"*" indicates required fields

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

I, as the legal owner of this dog do hereby waive and release, Carol Sumbry (listed here as trainer/behavior consultant), Carol's Canine Training & Behavior Counseling, LLC & the facility from any and all liabilities of any nature. I agree to take complete responsibility for the actions of my dog, and myself, before, after, and during class. At no time will trainer/behavior consultant be liable or responsible for the actions of myself, my dog, or any other person who accompanies me to private lessons/class. I also understand that Carol's Canine Training may use for publicity, pictures of my dog or me for promotional purposes without liability or obligation to me. *My dog is current on vaccines as required above and I understand the fee for class is non-refundable.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Factors influencing success of a behavior modification program:

  • Compliance and commitment to training/behavior modification. There is no quick fix for behavior issues. Also behavior modification in humans and dogs takes time. Think about weight loss and smoking in humans. Most behavior problems didn't start overnight and they won't be improved overnight either.
  • Consistency. Owners who use a mix of "whatever works" never achieve true change. Punishment one day and reinforcement the next is only going to confuse the dog. Consistency is a must.
  • The age of onset. If the onset is early, there can be an increased likelihood that the problem involves a genetic component. If the onset is during a sensitive stage of development (including prenatal, fear periods or socialization periods), there can be additional challenges.
  • The duration of the behavior. The longer the behavior is entrenched, the more difficult it may be to modify/change.
  • The predictability of behavior. The less predictable the behavior or triggers, the more challenging to modify/change.
  • The pattern of response to behavior modification initially may indicate how successful the plan will be in the long run.
  • The lifestyle must be compatible with management. If a dog with stranger-directed aggression lives in a busy household with many guests coming and going, the prognosis for success is lower than for the same dog living in a quiet household with few visitors. The ability to prevent problems and manage triggers while going through the training process is critical to success.
  • The goals and expectations. Unfortunately, many owners expect training to change their dog completely, expect a "cure" and or set a deadline for the dog to meet. Behavior modification takes times and each dog and situation is unique.

NOTE: Because we are working with behavior in dogs that can be the result of many factors including life experiences, genetics, socialization as young as 5 weeks and even prenatal environment, we can not "guarantee" how a dog will respond even with training and behavior modification so beware of any trainer/behaviorist that offers you a guarantee when dealing with behavior. Aggression is a response to a trigger in the environment and we can not always control the environment. Therefore especially in cases involving any type of aggression, although behavior may be modified, the dog is never considered “cured” and management will always be a part of any successful program. A dog’s behavior is ultimately the owner’s responsibility.

Name*
MM slash DD slash YYYY