Our Terms and Conditions.

Your booking is only confirmed when we have accepted it and either full payment has been received or an approved payment plan has been agreed.

By completing a booking, you agree to these terms and conditions.

We may refuse a booking. If we do, and you have already paid, we will refund the course fee you have paid to us in full.

We may refuse a booking. If we do this and you have already paid, we will refund the course fee you have paid to us.

Your fee covers the tuition, assessment and course materials described on the page for that course or programme at the time you book.

Your fee does not cover travel, accommodation, meals, dog care, kennelling or your own equipment unless we say so in writing.

Where a course leads to a City & Guilds Assured credential or certificate, the cost of that credential is included in your fee unless we state otherwise.

Course fees are normally payable in full at the time of booking.

We may accept payment by bank transfer, credit or debit card, PayPal, cheque, GoCardless Direct Debit, or another method agreed with us.

You cannot attend a course unless it has been paid for in full, or you are up to date with an approved payment plan.

Paying in full at the time of booking attracts our best price, where a discount for payment in full is advertised for that course.

This section changed in 2026 and we want to be open about why. UK consumer credit law exempts genuinely interest-free instalment plans from financial regulation, but only where the plan is limited to twelve payments falling within twelve months. We have brought all of our plans inside that limit so that your plan stays a simple, interest-free agreement between you and the College, and never becomes a regulated credit product. It keeps things clean and it keeps them honest.

Some courses and programmes are available on a payment plan, usually by GoCardless Direct Debit.

Every payment plan is limited to a maximum of twelve payments, and all payments must fall within twelve months of the date your booking is agreed. We cannot extend a plan beyond that, for anyone, for any reason.

Every payment plan must be completed in full within twelve months of the booking date, and no plan may continue after that date — whether or not your course has finished by then.

Plans are available over any length you choose from three to twelve months, subject to the twelve-month limit above.

There is no interest on a payment plan. There is no arrangement fee, no credit charge, no admin charge and no surcharge for choosing to pay monthly. The total you pay on a payment plan is exactly the same as the advertised course fee.

A payment plan is not a discount. It is simply a way to spread the cost.

Because you can reserve a place well before a programme begins, booking early means a longer spread and a smaller monthly payment. The earlier you book, the less you pay each month.

A £500 deposit is required when booking onto a payment plan, unless we confirm otherwise in writing.

A larger deposit means a smaller monthly payment, and we pass that benefit straight back to you.

Your deposit is non-refundable. It will be kept by The College if you cancel, withdraw, do not attend, or do not keep up with your payment plan. This applies to all payment methods.

You may ask to include the deposit within your monthly payments rather than paying it separately. If you do, the whole amount must still be collected within the same twelve payments and the same twelve months.

If you are on a payment plan, you must make every payment on time.

If a payment is missed, we may pause or withdraw your place on future course weeks until payments are brought up to date.

If three payments are missed, we may remove you from the course or programme and keep the £500 deposit.

If you have completed any part of a course or programme but have not paid for it in full, you must still pay for the parts you have completed.

If money owed is not paid, we may take further action to recover the debt, which may include legal action. We would always much rather talk to you first.

Where City & Guilds credentials, certificates or awards have been issued before payment is complete, we may withhold, pause or withdraw them while fees remain unpaid.

If you are struggling to make payments, please contact us as early as you can. We cannot extend a plan beyond twelve months, but we can often help in other ways, and we would always rather know early.

We understand that life gets in the way. If something changes — work, health, family, your dog — please tell us as soon as you can. Every case is different and we will do what we reasonably can to help. The sections below set out our formal position, but a conversation usually comes first.

All cancellations must be made in writing, by email or post.

The charges below apply whether you paid in full or are paying by instalments.

If you cancel more than 56 days before the course start date, 30% of the full course fee is payable.

If you cancel 8 to 56 days before the course start date, 50% of the full course fee is payable.

If you cancel 0 to 7 days before the course start date, or you do not attend, the full course fee is payable.

For payment-plan bookings, the £500 deposit is non-refundable, and the cancellation charge will never be less than £500.

If the cancellation charge is more than you have paid, you must pay the difference. If you have paid more than the cancellation charge, we will refund the balance.

No administration fee is charged in connection with a payment plan, or for cancelling, varying or ending one. Where you have a payment plan, cancellation charges are the only amounts payable.

If you start a programme and then withdraw, the full agreed fee remains payable and there will not be a refund.

If you are on a payment plan, your remaining payments continue until the total is paid — and in every case they will finish within twelve months of your booking date, as set out in Section 4.

No administration fee is charged for withdrawing from a programme.

Requests to transfer must be made in writing, by email or post, up to 10 days before the course start date.

A £175 administration fee may be charged for a transfer, to cover the work of rearranging your place. This is a charge for that administrative service and is not a charge connected with any payment plan.

Transfers are subject to availability. We do not have to provide an alternative date if one is not available.

A booking may be transferred once. Any further request may be treated as a cancellation.

Important if you are on a payment plan. Because every plan must complete within twelve months of your original booking date, transferring to a later course does not extend your plan. Your payments will continue on their original schedule. We will always explain what this means for you before confirming a transfer.

We know sometimes life means missing a week or a few days. Please contact us — every case is different and we will help as best we can.

You may name a substitute delegate at any time before the course starts, at no extra charge, provided they are suitable for the course and meet any course requirements.

Please tell us as early as possible so we can update our records.

If you book online or at a distance, you may have a legal right to cancel within 14 days of booking.

If your course starts within that 14-day period and you ask us to begin providing the service, you may lose that right once the course has started or once materials or online access have been provided.

If you cancel during a legal cooling-off period, we may deduct payment for services, access, materials or work already provided, where the law allows.

This section does not affect your legal rights.

We may need to change course content, timings, dates, venues, instructors or delivery arrangements. We will only do this where needed, for example to maintain quality or because of circumstances outside our control.

We may cancel a course up to and including the course date, giving as much notice as reasonably possible.

If we cancel, you may choose either a refund of the fee you have paid for that course or a transfer to a future date. If you are on a payment plan and choose a refund, we will cancel your remaining collections and refund what you have paid for that course.

We are not responsible for other costs such as travel, accommodation or loss of earnings.

ICorrespondence, distance learning and online courses must be completed within the time period given for that course.

If you do not complete within the required time, we may charge additional fees for extensions, support, reassessment or renewed access.

Online memberships are paid by subscription and are not payment plans. You may cancel a subscription in line with the terms shown at the point of purchase.

Equipment payment plans may be available by agreement.

Equipment orders over £300 may be spread over three monthly payments.

Equipment orders over £700 may be spread over six monthly payments.

Equipment plans carry no interest and no charges, and are always completed within twelve months.

If you do not complete the agreed payments, we may require the equipment to be returned in good working order.

If equipment is returned because payments were not completed, a £100 handling and cleaning charge may apply to cover inspection and re-preparation of the goods.

If equipment is damaged, missing, not returned, or payment remains outstanding, you must pay the amount owed and we may take further action to recover it.

A team booking is a booking for five people at the advertised team price.

Once booked and paid, a team booking is non-refundable.

If a team member cannot attend, we cannot refund individual places, but you may replace them with another suitable handler and dog.

Please give us the replacement's details at least 14 days before the event.

The team organiser is responsible for filling all five places, providing correct information, telling us of changes, and making sure all members understand these terms.

Only full teams of five are eligible for the main team trophy or prize.

You are responsible for your own behaviour and for the behaviour, welfare and safety of any dog you bring to a course or event.

We may remove a person or dog where we believe there is a safety, welfare, behaviour or disruption concern.

If you are removed for these reasons, no refund will be given unless we decide otherwise. Any payment plan continues as agreed.

You must tell us before the course if you or your dog has any health, access, behaviour or welfare needs that may affect attendance or participation.

We will do what we reasonably can to support suitable adjustments, but we may refuse or rearrange attendance where we believe it would be unsafe or unsuitable for you, your dog, other delegates, our staff or the public.

Course materials are provided for your own personal learning and, where relevant, for use in your own scent dog training business.

The College keeps ownership of all course materials, methods, diagrams, training systems, written content, videos, resources and other intellectual property.

You must not copy, record, share, sell, publish, reproduce or distribute our materials without our written permission.

If you refer to our materials, methods or ideas in your own work, you must credit The College of Scent Dogs properly.

This includes, but is not limited to, The Venn Diagram of Search, indication training, modular equipment, and material published in Dr Robert Hewings' books or doctoral thesis.

We use your personal information to process your booking, provide the course, manage payments, contact you about your booking and keep records.

Where you pay by Direct Debit, GoCardless processes your payments and holds your mandate details. Their terms apply to that mandate alongside ours.

We may contact you about similar courses, services or products. You can unsubscribe or ask us to stop marketing messages at any time.

We handle personal information in line with UK data protection law.

If you have a complaint, please contact us in writing by email or post, explaining the issue clearly and including any evidence you want us to consider.

Complaints are reviewed by the Head of School, Dr Robert Hewings, or another suitable person appointed by The College.

If you need details of our appeals process, please ask us in writing and we will provide them.

We provide our courses and services with reasonable care and skill.

We are not responsible for losses that are not directly caused by us, or that we could not reasonably have predicted.

We are not responsible for travel, accommodation, loss of income, business losses, kennel fees or dog care costs if a course is changed, postponed or cancelled.

Nothing in these terms limits liability where the law does not allow it to be limited.

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute will be dealt with by the appropriate court in England or Wales.

The College of Scent Dogs Ltd
7 Newgate, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8QN
Company number: 10617236
VAT registration number: 448047483
UK Registered Trade Mark UK00004131913
The College of Scent Dogs Ltd was formerly known as UK College of Scent Dogs Ltd, or UKCSD.

These terms were last updated in 2026.