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POLICIES & FAQs
All of our drop-in format classes require participants to make a booking in advance of attending. This includes those who have purchased memberships for Puppy Social or Life Skills Level 2 and 3. Our Client Portal allows you to book a spot for an upcoming class up to 24 hours prior to the start time. This is to ensure our classes are not overbooked, that we have enough team members scheduled based on the confirmed booking numbers, and helps the trainer plan for the session.
Purchasing a Puppy Social membership does not automatically reserve a spot in every class. To maintain a high-quality learning environment, we limit class size to ensure a balanced trainer/assistant-to-student ratio. Puppy Social is an open, rolling-entry drop-in class, meaning anyone with an eligible puppy can join at any time. Therefore, it's essential to book your spot in each class as early as possible once it becomes available on the schedule to avoid missing out due to limited space. Please note, it is your responsibility to book far enough in advance to ensure you can use your credits before they expire. No refunds are available for unused credits when your puppy ages out of the program.
*Ensure you have read our Cancellations and No-Shows for Drop-In Format Classes Policy prior to making your reservation if there is a chance you may end up not being able to attend.
To book any of our services, please create an account in our Client Portal.
Many group classes can be self-booked through the portal (note that some may have prerequisites). For private training, bookings must be arranged directly through us.
You can securely save a credit card in your BusyPaws account. Payment is required at the time of booking to secure your spot and avoid cancellations due to non-payment. You’ll receive a confirmation along with any important details for your upcoming training.
If you encounter any issues with the Client Portal, please contact us at info@raisingfido.com.
Cancellations made for any one-on-one private training services can be rescheduled up to 24 hours prior to your booking start time.
This policy is designed to help you avoid incurring fees or forfeiting the credit (payment) associated with your booking.
Cancellations with more than 24 hours' notice: Please use the self-cancellation feature in the client portal by logging in to your account and navigating to the booking you wish to cancel.
Late Cancellations (less than 24 hours' notice): Notify us via email at info@raisingfido.com or text 587-609-5665 prior to the start time of your booking. A $25+gst rescheduling fee will apply, which must be paid before your next appointment can be booked.
No-Show: If you fail to properly cancel or show up for your booking, it will be considered a no-show. You will be charged the $25+gst rescheduling fee, and the credit associated with the appointment will be forfeited.
Late Arrival to Meeting Location: If a client fails to arrive at their scheduled appointment time within 15 minutes of the start time, and no attempt has been made to contact the trainer or admin office to inform of their delay and anticipated arrival time, it will be considered a no-show.
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise. However, we arrange our appointments and day based on what we have scheduled into the calendar. Once you book a private training appointment, it becomes unavailable to others. Therefore, we ask that you carefully plan your schedule before booking.
Thank you for understanding and respecting our policies.
To ensure smooth management of our drop-in format classes, we require a minimum of 24 hours’ notice for booking cancellations.
This policy not only helps you avoid incurring fees or forfeiting the credit associated with your booking, but also ensures we can cover costs related to trainer fees and venue rentals, allowing us to continue offering high-quality services.
Cancellations with more than 24 hours' notice: Please use the self-cancellation feature in the client portal by logging in to your account and navigating to the booking you wish to cancel.
Late Cancellations (less than 24 hours' notice): Notify us via email at info@raisingfido.com or text 587-609-5665 prior to the start time of your booking. A $10+gst late cancellation fee will apply, which must be paid before attending your next class.
No-Shows: If you fail to properly cancel or show up for your booking, it will be considered a no-show. You will be charged the $10+gst late cancellation fee, and the class credit will be forfeited.
We understand that unforeseen circumstances may arise. However, we limit the number of participants in our classes to ensure quality instruction. With less than 24 hours' notice, we’ve already planned for the number of participants signed up and may be unable to cancel staff or our rental space commitments at that point.
Thank you for understanding and respecting our policies.
To help keep your dog healthy and mitigate the risk of disease transmission we have a strict proof of vaccination status policy.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PRIVATE TRAINING
For private training appointments, it is your responsibility to ensure your dog’s physical health is protected. Please follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and take appropriate precautions when utilizing public spaces during training. Always be transparent with your trainer about your dog’s current health and vaccination status. This helps us provide the safest guidance and create the most effective training plan for you and your dog as the assumption will be that they are healthy and up-to-date on their core vaccinations/titre testing unless you say otherwise.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PUPPIES ATTENDING GROUP CLASS (under 4 months of age)
All puppies who are deemed to be in good health by a veterinarian, have received at least their first round of core vaccination at least 7+ days prior, and on a deworming schedule are welcome in class. We will also accept nomograph results as proof of vaccination, provided your veterinarian is confident in the findings and supports their use in place of standard vaccination records.
REQUIREMENTS TEENS & ADULTS ATTENDING GROUP CLASS (4 months of age and older)
All dogs must be up to date on their veterinarian's recommended immunization and/or titre testing schedule for distemper, hepatitis/adenovirus, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and rabies.
NEW CLIENTS
All new clients must ensure that your most current vaccination record(s) are uploaded under your dog's profile in your client account online (BusyPaws Client Portal) no less than 24 hours prior to attending your first class. If you're having trouble updating the vaccination records on your pet's profile with the latest information you can also try using this form.
EXISITING CLIENTS
Existing clients are required to keep up with their veterinarian's recommended immunization schedule while they are actively taking part in classes with us and ensure their dog's most recent vaccination records are uploaded to their dog's profile in their online account as applicable.
VACCINATION RECORDS
We accept the following vaccination codes: DA2PPCV, DHPP, DAPP, DA2PP, or DAPPC for proof for immunization for distemper, hepatitis/adenovirus, parvovirus and parainfluenza.
All puppies must complete their required core vaccination series, including rabies, by 18 weeks of age unless your veterinarian advises otherwise. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure this is done.
Non-core vaccinations such as Bordetella (kennel cough) are not a requirement to come to class, but we always encourage discussing what is best for your dog's physical health protection with your veterinarian.
The Training Service Expiry Policy applies to all training services offered by Raising Fido. This policy governs the duration for which training program purchases remain valid and accessible to clients. The expiration date of each training service will vary depending on the specific program and subscription purchased.
Policy Details:
Period of Validity: Each training program purchase will be valid for a specific duration, which will be clearly stated and accessible on our website's FAQ page at all times (see chart below).
Expiration Date: Clients are responsible for understanding the expiration date of their training program purchase and should ensure they utilize the services within the valid period. After the expiration date, any unused training credits become invalid and require re-purchase if you wish to continue your training program.
No Refunds or Credits: Once a training program purchase has expired, there will be no refunds or credits issued for unused portions of the service. Please see the applicable Refund & Exchange Policy.
Extensions for Training Services: There is no guarantee for an extension to any training service credits. In some cases, extensions may be considered if adequate notice is provided to the Raising Fido staff. Any exceptions are subject to the terms and conditions of the specific service purchased. Clients are encouraged to discuss the available options for extension or renewal with the Raising Fido management.
Communication of Expiration: To ensure clients are aware of their training program's expiration date, notice of expiration will be sent via email by way of the client portal in advance. However, it remains the client's responsibility to keep track of the expiration date and plan their training accordingly. Failure to receive expiration notice via email will not be considered for extensions.
Standard Cancellation Policy Applies: The validity date of training services does not negate our Cancellation Policy. Failure to properly cancel any booking or service within the requirements of the applicable cancellation policy will result in the forfeiture of all associated credits. It's important to adhere to the cancellation guidelines to avoid any loss of credits due to untimely cancellations or no-shows.
For any questions relating to this policy, please contact us by email at info@raisingfido.com.
Clients have up to 90 days from the date of an initial consultation to commence their proposed training program. If you decide to start a training program, but more than 90 days have past since the corresponding initial consultation, a new consult is required at the current price posted for the service at that time.
Requiring clients to book a new consultation if it's been more than 90 days serves several purposes:
Updated Information
Behaviour is not static, and clients may have different wants/needs after 90 days has passed. A new consultation ensures that we have the most up-to-date information about the dog's behaviour and any new concerns or goals our client may have.
Quality Assurance
Helps us to maintain the quality and effectiveness of our private training program. By regularly reassessing a dog's behaviour and our client's needs, we can provide the best possible service, and make necessary adjustments to the program plans.
Safety
In some cases, there may be changes in a dog's health or behaviour that need to be reevaluated for safety reasons. A new consultation allows us to ensure that the training program remains safe and appropriate for each dog we are working with at all times.
Program Optimization
It provides an opportunity to optimize the training program based on the dog's progress and our client's feedback, ensuring that both experience positive results.
Overall, requiring a new consultation after 90 days helps us maintain the highest standards of service and ensures that our clients and their dogs receive the most relevant and effective private training programs tailored to their evolving needs and goals.
When a private training service is purchased it is valid for 1 year from the purchase date. Please note: any training sessions that are added following the commencement of a program are valid for 1 year from the new purchase date and are not connected to the expiry associated with the original program start date.
We do allow intact dogs to participate in group training, but there are caveats.
Females in heat are not allowed to come to group class since even outside of our Teen Socials most courses have some off leash play as part of the curriculum. Clients whose dogs come into heat while in the midst of a set multi-session course are required to take a 6-week hiatus from classes and then can return to complete the remainder of their course.
Males are allowed to participate in class as they mature. However, although this hasn't been officially studied, it's not uncommon to observe neutered males 'picking on' intact males, likely due to the distinct scent of intact males compared to the neutered dogs they would encounter more often. It’s also common for pubescent males to develop a fixation on a particular female, even when there are multiple females in the group. This fixation can lead to altercations, as their ability to respond to the female's signals may be hindered by hormonal influences.
We will always do our best to use these opportunities to train if possible, but we do need to ensure that class dynamics are not impacting participants in negative ways. Occasionally this may require someone to change classes, or in some cases to take a break from classes for a period of time if it is going to require more attention and management than can be afforded during class in order to maintain a non-stressful experience for the dogs and their guardians. Our trainers reserve the right to determine whether a class change or a break from classes is most appropriate.
Payment is due at the time of booking for all training services, and we do not guarantee refunds on any purchases. However, we understand that life can get in the way, and some cancellations are unavoidable. If you are in adherence with our Group Training Refunds & Exchange Policy, you may be able to retain your purchase for up to 6 months, in order to enrol on a future start date.
For your purchase to remain valid, your dog must be enrolled to start in the course within 6 months from the original time of purchase. The completion date of the course may be further than 6 months from the time of purchase. This expiration policy is specifically for Life Skills Level 1 and Workshops.
Since we guarantee a low participant maximum per class, they do tend to fill up and so make-up sessions are not usually possible.
If the class you will miss is being covered by the same course on another day, and it has less than the max participants enrolled, then we will do our best to accommodate. However, if there isn’t space available, or the topic is not the same, then making up the class will not be an option. For this reason, please plan accordingly prior to booking.
The written handout for the class that is missed can still be sent out to you in order to follow and practice at home before next class. Another option is to have a willing friend or family member bring your dog to class in your place and then pass on the information to you. This keeps your dog current with the lessons and doubles up as bonus training by having your dog work with a different handler.
Except where explicitly advertised in writing, all Group Training classes are likely to include some element of off leash time for your dog amongst other dogs and people attending the same class.
Unless expressly written otherwise in a class or course description, your ability to participate in any Group Training program is conditional upon it being to the best of your knowledge, that your dog has never inflicted an injurious bite to a person or dog.
Please reach out to us directly via email at info@raisingfido.com if you've had an injurious situation with a redirected bite so we can assess the details to help determine if our Group Training programs would be an option for your dog.
A refund or exchange will only be considered if notice of cancellation is provided via email to info@raisingfido.com no less than 5 business days prior to your training start date AND we are able to fill your spot in the class. We will put forth our best effort, but cannot guarantee this will be possible. However, if the above criteria is met, a refund will be issued minus a non-refundable $35 administration fee.
Once training has commenced we are unable to provide a refund of any amount. If your dog becomes unwell, we encourage you to attend class without your dog in order to observe and practice at home using the written handout.
A refund will not be issued if your dog is removed from class due to concerns for their own psychological welfare (too fearful) or that of other participants (aggression). If uncertain whether your dog will be a good match for a particular class, please get in touch with us at info@raisingfido.com to discuss prior to booking.
We understand that despite best laid plans sometimes things happen unexpectedly; however, we limit participant numbers in our classes in order to provide quality instruction and to maintain safety in our classroom. We appreciate your understanding that once you have booked a training spot this means we have agreed to hold it for you and so becomes unavailable to others who may wish to attend. For these reasons, please plan carefully with regard to your schedule and ability to commit to a training class/course before booking.
We appreciate your understanding of and consideration for our policies.
All payments for individual bookings such as private consultations and private training sessions are non-refundable after purchase. Exchange in the form of a store credit toward alternative services actively offered by Raising Fido may be offered on a case-by-case basis at the sole-discretion of the Company where appropriate.
We do not offer refunds on retail items; but some items are eligible for exchange.
We offer exchanges within 30 days for any toys, equipment (crate, grooming supplies, etc.), and/or gear (collars, leashes, harnesses, etc.) that is still in new un-used condition, you have the tags, and you either have the receipt or we can locate the purchase on your client portal account on BusyPaws.
As of November, 2024
The safety and well-being of our clients and team is incredibly important to us.
Although we do not require masks to be worn in classes at this time; we do encourage anyone who would prefer to wear a mask while in class to please do so.
In keeping with Alberta Occupational Health & Safety legislation, we have a duty to ensure a safe and hazard free workplace. COVID-19 is classified as a biological hazard, and so, in order to mitigate potential risks of transmission, anyone exhibiting cold-like symptoms is asked not to attend classes until symptoms have fully resolved.
Unless the switch has been initiated by the Trainer, this is only possible if the class you want to switch to is for the same course, not currently at maximum participation, and your dog will still meet the age requirement for that class at the time of the switch. For this reason, please plan accordingly before enrolling.
We proudly practice and teach each client to use training methods that are aversive-free and reward-based for their dog. Our certified trainers are enthusiastic about using training protocols that feature:
No physical force or violence.
No psychological fear, intimidation, or coercion.
No physical pain or discomfort.
The giving and withholding of rewards has extremely strong motivating capabilities and we use this proven knowledge to build desirable behaviours and good habits in our dogs so that they can thrive as companions in their human-centric world.
We do not recommend, endorse, or purposefully employ the use of any aversive training techniques to make a dog stop or start doing something that we prefer (i.e., to change their behaviour). Our approach to training is based on verified replicable data from peer-reviewed published research completed across all applicable fields to date and growing. The consensus in the scientific community at this time is that taking a rewards-based approach to learning is more likely to produce strong long-term behaviour without risking any of the common detrimental side effects that can occur due to the purposeful use of aversive training methods.
You and your dog deserve to learn with kindness from a competent certified trainer. With this in mind, our company does not allow the use of any tools or techniques for training purposes that are deliberately designed to change behaviour by being inherently noxious to a dog when used correctly such as, shock collars (e-collars), choke chains, slip leads, prong collars, certain types/brands of head collars, tightly fitted martingale collars, spray bottles, chain pillows, Pet Corrector/Spray Shield, air horns, shaker cans, leash pops/corrections, or spacial pressure.
Click here to learn more about aversive dog training methods: the fallout and why it matters.