Fine Print:
Attending classes or sessions is up to you
There is more about this later but it is important enough to mention it twice and put it as the first thing you read…
- We require a non-refundable $100 deposit before scheduling your training sessions on our calendar (the deposit is deducted from the total amount due). Dog training is both a commitment in time and money, not only for the owner but also for the trainer as well. If there are any questions, please call 913-269-7595 and discuss them before signing up.
- Our sessions are 45 minutes, that is the time we have seen that fits both the dogs and owners best from a focus and attention standpoint.
Private In-Home Sessions include driving mileage of 20 miles each way from Shawnee, KS. Any location further than the included 40 miles of travel is an additional $2.00 per mile. So, if you are 25 miles from Shawnee, the extra charge per visit would be $20.00 per visit…$10.00 each way of coverage.
Behavior History Questionnaire is required for all training sessions (even consults and phone calls) …no exceptions! It helps us plan and knows what issues an owner is having, as well as gives us insights into what things have been tried and where we will be heading in training. This questionnaire is due within 48 hours of setting your appointment(s). If we do not receive both the Behavior History form, your appointment(s) will be opened back up on the calendar for other clients and rescheduled once the questionnaire has been received.
Complex Cases are more expensive than regular training. Complex Cases are described at the following link. CLICK HERE FOR SPECIFICS OF COMPLEX CASES.
A trainer may also deem a dog as aggressive during training.
- Consulting with your veterinarian and/or including pharmacological medicines can sometimes be helpful, and in some cases might also be necessary.
- My first goal in dealing with a Complex Case will be management techniques that safeguard both the dog and the people around them. Then we can proceed with working on other training protocols.
IF YOU SHOULD CHOOSE TO TRAIN A DOG THAT FALLS INTO THIS CATEGORY, OR ONE THAT HAS A BITE HISTORY, YOU ACCEPT ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF THIS DOG. BE SURE YOU ARE WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME, ATTENTION, AND PRACTICE WITH THE DOG; NOT TO MENTION, ACCEPTING CIVIL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
Technology:
We require clients to be able to complete online forms as well as retrieve homework with links that we post online. Please be sure you are comfortable and/or capable of communicating by email and watching video examples of the training we are doing for homework. If you are incapable of or not comfortable filling out online forms, sending/receiving emails and watching as well as sending videos, then K.I.S.S. Dog training might not be a good fit for you. We require all of these things with our clients to check on, adjust, and communicate about the training process and do not have alternative ways of achieving these things with clients if they are unable or uncomfortable with doing things electronically.
Kids and Dogs:
Simply put, dogs and kids should never be left alone. This is the common denominator to just about all dog/child bite incidents I work with! That being said, if I believe that kids and dogs should not be left alone, then it should go without saying that I also believe kids should not be alone in public with their dogs or have other kids around their dogs without parental supervision.
Let’s face it, if you are buying a dog for the kids, that dog really belongs to you, the parents. The kids are there to be taught by you after I teach you how to manage the dog. I only say this because allowing kids and dogs to be alone unsupervised has led to many a dog having to be euthanized.
Lapses in Training:
We understand that life sometimes gets in the way and that lapses in training can happen. However, if any lapses exceed 12 months, any remaining sessions will be forfeited with no refunds. To resume training, you will need to go through the sign-up process again and pay for a new package, along with any fees for cancellations and rescheduling.
Weather Policy:
If your dog is at a point in training where sessions are held outside, it may be necessary to make some schedule changes for the safety of your dog as well as both for you and the trainer:
- If the temp is above 90 degrees (and/or the heat index is unsafe)
- If the temp is below freezing or dangerous windchill
- If there is an active storm (snow, ice, rain, thunder, etc.)
Training sessions will be canceled for the day and rescheduled. There will be no rescheduling fee, but please understand that the timing of the rescheduled date will be based on availability. This weather policy is to protect both you and your dog and we hope you understand. Dogs can be very stoic regarding pain, and we want to prevent everything from blistered pads, frozen toes, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and the anxiety created by storms and thunder. If you have any questions about this policy, please call us before scheduling your training.
Daylight Savings:
This only happens for half the year but you need to be aware that any sessions after 5 pm during the fall and winter will most likely be held in the dark. If we are working on leash skills or dog reactivity, this will have to be done outside in the dark. If this is an issue, please keep this in mind and schedule sessions that are earlier in the day.
Doggy Day Care:
Many shelter dogs have limited histories and behavior cannot always be predicted. Management and caution will be required until you have enough time and experience with the dog to understand his or her body language and personality. The behavior will be different in each and every new situation that you will choose to put the dog in.
Many times, we recommend Doggy Day-Cares to help with energy and social skills (for non-aggression cases). Even though you think you know your dog, each and every situation is different, and you must be prepared to accept responsibility for any damage your dog may cause and conversely accept the possibility of your dog being damaged in an argument with other dogs.
Not all humans get along together and neither will all dogs. Make sure to interview and tour all the facilities you are interested in and be totally honest with them about your dog, and all of their issues.
Private In-Home Training Sessions – Evening & Weekend Fees:
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- Our normal sessions are held during daytime hours Monday – Friday.
- There is an additional $20 per session fee for all sessions after 5 pm.
- There is an additional $20 per session fee for all Saturday sessions.
- These are only available on certain days and times; please contact the office for details.
- Mike’s office hours vary based on his training schedule. If you would like to schedule a phone call to speak with Mike directly, please call the office and Angela will find a time where he is available. Please note phone calls are approximately 5-15 minutes in length. If y0u need to schedule an in depth phone call that will require a more time (up to 30-minutes), there will be a fee of $81.
Dog training is about consistency and frequency. Practice daily for short intervals, 20-30 minutes each, a couple of times a day.
- We schedule 2 weeks between sessions so our clients have plenty of time to work with and practice with their dogs.
- We even include videos of our owner/trainer, Mike Deathe, doing the techniques for reference when we are not there.
- The time you spend working with your dog is what ends up training the dog. It’s about your relationship with the dog, not with us.
- If you are looking for someone to come out multiple times a week and do the training with your dog, we will not be the best choice. Remember we train owners, not dogs!!!
- Any books or articles we send you are part of the training process, and you should read and review them to make sure that you completely understand the process.
- Each person in the family must be on the same page and pulling in the same direction, otherwise, it will slow down or create a negative training process.
- Your dog’s behavior and well-being are your responsibility, and it is up to you to be an advocate for your dog. Never put them in a situation they cannot handle.
If you are not prepared to move forward with new material when the trainer arrives, we will stop the session and reschedule it for another time to meet when you can get caught up. This is usually caused by the owner not having done the homework. We do not want to waste your time or ours, and continuing on with new material when the dog is not ready is not fair to them either! Situations like this will result in a cancellation/rescheduling fee.
- The cancellation/rescheduling fees are to pay our staff to call, set up, and do the back office calendar work to accommodate your rescheduling needs. We also in many cases lose the ability to fill the original calendar slot by moving your appointment to a new slot on the calendar that could be used for another client. Many months of the year we have up to a month’s wait time to get started with clients so being able to handle the homework and appointment times chosen are critical to success.
- Day of Schedule cancellation has a $60.00 fee and any other rescheduling fee will have a fee of $40.00… We encourage you to talk to the office staff if you have extenuating circumstances…
- RESCHEDULING FEES ARE DUE AT THE TIME OF CANCELLATION NOT WHEN YOU WANT TO RESCHEDULE… PAYMENT OF THESE FEES WILL BE REQUIRED TO RESCHEDULE!
- If you choose to not pay the fees, you simply forfeit that particular session and it will not affect any of your other/future sessions.
- P.S. We also value your time, and if we have to reschedule on you last minute… We will add an additional in-home session for free to make it up to you! Fair is Fair
Once training has been booked, we do not offer refunds. Dog training is both a commitment in time and money, not only for the owner but also for the trainer as well. If there are any questions, please call 913-269-7595 and discuss them before signing up.
- If you are in a group class and are not able to complete the course, you can transfer to another class at a future date for a fee of $135.00 (a 50% discount off the regular price).
- We require a $50.00 Non-Refundable Deposit prior to scheduling private in-home sessions or reserving spots in group classes.
- Your appointments will not be scheduled until both your deposit and signature agreement to the Fine Print and FAQs are received.
- Once we schedule your sessions, we will send you a confirmation email that will include a link to our Behavior History Questionnaire for you to complete. This questionnaire is due within 48 hours of setting your appointment(s). If we do not receive both the Behavior History form, your appointment(s) will be opened back up on the calendar for other clients and rescheduled once the questionnaire has been received.
- We cannot hold time slots for people; sessions are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis, and a deposit must be received prior to any sessions being added to the trainer’s calendar.
If cancellations become an issue, we will require prepayment for services.
Am I really responsible for communicating with the trainer to keep him/her informed of my progress between sessions? And does this really include me sending videos?
- YES, yes you are! You are the key to success in this process. It is our job to point you in the right direction, show you how to do the exercises, and send you video examples in many cases to review. If you are having issues, we need to see the issues, instead of waiting for the next session. We want and expect you to send us small 30-second videos of your progress so we can help! If this seems like it might be too much work or something you are not willing to do, please consider this when you are deciding if we are the right fit for you as a trainer.
Is it true that from time to time you will “fire” a client?
- Yes, from time to time I find that the owner is not capable or willing to do the work. I do not want to waste your time or mine. I make every effort to let you know my training philosophies and expectations and hope that you will learn about my personality by reading through the Fine Print & FAQs and watching the videos I have made publicly available on YouTube. However, there are some times when personalities just do not mesh, and it is in the dog’s best interest to terminate the sessions so you can move on to another trainer that is a better fit for you and you do mesh. But in most cases, when I do actually “fire” a client it is because the client is consistently not prepared, doesn’t have the time, or is just simply not doing the homework. I hate to even put this on the website, but as we always strive to be as transparent as possible, I want you to see this here before deciding to hire us to work with you to learn how to train your dog.
Estimates/Assessments:
- Many in our industry offer free estimates or assessments, but in the end, suggest packages that can cost thousands of dollars. We have priced our service to respect our time as well as make training as economical as possible for the client. We urge our clients to shop around and, in the end, we hope you will feel the same way. This also gives you a chance to see if you “jive” with the trainer, along with providing us the opportunity to let you know up front what we think the training process will involve. Again, this option is so that we can be as transparent as possible and make sure our clients go into training knowing exactly what is going to happen, what will be expected, and how much it will cost. If you have any questions, just call the office at 913-269-7595 and we will be happy to help!
- Assessments require pre-payment along with your signed agreement to the Fine Print & FAQs before scheduling. This assessment will be invoiced through PayPal. Once scheduled, you will receive the Behavior History Questionnaire, which must be completed and submitted to us within 48 hours from the time you call us to set up the assessment. This questionnaire will help provide the trainer with a lot of the information they need and save the time of going over these questions during your visit – allowing them to focus on discussing more of the details when they are there.
Our Diamonds in The Ruff Finishing Group Class is a six-week finishing class. Dogs must be at least 20 weeks old and have completed our Gold Package private in-home training (or prior approval from the instructor). Classes dates/times can vary and they are held at several locations around the KC metro area. Please call the office at 913-269-7595 for info or to reserve your spot in our next class.
We also offer our Diamonds in The Ruff Grad School Group Class a six-week graduate-level class. Our Finishing Group Class is a pre-requisite for this graduate-level class. Classes dates/times can vary and they are held at several locations around the KC metro area. Please call the office at 913-269-7595 for info or to reserve your spot in our next class. This class is only taught 1-2 times a year.
All group class sessions are 45 minutes in length
Dogs that are fearful, reactive, or aggressive are not candidates for our group classes. If you are unsure, please call with questions. Dogs exhibiting these behaviors will be asked to transfer to private instruction so that there is no disruption for the rest of the clients in the class. There are no refunds, but there are always options for you and your dog to receive training.
- No prong or choke collars.
- No retractable leashes.
- Training treats are to be brought by humans. If you do not bring treats, the distraction of this class is going to make success very difficult and frustrating for you to achieve. I recommend soft, smelly, and yummy treats that will keep Fido’s attention (even in the distractions of a group class).
- Your veterinarian should be part of the training process. Keep him or her in the loop with all aspects of your training.
- We require documentation of up-to-date vaccinations. We expect you to show us these documents at the beginning of all group classes or private sessions.
Any photos taken during class or training may be used in promotional efforts by KISS Dog Training.
The trainer does not carry cash, so please provide the exact change for cash payments. We also accept checks, credit cards, and payments via PayPal for your convenience.
Angela asked me to put this little message here at the bottom of each section of the Start Here Tab…
This information is to help you, the client, decide if KISS Dog Training is a good fit for you and your pooch. We will not ask for your electronic signature agreeing with these three items till you call the office and sign up for training. At that point, the office will send you a DocuSign Envelop to sign and initial parts of all three documents…
Hopefully, that clears up any confusion about the signup process and how the electronic signatures will work, Mike.