General terms and conditions

Advice

Your dog remains your responsibility at all times prior to, during, and outside of sessions, including any sessions taking place inside, or outside of your home, and in public places. The advice given is tailored to your individual situation and individual dog, so if you are sharing the advice given with anyone else, it may not be appropriate for that dog, family or situation.

Sara McIver Training and Behaviour take no responsibility for anyone else’s use of the information provided to you. For more complex issues or dogs with multiple behaviour problems, several follow-up visits may be needed to address everything and support you in the development and implementation of the treatment plan. These will be charged accordingly, and you will be advised of any costs in advance. Whilst every reasonable effort will be made to help you and your dog, results are never guaranteed. You will be responsible for implementing the advice given, and progress will depend on your commitment, the capabilities of your dog, and the allowance of altering the advice where needed when new information becomes available.

It is important to note that aggressive behaviours are part of a dog’s natural communicative repertoire, so complete elimination of any animal’s potential for aggression or danger to others cannot be guaranteed. We can hope to get to the root cause of the behaviour and work towards your dog not feeling the need to use such forms of communication, but any animal will hold the potential to use it if deemed necessary.

Sara McIver will not take responsibility for misinterpretation of advice. Whilst every effort will be made to make the information provided clear, application of the advice in different scenarios is up to the client’s judgement.

Safety

You are responsible for the conduct of your dog at all times. Precautions will always be taken to minimise the risk of injury; however, participation is at your own risk. Sara McIver will not take responsibility for any loss, illness, injury or damage to any persons, animals or property during the provision of behavioural and training services or through the misinterpretation of the advice given.

Children

If appropriate to do so and social distancing can be adhered to, children are welcome to take part in your sessions, but children remain your responsibility at all times and if they are under 16 years of age they must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Prices & Payment

Prices are subject to review and change at any time. If you have been quoted a price and the price changes before your appointment date, your quoted price will be honoured if your appointment has already been booked and is not cancelled.

Full payment must be made upon booking via BACS.

Cancellations & Refunds

If you need to cancel or rearrange your appointment you must inform Sara as soon as possible so that the appointment slot may be offered to someone else in need. If you have left a message or an email about it and Sara has not replied, please try another method of contacting her to ensure the message has been recieved in good time.

Refunds or partial refunds will only be considered in extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis or if the cancellation has been acknowledged at least 48 hours prior to the agreed appointment date and time.

In any case the cost of the admin required prior to the appointment will still be charged. If Sara has not received your cancellation request and arrives at your home or the agreed meeting place for the appointment (including online sessions), you will be charged for the first session.

If there is an occasion where Sara has to rearrange your appointment for reasons beyond her control, and this includes extremes of weather, you would be offered the next available appointment. If a suitable date cannot be rearranged and you wish to cancel after discussing all other options, a refund will be issued for any sessions which have been cancelled.

 Methods

Sara McIver practices with kind, reward-based, and fair techniques which are based on the latest research. Evidence shows that punishing your dog with anything that makes them frightened or experience physical discomfort puts your relationship at risk and can be detrimental to their welfare. Using reward-based methods means that your dog enjoys the sessions – and that strengthens the bond between you.

Sara does not use any equipment that is designed to cause pain, fear or discomfort. This includes (but isn’t limited to) choke chains, check chains, shock collars, spray collars, prong collars, slip leads, condensed air canisters, rattle cans, water squirters.

Sara does not use aversive treatment. This includes (but isn’t limited to) harsh handling, lead jerking, shouting or smacking. Sara is aware that trainers have used these techniques and equipment in the past. However, as our knowledge about dog behaviour has developed, it is clear that these come with a number of risks and evidence shows that there are far better ways to communicate with your dog.

If you have been told to use these techniques in the past, Sara can discuss any concerns you may have in your sessions and Sara can show you more suitable options. Please note, if you continue to use aversive methods or equipment and refuse to stop, your sessions may be ended early.

Photography and video recording

Photographs may be taken, and videos may be recorded to track your dog’s progress and highlight things to you which you may not otherwise be able to see. Photos and videos may also be useful for future educational and promotional purposes but would only be used with your consent.