication.  We request that you cancel appointments at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointment time.  After 2 no shows or late cancellations, within 1 year, we will send you a reminder copy of our policy via email and a $10 fee will be assessed at your next appointment.  After 3 no shows or late cancellations, within 1 year, you will no longer be able to book appointments with us.
 

Vaccinations

Your dogs must be fully vaccinated by a veterinarian or veterinary tech.  You must submit proof of the records before you arrive.  Vaccines that you buy at a local store and that you administer at home will not be honored because there is no record of it.  Vaccines required are Rabies and the Distemper Combination.  We also HIGHLY suggest dogs have flea and tick protection and heartworm protection.    Check with your veterinarian to see what the appropriate shots are at what ages.  Should your dog have adverse reactions to any of these vaccines, please contact us.  You can get a letter from your vet.   It does not necessarily mean they won't be able to take any classes.   We will need to talk to your vet, assess which vaccines and what your dog's age is and make a determination.  

 Compliance 

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All Puptopia clients are expected to comply with the following policy.

Attend our scheduled appointments in a timely manner and fully prepared to participate.
All recommendations must be followed as intended. Written notes will be provided as supplemental material to facilitate learning and document recommendations for future reference.
Clients are to follow the instructions that are given by the trainer.  Any deviation of the training techniques discussed can and will change the expected results of the training.  If you resort to methods which are not condoned by the trainer, your lessons may be forfeited based on the trainer’s judgment.  We follow the LIMA approach recommended by the CPDT.  Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive.
The use of any training tools that have not been explicitly recommended or approved by your trainer will lead to the immediate termination of the program.

 Custom Package Deadlines

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Custom packages require months of training and sometimes our schedules can get hectic.  However, we feel the package utilization time should be limited to 6 months in order to keep your dog successful.  We do recommend you implement the training right away and utilize the package in the time span recommended by your trainer.  All elements within your package should be utilized within 6 months from the first lesson or call.

Shadowing/Observing Classes or Lessons

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Our training techniques are unique to the Erie area and sure, we want to spread the word about how these positive methods work better to solve behavior problems.  However, we are contacted all the time about shadowing, previewing classes or teaching other trainers etc.   We do not allow this unless you have been hired by Puptopia LLC or you are a client who has bought a lesson or package.  We are working on an online education program in the future for clients and trainers.  Thank you for your understanding.  

Terms and Conditions for all Puptopia Clients