Meg, Pippa & Co Doggie Academy provides reward-based dog training in Staffordshire. These terms apply to our dog-training services, including Academy courses, individual classes, training bundles, 1:1 sessions and behaviour support. Product purchases through The Everyday Dog Collection are subject to the store's separate sales, delivery and returns policies. Please read these terms before booking. Contact: sian@megpippa.co.uk.
1. Booking, prices and payment
Prices, session duration, dates and locations are stated at booking. A place is secured when payment and booking confirmation are received, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Clients should check confirmation details and tell us promptly about errors. Confirmed prices will not be changed retrospectively without a lawful basis or agreement.
2. Academy courses and missed sessions
Puppy Academy, Teenage & Adult Academy and Next Steps Academy are structured courses with limited places reserved for the booked dog and handler. Where a client does not attend a scheduled class for personal reasons, including holidays, work or forgetting, that session is normally treated as used; a catch-up or refund is not automatically available. We may offer guidance or an alternative at our discretion where suitable and available. If a client withdraws from a course, any cancellation charge will be fair and proportionate, reflecting services provided, reasonable losses, the ability to refill the place and statutory rights. Serious illness, veterinary emergencies and bereavement will be considered individually.
3. Standalone classes and flexible bundles
Individual classes and bundles reserve limited places. Please give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel or rearrange a booked class. With sufficient notice, we will normally offer a transfer to a suitable available class. Cancellation within 24 hours, or failure to attend, may result in loss of the booked session or session fee, subject to a fair and proportionate assessment of loss and applicable consumer rights. Exceptional circumstances will be considered individually. Bundle validity, eligible classes and number of sessions are stated at purchase.
4. 1:1 appointments and packages
1:1 packages are valid for six months from purchase. Sessions must be arranged in advance and are subject to availability. Please provide at least 48 hours' notice to rearrange an individual 1:1 appointment. Short-notice cancellations and no-shows may incur a reasonable charge reflecting unavoidable losses, taking account of the circumstances and any opportunity to refill the slot. Late arrival may shorten the session without changing its scheduled finish time. We may agree a validity extension for exceptional circumstances.
If a client chooses not to complete a package, we will first discuss optional rearrangement, a pause, suitable credit or transfer. Clients are not required to accept credit where legally entitled to a refund. Any refund or deduction will be calculated fairly, considering training delivered and reasonable cancellation losses; the entire package fee is not automatically forfeited.
5. Illness, injury, euthanasia and bereavement
Please tell us when a dog is medically unfit to train, has a serious injury or illness, has been euthanised or has died, when reasonably able. We will consider compassionate arrangements for unused sessions, including a pause, suitable transfer or appropriate refund, taking account of whether the contracted service can still be performed and applicable rights. No clause automatically excludes our responsibility where an incident involves our negligence or failure to exercise reasonable care and skill.
6. Health, vaccinations and infectious illness
Owners must disclose relevant medical conditions, injuries, medication, recent surgery, infectious illness risks and behavioural concerns that could affect participation. Dogs should be fit to attend. Dogs with potentially contagious symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or persistent coughing, must not attend group training. Owners should follow their veterinarian's advice on vaccinations and attendance. Tell us in advance if a dog is in season; we may recommend an alternative arrangement for safety and welfare, with any fees or refunds assessed fairly.
7. Behaviour, safety and suitability
Disclose any known bite history, aggression, significant reactivity, fear or guarding behaviour before attendance and update us if circumstances change. Dogs with behavioural difficulties are not automatically excluded. We may adapt exercises, require appropriate distance or equipment, stop an unsafe activity or recommend 1:1 training. Where group training is unsuitable, we may offer the fairly assessed value of remaining unused group sessions towards appropriate 1:1 support, by agreement. Where the agreed service cannot be supplied or a statutory refund is due, credit will not be compulsory.
8. Handling, equipment and children
Unless specifically agreed otherwise, owners remain responsible for supervising and appropriately controlling their dogs. Bring safe, well-fitted equipment and follow reasonable training and safety instructions. Unapproved dog-to-dog greetings are not permitted. We use reward-based methods and may decline unsafe or welfare-compromising equipment or handling. Children may attend with a parent or responsible adult, who must supervise them at all times. Children must not approach, feed or touch other dogs without permission and may join only activities assessed as appropriate. The accompanying adult must remain able to control their dog.
9. Hired fields and venues
Training may take place at independently operated hired facilities, including Bradshaw's Bark Park. Follow communicated venue rules and instructions. Keep dogs appropriately secured in parking and shared areas, use gates carefully, report hazards promptly and take reasonable care around fencing, uneven ground and equipment. A secure field is not hazard-free and does not replace supervision. We will take reasonable steps to assess and manage risks arising from our training activities. Responsibility for property damage and veterinary costs depends on the circumstances and law; it is not automatically assigned to the client.
10. Incidents and emergencies
If a dog or person becomes injured or unwell, we will take reasonable steps to manage immediate safety and seek appropriate veterinary or emergency assistance where necessary. Owners present normally make decisions for their dog. We may record incidents and relevant witness information. Veterinary fees and other losses will be assessed according to responsibility and applicable law. Please promptly report incidents and relevant injuries.
11. Weather, trainer cancellations and venue changes
We may adapt, relocate, postpone or cancel training due to extreme heat, unsafe weather or ground, trainer illness, venue unavailability or other genuine safety concerns. We will notify clients as soon as reasonably practicable. Where we cancel, we will offer a suitable alternative if possible or an appropriate refund where required. A prepaid bundle session will not be deducted simply because we cancel the class.
12. Training results and conduct
Training outcomes vary according to each dog, health, environment, experience and owner practice; no particular outcome is guaranteed. We will provide services with reasonable care and skill. Threatening, abusive or seriously disruptive conduct may lead to suspension or termination, with any outstanding fees handled fairly under applicable law.
13. Online and distance booking rights
For qualifying online or telephone service bookings, consumers normally have a 14-day cancellation period starting the day after the contract is made, subject to legal exceptions. Where a client expressly requests that training begins within that period, any lawful payment for services supplied before cancellation will be assessed in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Any required express consent and acknowledgements will be obtained separately where applicable. Nothing here removes statutory cancellation or refund rights.
14. Photographs, communications and privacy
We may use photographs or video to support training and progress records. Promotional use of identifiable images of clients or children requires separate appropriate permission; optional consent is not a condition of booking. Owners may ask us not to use images of their dogs in marketing. Course WhatsApp groups are optional where practicable; participants must respect others' privacy. Personal data is handled under our separate Privacy Policy, including information needed for bookings, training safety and incident records.
15. Complaints and changes
For booking issues or complaints, email sian@megpippa.co.uk. We aim to respond substantively within 14 calendar days where practicable and will explain if investigation takes longer. Terms may be updated for future bookings; the terms applicable when a booking was confirmed will normally govern that booking unless lawfully changed.
16. Your legal rights
Nothing in these terms excludes or restricts liability or consumer remedies where unlawful, including our obligation to provide services with reasonable care and skill. Any cancellation charge must be fair and proportionate and reflect the circumstances. These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory consumer protections and jurisdiction rights.