Terms of Service

1. ADMISSION CATEGORIES

Working Evaluation spots are limited. A Working Evaluation is confirmed when payment is received in full. The dog is admitted to the grounds only when (a) the Working Evaluation Waiver & Release of Liability is signed and (b) the dog’s behavioral disclosure described in Section 4 is complete. Every dog is evaluated first: the working evaluation is an assessment of the dog conducted before the audience. It is not a training program, and no change in any dog’s behavior is promised or guaranteed.

2. PAYMENT, REFUNDS & TRANSFERS

ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Registration fees are non-refundable. This applies without exception, including if you do not attend, arrive late, leave early, or are unable to attend for any reason. Admission is non-transferable to another person without prior written approval from RK9A. If RK9A reschedules a Workshop for any reason, your registration will be applied as a credit toward the rescheduled date or another RK9A workshop of equal value. No cash refund will be issued.

3. ELIGIBILITY

All attendees must be 18 years of age or older. Minors may not attend in any capacity, including as guests or observers. Photo identification may be required at check-in.

4. REQUIREMENTS FOR WORKING DOGS — DISCLOSURE-BASED ADMISSION

RK9A does not exclude dogs from evaluation on the basis of behavioral history. Every dog is welcome to be evaluated, on one condition: complete and accurate disclosure. The handler discloses the dog’s behavioral history at registration, where the registration form asks, and in full in the dog profile provided by RK9A before the Workshop — including any bite, snap, fight, or aggressive incident involving a person or another animal — and that disclosure is confirmed at check-in. Where a handler reports any bite or aggression history, RK9A may contact the handler before the Workshop to plan the evaluation. That contact is for planning only and is not a condition of admission. RK9A relies on the handler’s disclosure to plan the evaluation safely, including evaluation order, working distance, barriers, and equipment. A handler whose disclosure is found to be materially false or incomplete will be dismissed with the dog, without refund, and the handler remains fully responsible for any resulting harm. The following are mandatory for every working dog and must be available at check-in. A dog whose documentation is incomplete will be turned away at check-in and will not be permitted on the grounds. No refund will be issued in that event.

Females in heat may not attend. RK9A reserves the sole right to decline, sequence, manage, muzzle, or dismiss any dog, at any time, for any safety reason, and to conduct or discontinue any evaluation in the manner it judges safest.

5. CONDUCT, SAFETY & DISMISSAL

Handlers are responsible for the control, behavior, safety, and welfare of their dog at all times. Dogs must remain leashed and under the handler’s physical control at all times except while being evaluated under the direction of Garrett Ridley, and handlers must follow all safety directions given by RK9A staff immediately and without argument. RK9A may remove or dismiss any attendee or dog from a Workshop at any time, at its sole discretion, for safety, disruption, non-compliance with instructions, or violation of these Terms. The venue is a smoke-free facility; smoking, vaping, and all tobacco use are prohibited anywhere on the grounds, including parking areas.

NO REFUND ON DISMISSAL. If you or your dog is dismissed from a Workshop for any reason — including handler error, failure to follow direction, materially false or incomplete disclosure, or your dog’s behavior — no refund, credit, or partial refund will be issued.

6. PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO — MANDATORY CONSENT

Each Workshop is photographed and video recorded in its entirety by RK9A and by a photographer engaged by RK9A. Consent to be photographed and recorded is a mandatory condition of attendance. If you do not consent, you may not attend and should not register. The full grant of rights appears in the Attendee Release of Liability signed by General Admission attendees and in the Working Evaluation Waiver signed by working handlers.

7. INSURANCE

Working handlers are strongly encouraged to carry homeowner’s, renter’s, or other personal liability insurance covering their dog. A handler who does not carry such insurance accepts full personal financial responsibility for any harm, injury, or damage caused by their dog, as acknowledged in the Working Evaluation Waiver.

8. FOOD, WATER, SEATING & VENUE

Each Workshop breaks for thirty (30) minutes at midday. No food or water is provided or sold on site; bring your own lunch and water, or leave the grounds during the break. Folding chairs are provided by the venue; you are welcome to bring your own chair or seat cushion for comfort. Plan for the comfort and hydration of yourself and, if applicable, your dog.

9. WHAT IS AND IS NOT PROVIDED

Registration includes admission for the day, seating, and a pen. A Working Evaluation also includes one printed workbook, provided at check-in, and a digital copy of the book Building A Solid Canine, delivered with the written confirmation. General Admission does not include the printed workbook or the digital book; General Admission attendees may purchase the printed workbook in person at check-in while supplies last. Registration does not include food, water, lodging, transportation, training equipment, veterinary care, or insurance of any kind. RK9A does not provide crates, x-pens, leashes, or collars.

10. EDUCATION ONLY — NO GUARANTEE OF RESULTS

Each Workshop is educational. Information, demonstrations, evaluations, and coaching are provided for general instructional purposes and are not a substitute for individualized professional evaluation, veterinary care, or behavioral treatment. RK9A makes no guarantee, representation, or warranty of any training result or behavioral outcome for any dog. Any application of what you learn is undertaken at your own risk and judgment.

11. ASSUMPTION OF RISK & RELEASE

Dogs are animals and are inherently unpredictable. Attendance involves risks including, without limitation, dog bites, scratches, knockdowns, falls, allergic reactions, heat-related illness, and property damage. Before entering the Workshop grounds, every General Admission attendee must sign the Attendee Release of Liability, and every working handler must sign the Working Evaluation Waiver & Release of Liability. Every attendee in every category accepts these Terms. Attendees who do not sign will not be admitted and will not receive a refund.

12. COMMUNICATIONS

By registering, you consent to receive transactional communications about your registration — confirmations, reminders, event updates, and, for working handlers, contact from RK9A to plan the evaluation — by phone, email, and SMS at the contact information you provide. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out of SMS; opting out of transactional messages may mean you miss time-sensitive event information.

13. GOVERNING LAW & SEVERABILITY

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any dispute shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in El Dorado County, California. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. These Terms, together with the Attendee Release of Liability for General Admission attendees or the Working Evaluation Waiver for working handlers, are the entire agreement regarding Workshop attendance.

1. THE SESSION

Each Session runs up to two (2) hours at the scheduled time, whether the work takes sixty, ninety, or one hundred twenty minutes; the Session is defined by the work, not the clock, and no portion is refunded or credited for time. Each Session is purchased and scheduled one at a time; there are no packages, programs, or prepaid commitments, and the Client may stop at any time. The first Session includes an evaluation of the dog and preparation of a written training plan through RK9A’s published training system; follow-up Sessions work that plan. With the first Session, the Client receives one printed workbook and a digital copy of the book Building A Solid Canine. No prior workshop attendance or evaluation is required to book a Session. Attendance at an RK9A workshop is neither required nor assumed.

2. SCHEDULING, SERVICE AREA & TRAVEL

Sessions are offered on RK9A’s available appointment days and times as stated at booking. The standard service area is within fifty (50) miles of Placerville, California. For Premises between fifty (50) and one hundred (100) miles, a flat travel fee applies and is quoted and agreed before booking. Beyond one hundred (100) miles, travel is by written agreement reached before booking. Travel fees, once agreed, are due with the Session fee and are non-refundable on the same terms.

3. PAYMENT, RESCHEDULING & CANCELLATION

The Session fee is stated at booking and is due in full to confirm the appointment. ALL SALES ARE FINAL; fees are non-refundable. The Client may reschedule once per Session with at least forty-eight (48) hours’ written notice, subject to availability. A cancellation or missed appointment with less notice forfeits the fee. If RK9A must reschedule, the fee is applied in full to the new appointment.

4. CLIENT REPRESENTATIONS & DISCLOSURE

As a condition of each Session, the Client represents that: (a) the dog’s rabies vaccination is current; (b) the dog shows no signs of contagious illness; (c) the Client has disclosed, fully and accurately, during the intake conversation and in the dog profile, the dog’s complete behavioral history, including every bite, snap, fight, or aggressive incident involving a person or another animal, and any declaration of the dog as dangerous, potentially dangerous, or vicious, and any quarantine or pending proceeding; and (d) the Client will secure other animals and inform household members before the Session. RK9A relies on this disclosure in planning the Session. Materially false or incomplete disclosure permits RK9A to end the Session immediately without refund, and the Client remains fully responsible for any resulting harm.

5. SAFETY & CONTROL AT THE PREMISES

The Client is responsible for the dog and the Premises at all times. The Client will follow RK9A’s safety directions during the Session, including any direction to leash, crate, separate, or muzzle the dog. RK9A may pause, modify, or end a Session at any time for the safety of any person or animal; a Session ended for safety arising from non-disclosure or the Client’s failure to follow direction is not refunded.

6. EDUCATION ONLY — NO GUARANTEE

Sessions are educational services delivered to the Client. Dogs are animals and are inherently unpredictable, and results depend substantially on the Client’s practice and consistency between Sessions. RK9A makes no guarantee, representation, or warranty of any training result or behavioral outcome. Nothing in any Session is veterinary advice; behavioral concerns with a possible medical cause should be evaluated by a licensed veterinarian.

7. ASSUMPTION OF RISK, RELEASE & INDEMNIFICATION

The Client assumes all risks of the Session, including bites, scratches, knockdowns, and property damage, whether arising from the Client’s dog, other animals at the Premises, or the ordinary negligence of RK9A. To the fullest extent permitted by California law, the Client releases, waives, and discharges RK9A, Garrett Ridley, Nichole Ridley, and RK9A’s members, employees, contractors, and agents from all claims arising out of or related to any Session, including claims based on ordinary negligence, and agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold them harmless from any claim arising out of the dog’s conduct, including reasonable attorneys’ fees. This release does not extend to gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct, or to any liability that cannot lawfully be waived.

8. MEDIA

With the Client’s consent noted at booking or in writing, RK9A may photograph or record portions of a Session for education, marketing, and promotion. The Client may decline media use for in-home Sessions without affecting the Session.

9. MISCELLANEOUS

These Terms are governed by California law; venue lies exclusively in El Dorado County, California. If any provision is held unenforceable, the remainder remains in effect. These Terms are the entire agreement regarding in-home Sessions and supersede any prior version. I have read these Terms, I understand them, and I sign voluntarily.