Guidelines & General Information
- Weather Cancellations: You will be notified by telephone if we must postpone a class due to inclement weather or for any other reason. If you are concerned about weather cancellations call the office after 12 noon for afternoon class info and after 3pm for evening class info. If there is nobody in the office there will be a recorded message regarding class cancellation. We will also list cancellations on the homepage of our website.
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Missed Classes:
Please make every effort to attend each class of your session. If you know in advance of
an
absence,
i.e., business travel, vacation, please notify your instructor. You will be given homework in advance of your
absence. Discuss any questions regarding that homework with your instructor. We do not offer make-up lessons
for classes missed, however, if you have a very specific problem you may wish to discuss a private lesson with
your instructor.
- Safety When entering and leaving class or the building maintain control - keep a short leash, keep your dog out of other doggie faces, be careful to look for others coming and going. Be respectful of other dogs' space.
- Be Responsible Owning a pet is a pleasure but it comes with responsibility - so please take your responsibility seriously. Whenever on the premises please have your dog relieve himself in the outdoor "sandbox" we have provided near the front of the building. Use the provided pooper-scooper or a baggie to clean up after your dog and dispose of it in the container provided. Our building is also used by non-dog people, so please be considerate, watch your dog and clean up after him. We will provide spray disinfectant, baggies and paper towels for use inside. Remember, a responsible dog owner ALWAYS has a poop bag in his or her pocket!!
- Children We encourage everyone in the family to attend and observe the primary handler in class. For safety purposes we ask that a family member over the age of 12 serve as the primary handler. A family adult should be present to properly supervise children during class. For young children with short attention spans, bring activity books or homework to occupy their time.
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Health/Safety Concerns
If your dog is vomiting, has diarrhea, is lethargic or is coughing or sneezing, he likely is not feeling
well enough to attend class. Dogs are susceptible to contagious illness so it may be best to leave your dog
at home and attend class and observe. If your dog has persistent problems make certain to check with your
veterinarian. Advise your vet that your dog is attending training classes and discuss when he can return
to class.
Make certain that your dog is free of fleas and ticks by checking your dog's entire body every day during tick season. See your veterinarian on an annual basis to keep him up to date on vaccines or run immunity response titers.
We reserve the right to dismiss your dog from class if we feel that he poses a health or safety risk to the class or if being in class is not in his best interest. - Bitches in Season Female dogs in season are permitted to attend group classes as long as they wear pants while on the premises. Most pet stores have a variety of styles or you can use girls' or ladies' nylon stretch panties with a tail hole cut in them. If you have a female who is not spayed please be prepared in advance.
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Refund/Cancellation Policy There are no refunds of tuition after a class session has started. If
there is a serious family illness, death, or other extenuating circumstance please discuss this with your
instructor. No make-up classes are provided for missed classes. If you withdraw more than one business*
day prior to the start of class, there is a $5 fee. If you withdraw only one business* day prior to the start
date of class, there is a $25 fee. If you withdraw on the business day of the start of class, there is
a $50 fee. If you switch to another upcoming class one or more business* days prior to the start date of
class, there is no fee. (* Our business days are Monday through Friday. One business day prior to
Monday is Friday).
We encourage you to observe our classes to be certain that Four Paws Academy will fulfill your training needs. Please call the office at (978) 263-8898 to discuss your training questions with our instructors.
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