Safety and Welfare Statement

Our Commitment to Safety and Welfare

The safety and welfare of dogs, their humans, the wider public, and ourselves is central to everything we do. All training is carried out with careful consideration of physical safety, emotional wellbeing, and ethical responsibility.

This statement explains how we prioritise safety and welfare in all aspects of our work.

1. Dog Welfare

  • A dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing always takes priority over training goals.

  • Training will never knowingly place a dog in situations that cause unnecessary fear, distress, pain, or overwhelm.

  • Sessions are adapted to suit the dog’s age, health, emotional state, learning history, and current circumstances.

  • We may recommend rest, slower progress, or alternative approaches if a dog is struggling to cope.

2. Safety of People and Dogs

  • We take reasonable steps to keep dogs, clients, members of the public, and ourselves safe during training.

  • Training environments and exercises are chosen with safety in mind and adjusted as needed.

  • We reserve the right to modify, pause, or end a session if we believe safety is compromised.

3. Honest Disclosure

  • Clients are expected to provide accurate and honest information about their dog’s behaviour, history, health, and any previous incidents.

  • This includes (but is not limited to) aggression, bite history, fear responses, medical conditions, and legal restrictions.

  • Withholding relevant information may place people or dogs at risk and may result in training being paused or declined.

4. Use of Equipment

  • We use humane, welfare-focused equipment appropriate to the individual dog and training context.

  • Equipment will be selected and fitted with care and explained clearly to clients.

  • We do not use or recommend equipment designed to cause pain, fear, or physical harm.

5. Environment and Management

  • Management strategies may be recommended alongside training to reduce risk and support welfare.

  • This may include changes to routine, environment, handling, or use of safety measures such as distance, barriers, or muzzles where appropriate.

  • Any such recommendations are made with welfare, dignity, and safety in mind.

6. Children and Vulnerable Individuals

  • The safety of children and vulnerable individuals is treated with particular care.

  • We may recommend specific management strategies or boundaries to reduce risk in multi-person households.

  • Training involving children must always be supervised by a responsible adult.

7. Professional Boundaries and Referrals

  • We work within the limits of our professional competence.

  • Where a dog’s needs fall outside our scope, or where safety concerns require additional expertise, we will recommend referral to an appropriate professional, such as a veterinary surgeon or qualified clinical animal behaviourist.

  • This is done in the best interests of safety and welfare, not as a reflection of failure or blame.

8. Our Right to Decline or End Work

  • We reserve the right to decline, pause, or end training services if:

    • safety or welfare is at risk

    • required information is not disclosed

    • recommendations are consistently not followed and risk remains high

    • client expectations conflict with humane and ethical training

Our Approach

Safety and welfare are not barriers to progress — they are the foundation of effective, ethical training. By prioritising wellbeing, working transparently, and managing risk responsibly, we aim to support dogs and humans in a way that is safe, compassionate, and sustainable.

This statement is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains aligned with current best practice and professional standards.