Group Class Policy

Please read the Ottawa Canine School’s following policies carefully so there are no surprises! These policies were put into place so that we can offer all of our beloved clients the best possible service and attention they deserve.

By hitting “Proceed With Registration” during registration, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:

Waiver

The Ottawa Canine School will endeavor to create as safe an environment as possible for the training of my dog and will endeavor to offer only sound, safe, and responsible training and training instructions. However, I recognize that Ottawa Canine School is not responsible for any unintentional errors, omissions, or incorrect assertions.

I understand that the recommendation of any other product or service is not a guarantee of my satisfaction with that product or service. Further, I am and will remain responsible for the actions of my dog at all times.

I hereby agree to abide by the rules and policies of the Ottawa Canine School training classes as set forth in this contract. I understand that attendance of dog training classes is not without risk to myself, members of my family, guests who may attend, or to my dog.

In consideration of, and as inducement to the acceptance of my application for training membership in this training class, I hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Ottawa Canine School, its officers, directors, instructors, agents, employees and/or representatives of any and all claims, or claims by any member of my family, or accompanying guests of mine of injury, expense, costs or damages to myself, my dog or any handler sponsored by me both in class and out of class. In addition, I agree that I will defend and indemnify Ottawa Canine School for any injury, expense, costs or damages to any dog handlers or dogs, whether sponsored by me or not, or to third parties arising out of my own actions or the actions of my dog.

Payment

When you register for a course, you are placed on a waiting list until the class start date. Due to our pre-payment policy, spots in classes are not reserved until we receive payment. Spots are reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis, with payment. You will lose your spot if someone on the waiting list confirms his/her registration before you. Once you have paid the course fee in full, your spot is reserved!

Payment methods:

• You can pay online using your credit card or via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account).
• You can send an Email Money Transfer to info@ottawak9school.com.
• You can pay in-person or over the phone during store hours using your credit card, cheque and cash.

School credit: School credit does not expire. You can use school credit to purchase any of our services and merchandise. If you would like to use your school credit for a purchase, please contact us to make adjustments to your invoice.

Class discount: You may only use one promo code per class, provided you have actually completed the class to earn the promo code. We will not accept promo code from clients who have not taken the class with us.

Registration

You can register for a class online, in person or over the phone. When registering online, you can then also make your payment online.

Please ensure that your dog meets all the requirements for the class. Class requirements are clearly stated in the class descriptions. Failure to meet all the class requirements will result in the cancellation of your class registration; there is a $20 administration fee.

Refund

We are dedicated to maintaining small classes with plenty of one-on-one interaction. For that reason, cancellations with less than 5-business day notice from the class start date will not be eligible for a refund. We appreciate your cooperation to help keep our classes small and effective for you. There is a $20 administration fee to process all refunds.

There will be no refunds given if cancellation happens once the class starts.

Special circumstances for cancellation with less than 5-business day notice or once the class starts:

• If your dog can no longer attend class due to health reasons, a note from your vet will be required for a refund in school credits. Illnesses for dogs include injuries and contagious diseases. It does not include spay/neuter. The request for a refund must be done within five business days of the vet visit. After five business days, we will not honour the request. The amount refunded will be the unused classes minus the $20 administration fee.

Transfer

Requests to move to a different class with less than 5-business day notice from the class start date will not be eligible for a transfer. There is a $20 administration fee to process all class transfers. There will be no class transfer given if cancellation happens once the class starts.

Administration fees

Refund/cancellation: $20

Transfer: $20

Dog suitability

You are responsible for your dog’s health and behaviours during the class:

• Dogs must be healthy and not be showing signs of illness including but not limited to diarrhea, coughing and injury.
• Dogs must be up to date on vaccines (we accept titer testing results).
• Dogs that exhibit fearful or reactive behaviours towards people or dogs will be required to graduate from our Reactive Rover class or private training (if appropriate) before participating in other classes. This is to ensure the safety and comfort of your dog and your dog’s classmates (see below).
• If your dog has a bite history (people or dogs), classes are not for you but private training is.

Disruptive dogs

• Disruptive behaviours include but not limited to excessive barking, defecating/urinating, lunging and attempting to bite dogs or people. If you are unsure if classes are for your dog, please contact us prior to registration.
• Instructors reserve the right to remove disruptive dogs from classes.
• We will convert the remaining course fee into school credit, which you can use for other services and merchandise at the school.

Missed classes

Please consult our Class Calendar before signing-up for a class.

Puppy Kindergarten I and II: When you register for Puppy Kindergarten I or II, you must complete the class within six consecutive weeks. We do not provide class refunds or transfers for missed classes.

• If you are unable to show up, we encourage you to find a friend or family member to bring your puppy to class.
• If your puppy is unable to show up, you can come to class without your puppy to audit and then practice at home.
• We can extend the length of the program (i.e., postpone your puppy’s graduation date if your puppy is not too old to participate in the class) if your puppy cannot attend class due to illnesses, provided written proof is supplied to us by your vet (i.e., vet note). Illnesses for dogs include injuries and contagious diseases. It does not include spay/neuter. If your puppy is too old for the class, we will transfer you to an appropriate class or provide pro-rated school credit. It is your responsibility to request for a program extension, class transfer, or pro-rated school credit within five business days from the missed class date. Requests with more than 5-business day notice from the missed class date will not be eligible.
• We regret that personal issues (e.g., lack of transportation, schedule conflict, family matters and etc.) will not be accepted.

All classes including Puppy Kindergarten III, except Reactive Rover program: When you register for a class, you must complete the class within the time frame (e.g., if the class is a 4-week class, you must complete the class within four consecutive weeks). We do not provide class refunds or transfers for missed classes.

If your dog misses three classes or more, instructors reserve the right to remove your dog from class.

• If you are unable to show up, we encourage you to find a friend or family member to bring your dog to class.
• If your puppy is unable to show up, you can come to class without your dog to audit and then practice at home.
• We will provide pro-rated school credit if your dog cannot complete the program due to illnesses, provided written proof is supplied to us by your vet. Illnesses for dogs include injuries and contagious diseases. It does not include spay/neuter. It is your responsibility to request for pro-rated school credit within five business days from the missed class date. Requests with more than 5-business day notice from the missed class date will not be eligible.
• We regret that personal issues (e.g., lack of transportation, schedule conflict, family matters and etc.) will not be accepted.

Reactive Rover I, II, and PLUS: When you register for a Reactive Rover class, you must complete the class within seven consecutive weeks for Reactive Rover I, six consecutive weeks for Reactive Rover II and four consecutive weeks for Reactive Rover PLUS. We do not provide class refunds or transfers for missed classes.

If your dog misses two classes or more, instructors reserve the right to remove your dog from class.

• If you are unable to show up, we encourage you to find a friend or family member to bring your dog to class.
• If your dog is unable to show up, you can come to class without your dog to audit and then practice at home.
• We will provide pro-rated school credit if your dog cannot complete the program due to illnesses, provided written proof is supplied to us by your vet. Illnesses for dogs include injuries and contagious diseases. It does not include spay/neuter. It is your responsibility to request for pro-rated school credit within five business days from the missed class date. Requests with more than 5-business day notice from the missed class date will not be eligible.
• We regret that personal issues (e.g., lack of transportation, schedule conflict, family matters and etc.) will not be accepted.

Age

Children are welcome to attend classes and must follow the School Etiquette guidelines (see below). Dog Handlers must be at least 14 years old, unless a specific exception has been made. Children under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

School etiquette

1. Arrive at least five minutes before class so that your instructor can start the class on time. Instructors reserve the right to deny you from participating in class if you arrive more than 10 minutes late.
2. For safety reasons, please ensure that your children do not run, hug and touch other people’s dogs. Children under 14 years old must not participate in puppy playtime during Puppy Kindergarten classes and Puppy Playdates.
3. Please keep your dog on a 6-foot flat leash (no flexi leashes) at all times and ask for permission from afar if you want your dog to greet other dogs.
4. If your dog is barking during class, you may wish to bring a chew toy such as a stuffed Kong, raw bone, etc. for the next class.
5. Some of our classes are reserved for reactive dogs. If your class is scheduled before or after a Reactive Rover class, for example, you will receive special instructions about entering or leaving school. It is important that you read and follow these instructions.
6. We do not condone the use of choke collars, prong/pinch collars, slip collars and electronic collars (shock/beep/vibrate/spray). You must remove these training tools when you are in our training facility. If you need suggestions for training tools, please contact us as we are more than happy to provide alternatives.

Photo & video release

We may take graduation photos and/or videos for marketing purposes. You may choose not to have your photos and/or videos taken or published, by sending an email to: info@ottawak9school.com.

Cancellation due to weather

We train rain or shine, but sometimes the weather may affect how safe, productive and effective we can be. If the weather threatens to impede safety and training, we will contact you regarding class cancellation via email in your client account as soon as possible before your class start time. If there is no email notification, it means the class will take place. Please ensure your contact information is up-to-date. We will also announce class cancellations on our social media pages.

When we cancel a class due to the weather, we will postpone the class graduation date.