Owners agree to pay all costs and charges for special services requested, plus all veterinary expenses deemed appropriate by Ridgeside K9 for the dog during the time it is in the Ridgeside K9’s care. Ridgeside K9 shall attempt to contact the Owner before incurring such veterinary services as may be required by Dog’s health and/or behavior.  

Due to the social nature of our program, there are some inherent risks. These risks may include, but are not limited to: transfer of communicable diseases such as Canine Papillomavirus (Puppy Warts), Canine Cough and Feline Upper Respiratory Infection Injuries may include but are not limited to broken nails, sore feet, puncture wounds, abrasions, and cuts. These injuries are generally benign and can usually be managed by our staff or at home. In some cases, veterinary care may be required.  

Ridgeside K9 shall exercise reasonable care for the dog delivered by the owner to Ridgeside K9  for boarding. It is expressly agreed by Owner and Ridgeside K9 that Ridgeside K9’s liability shall in no event exceed the fair market value for the Dog boarded. The Owner further agrees to be solely responsible for any and all acts or behavior of said Dog while it is in the care of the Ridgeside K9. The owner agrees to be financially responsible for Ridgeside K9 property damaged by Dog. Reasonable costs for damage will be payable upon checkout of the Dog.  

The owner specifically represents to Ridgeside K9 that Dog has not been exposed to rabies or distemper within a thirty-day period prior to boarding. Ridgeside K9 requires proof of current Rabies, Distemper/Lepto, and Bordetella vaccinations. We require a Bordetella vaccination every six (6) months. The Bordetella vaccine is not 100% effective. It is recommended that it be given to your dog at least two (2) weeks prior to the dog’s arrival date to increase efficacy. Ridgeside K9 makes no guarantees in regard to the Bordetella vaccine. All dogs are checked for external parasites (fleas/ticks) upon entry to the facility. If any external parasites are found, they will be treated accordingly and Owner will be responsible for those expenses.  

If the dog becomes ill or if the dog’s behavior is endangering itself, humans, or other animals, Ridgeside K9, in its sole discretion, may engage the services of a veterinarian. All attempts will be made to contact the  Owner of the Dog first; however, in the event of an extreme emergency, the well-being of the Dog comes first. Medication will be administered as necessary under the direction of a veterinarian.  The undersigned Owner hereby gives the veterinarian complete authority to treat the dog in whatever manner deemed necessary. The owner will be responsible for all veterinary charges upon release of the Dog.  The owner also gives full authority to the treating veterinarian and their associates to discuss with Ridgeside  K9 any aspect of any illness or injury that the Ridgeside K9 has presented for treatment.  

The owner authorizes Ridgeside K9 to use pictures of their Dog taken while participating in Ridgeside K9 activities on its website and in other promotional materials.  

By signing this agreement and leaving the dog with the Ridgeside K9, the Owner certifies the accuracy of all information given about the dog to the best of their knowledge. The owner specifically represents that he or she is the sole owner of the dog.  

By signing this agreement, the owner indicates that he or she has read and accepted all policies listed in this agreement as well as all policies on Ridgeside K9’s Schedule of Services and Fees.

Evaluation and Goals: Upon entrance to the program, the Trainer and Client will evaluate the dog’s current skill levels and identify unsatisfactory areas needing improvement. Training will focus on the areas identified as unsatisfactory during the initial evaluation between the Trainer and Client. In  general, the goals for the dog are:  

• To be controllable and polite around other dogs and people  
• To perform advanced to off-leash obedience upon commands  
• To REDUCE identified bad habits that may exist; such as chewing, barking, jumping, on people, rushing through doorways, counter-surfing, and begging for food at the table.  

Private Lessons: Training will commence once weekly for one hour at the agreed-upon time and location. During the training session, the trainer will demonstrate, explain and use the required skills to instruct the dog on the necessary commands. The owner understands that the sessions are not designed to fully train your dog but to give the dog a basic understanding and to educate the owner on how to practice the training with their dog. The owner understands that private lessons are 5 sessions and has lifetime support. The owner understands that private lessons will supply the dog with obedience around basic distractions and that the owner must seek out distractions on their own accord for the dog to be proficient in high-distraction areas. 

Board and Training: The trainer will take the dog for a set amount of weeks agreed upon prior to training (possible extended stay depending on the dog’s issues and progress). The dog will be sometimes kept in a crate during its period of boarding. The dog will be exercised and socialized as appropriate for the character of the dog and the purposes of the training. The dog will sometimes be kept at the training facility and the trainer’s private residence. The dog will sometimes be transported to various locations and occasionally for extended trips. The trainer will work with the dog for multiple hours that are broken up daily (not including exercise, which will go as needed). The Owner understands the dog will be traveling for training and exposed to many public places such as but not limited to hardware stores, pet stores, veterinary hospitals, group classes, parks and etc. The owner agrees that updates on the dog will be provided via google photo album and to limit contact within business hours. The owner agrees that this program is not to provide complete comprehensive training for the said dog but to expedite results that the owner will be responsible for completing at home.  

Balance of Payment. The remaining balance will be paid in a lump sum. Failure to pay on your start date  will result in a late fee of $50 unless other arrangements have been made with the trainer. Each day will accumulate a late fee of $50 to cover boarding. Payments accepted: Payments can be made with cash, check, credit card  (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or Amex), and PayPal. Invoices will be sent via PayPal or Square.  

Maintenance of Goals: The owner recognizes that the training provided by our program will result in a dog that understands the expectations of the given commands and has experience ignoring basic to advanced distractions. Owner agrees dog may not be reliable off leash until the following list is accomplished. For the dog to improve on or maintain the level of training provided the following  must apply:  

• The owner must understand and apply the basic principles of training.  
• The owner must use the list of cues supplied by the trainer.  
• The owner must not interact with the dog in a way that rewards bad behavior and/or punishes good behavior.  
• The owner must train the dog at least ten (10) minutes a day, six (6) days a week to improve or maintain the level of training achieved by this program. 
• The owner must follow the advice in terms of training and management as given by the trainer.  

Training: Ridgeside K9 and its trainer(s) have agreed to train said dog to the pre-established level of obedience in the presence of the owner. This training includes and is limited to the following: come, down, sit, stay, heel/leash manners, place, door manners, respecting boundaries,  Further levels and areas of training may be discussed but are not entitled to unlimited lessons or guaranteed results- aggression, reactivity, anxiety.  

Expectations: The owner understands and agrees that it may not be possible in some cases to achieve all goals. For example, a dog may have a medical condition that prevents the dog from being reliably housebroken, or the dog’s basic temperament may be aggressive by nature and not amenable to behavior modification. Medical conditions may interfere with commands, such as deafness,  blindness, or any other physical impairment. The trainer will notify the owner prior to or during the program if any areas are identified where goals need to be modified. In most cases, however, all goals should be achievable. The dog will not be accepted into this program if the trainer does not reasonably believe that established goals for the Dog could be achieved.  

Aggressive Dogs: The owner expressly hereby represents and warrants that the owner has disclosed to the trainer in writing (e.g., in the client interview form & others) any behavior that may indicate that the dog may be aggressive to other dogs or people, including but not limited to growling, forceful barking, snapping, raising of hackles, lowering of the head and staring, chasing, attempting to bite, and biting. The owner understands and acknowledges that, while the trainer may be able to address some forms of aggression many aggressive dogs require long-term treatment following a specific plan of action. The owner understands that said dog may not “like, enjoy, or interact” with other dogs or people.  Ridgeside K9 never recommends leaving a dog that has shown signs of aggression alone with children or other animals. In aggressive cases, no matter how much training we do, we do not guarantee the dog will never be aggressive again. We cannot affect DNA and genetics. What we can do is keep the dog under control and manage it. It is the owner’s responsibility to understand at all times that it is on the owner to manage the dog and its environment to reduce the chances of possible accidents. Although the dog will be trained to an off-leash standard in a controlled environment, we never recommend the owner to have the dog off-leash when out in public areas and places where leash laws apply. With aggression cases, we will do our best to accomplish the training with our 3-Week Board & Train, Owner understands that severe aggression cases will most likely require the up to 4 weeks Board  & Train program..  

Guaranteed Results: We will do our diligence to improve your dog but nothing in animal training is a 100% guarantee. If the dogs previously listed do not show progress, and the owner has shown compliance with our maintenance section of this contract, there will be a free follow-up training service. 

Liability: All behavioral advice and training suggestions are provided at the Owner’s own risk. Use of this information is voluntary and neither Ridgeside K9, its employees, or its Trainer is responsible for injury to another human or animal. The owner expressly understands, acknowledges, and agrees that the owner is at all times responsible for the actions of the dog. Further, the owner, and not Ridgeside K9, its employees, or the Trainer is responsible for any injuries or expenses resulting from the socialization or training of the dog. The owner further understands and acknowledges that running may injure dogs participating in physical exercise, jumping, chasing a ball, etc. Accordingly, the owner expressly hereby promises and warrants that the owner shall indemnify and hold harmless Ridgeside K9, its employees, and the Trainer for all such injuries. Furthermore, I expressly and irrevocably forever waive and relinquish any and all claims against Ridgeside K9 except those arising from gross negligence on part of Ridgeside K9.  

I understand Ridgeside K9 is in no way responsible for the behavior of my dog during or after training.  

If any contract dispute between Ridgeside K9 and the client goes to court and the litigation is ruled in favor of Ridgeside K9 – other parties will be liable for all legal expenses accrued by Ridgeside K9.  

I understand that by making the first payment (prior to the start of dog[s] training) I am acknowledging that I have read and agree with this contract and agreement