POLICIES

REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY:

• To receive a refund, cancellations must be made in advance—at least three days before group classes and 24 hours before private lessons.

  • Group class students must cancel at least three days before the scheduled start of the first class in the series to receive a refund. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made less than three days prior to the class.

  • Private lesson students must cancel at least 24 hours in advance. Cancellations made between 24 and 1 hour before the lesson will be charged 50% of the lesson fee. Cancellations made within one hour of the scheduled time, or no-shows, will be charged the full lesson fee.

• Students will be notified and refunded in the event of class cancellations due to extreme weather conditions or instructor illness.

  • Instructor illness: If an instructor becomes ill and needs to cancel a class, students will be notified—whenever possible—at least one hour in advance by phone or text. Refunds or credits will be provided.

  • Road conditions: Instructors may cancel classes if road conditions are deemed unsafe. In such cases, students will be informed at least one hour in advance via phone or text and will receive refunds or credits.

  • Arena classes – inclement weather policy: If Weather Underground forecasts temperatures in North Bend to fall below 32 degrees or rise above 90 degrees during class time, the class will be canceled. In such cases, refunds or credits will be offered. The instructor will notify students of the cancellation at least one hour before the scheduled class, preferably by phone or text.

• Missed classes: Make-up classes are not guaranteed for missed group classes and are typically not available. Instructors may choose to offer make-up opportunities at their own discretion and generosity, but there is no obligation to do so.

• Student or dog illness: If a student must miss class due to a need to quarantine for COVID-19, or if their dog is sick with a veterinarian-confirmed communicable illness, the student will be refunded for the missed class. This policy exception is intended to promote the safety and health of the Kinship community.

UPDATES TO SALES TAX AND PRORATING OPTIONS:

As of October 1, 2025, ESSB 5814 went into effect, requiring sales tax to be applied to all group dog training services across the state.

Beginning March 1st, 2026, Kinship Dog Training will collect 9.2% sales tax on all applicable services, in accordance with state and local law. This tax will automatically be included in your class fees when you sign up. We understand that this increased cost may pose a challenge! We truly value our community and want to help mitigate this challenge by offering increased schedule flexibility and value through prorating group classes. Here is how to use prorating at Kinship:

• Let us know which date you need to miss before you register. You will only be charged for the remaining class dates plus a $20 rescheduling fee.

• One date per session is eligible for prorating; if you need to miss more than one, call or email so we can help you find another class that better suits your schedule.

• Prorate requests must be sent to info@kinshipdogs.com before registration.

If you have any questions, please call or email. We want to support you! Thank you for being part of the Kinship Dog Training Community.

VACCINATION POLICY:

We expect every dog attending training at Kinship to be up to date on his/her vaccinations or to have been tested for antibody titers for Distemper, Parvo, and Rabies. Puppies must have age-appropriate vaccinations. This means that very young puppies will not be finished with all vaccinations at the start of classes. For more information on balancing the risks and benefits of early puppy classes, please read this statement by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

TRAINING TOOL POLICY:

Kinship is a training facility that strives to build cooperative relationships with our clients and their dogs by promoting safety, joy, and clear communication for all participants. While we understand that prong, slip/choke, or electronic collars can reduce undesired behavior, we do not use them in training. If you currently use a prong or slip/choke collar and need these tools to feel safe entering the training space, please let us know so we can help you join the class confidently. If you currently use an e-collar, please let us know so we can work with you via private lessons. For more information on reward-based training, please read this statement by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

WHO SHOULD NOT JOIN GROUP CLASSES:

If your puppy/dog barks intensely, growls, or is aggressive to people or dogs, they may not be appropriate for group classes (with the exception of Stranger Danger or any other class targeting these behaviors). Private lessons may be required to prepare your dog for group classes. Dogs who are not appropriate for group classes will be excused and no refund will be given. If you are in doubt, please schedule an assessment or contact us!