At Hoof & Claw Animal Behaviour & Welfare, training is about relationship, communication and welfare - not quick fixes. These policies protect your animal’s progress, your investment, and my ability to give each client the care they deserve.
Services and how training works
- Sessions are held at your property, so your animal learns in their own environment.
- Before starting a program (excluding the puppy and adolescent training packages that can be booked directly), we begin with a 60‑minute in‑home initial consultation to understand your animal, your household and your goals.
- Together, we create a realistic plan that includes training exercises and management changes for your day‑to‑day life. Training is a marathon, not a sprint; progress is usually steady, not an overnight fix.
Payment
- Initial consults: $80, paid at the time of booking. If you book a package within 7 days, the $80 credit will be applied to your package.
- Packages up to $400: Full payment is due before or at the first session.
- Packages over $400: Either full payment upfront or a payment plan agreed in writing before the first session (for example, 50% before session 1 and 50% by halfway).
- Classes: Full payment at registration; your place is not held without payment.
- Accepted payment methods: card via Square, or bank transfer (must clear 48 hours before the first session).
Scheduling and package timeframes
- Sessions are offered in set appointment windows on designated days.
- Sessions must be booked at least 4 days in advance.
- All package sessions are scheduled as far in advance as possible to maintain consistency.
- Packages include an extra 2 weeks beyond the planned weeks (subject to availability), for example a 5‑week package to be used within 7 weeks.
- Sessions not used within the package timeframe are forfeited unless we have agreed on an extension in advance.
Cancellations, rescheduling and consistency
- To protect your booking, my time and your animal’s progress, all bookings are non‑refundable except where required by Australian Consumer Law (for example, if a service is not provided with due care and skill).
- Once a program has started, there are no cancellations and no refunds for change of mind, schedule changes or non‑attendance.
- Each package allows one missed session that can be rescheduled within the package timeframe (for example, a 5‑week program scheduled over 6-7 weeks).
- Any further missed, cancelled or rescheduled sessions are treated as used and are not refunded or made up, except in a true emergency (see below).
- This consistency protects your animal’s learning - large gaps or frequent cancellations slow progress and reduce results.
Notice periods, late changes and no‑shows
- You may move a session once per package without penalty, provided it still falls within the package timeframe.
- After that one change, any further reschedules or cancellations are treated as a used session and are non‑refundable, even with more than 48 hours’ notice.
- If you do not attend a booked session and do not contact me in advance, the session is considered a no‑show and is not refunded or made up.
True emergencies
- Genuine emergencies are handled with compassion. A “true emergency” may include:
- Human medical emergency or hospitalisation.
- Animal medical emergency requiring urgent veterinary care.
- Dangerous weather or road closures that make it unsafe to travel.
- In these cases, I will work with you to reschedule where possible. Evidence (for example, a vet or medical note) may be requested.
Bad weather and mild sickness
- If you, a household member or your animal is mildly unwell, we may switch to a virtual session instead of cancelling so that your program stays on track.
- If lightning, thunder, hail, heavy rain or strong winds make outdoor training unsafe and there is no suitable indoor/covered space, I may reschedule or switch to virtual at my discretion.
- Because training spots are limited, sessions affected by weather or illness are usually rescheduled rather than refunded.
Contagious illness (people and animals)
- If you, anyone in your household or your animal has a contagious illness (for example, vomiting/diarrhoea, flu‑like symptoms, Covid, kennel/canine cough, gastrointestinal bugs, contagious skin conditions), please do not attend an in‑person session.
- Where you can provide documentation (for example, a vet note or medical certificate), this will be treated as a true emergency and will not count towards your one‑miss allowance.
- Where documentation is not available, a contagious illness‑related cancellation or reschedule will use your one‑miss allowance within the package timeframe.
- I reserve the right to stop or reschedule any session if I have concerns about contagious illness, to protect my own health and my dogs at home.
Training methods and equipment
- Hoof & Claw uses modern, reward‑based training methods that focus on teaching your animal what to do, using food, play and real‑life rewards.
- I do not use or recommend tools or techniques that rely on fear, pain or intimidation (for example, prong collars, e‑collars, check chains, choke chains, leash pops, alpha rolls).
- I happily work with people who are currently using these tools if they are ready to stop and transition to a reward‑based approach.
- For everyone’s safety and welfare, I may refuse or discontinue services if aversive tools or methods are used against advice.
Roles, homework and realistic outcomes
- My role is to assess your animal and environment, design a plan, teach you the skills, and support you throughout.
- Your role (and your family’s role) is to follow safety instructions, implement management changes at home, and practise the agreed homework between sessions.
- Training progress depends heavily on what happens between sessions. Lack of progress often reflects real‑life factors like health, stress, or how consistently the plan is followed, rather than a “stubborn” dog or horse.
- No ethical trainer can guarantee specific outcomes, because behaviour is influenced by health, environment, history and daily routines. If our approach is not the right fit, we can discuss alternatives, including referral to another professional.
Safety and children
- Safety for your family, your animal, the trainer and the community is a top priority.
- On arrival, please keep your dog on a leash or securely contained, and allow them to decide whether and when to greet me.
- Any animals not involved in the session must be safely secured out of the training space.
- Children are welcome to be involved when appropriate. If a child under 10 is participating, a second adult must be present to supervise the child so the primary adult can focus on the animal.
- For horses and other large animals, you are responsible for providing a safe working environment (for example, a safe yard/arena, secure fencing, good footing, and appropriate lighting).
Aggression and bite‑risk cases
- At this time, Hoof & Claw does not accept high‑risk aggression or bite cases for in‑person training.
- If you contact me about a case that may involve risk, I will discuss options and referral pathways.
Communication
- You can contact me by email for general questions and training support, or by SMS for quick scheduling matters.
- Social media DMs are for basic business enquiries only; training advice is not provided by DM.
- I aim to respond within 3 business days (Mon-Fri).
- Brief check‑ins between sessions are welcome; more in‑depth troubleshooting, plan changes and new issues require a booked session so I can give your case proper attention.
Photos, video and social media
- Photos and videos can be extremely helpful for tracking progress and for educating others.
- I will always ask for your consent before using identifiable photos or videos of you or your family on social media, on my website, or in educational materials.
- You can choose to opt in, opt out, or limit how your images are used via the Photo/Video Consent section of the Client Agreement.