This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information when you use the website at thewholehoundacademy.co.uk or engage our dog training and behaviour services. It also explains your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

We are Avon Dog Services Ltd (trading as The Whole Hound Academy), a company registered in England and Wales under company number 08372691. Our registered office is at 2 Northside, Wells Road, Chilcompton, Radstock, England, BA3 4ET.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, we are the data controller for personal information collected through this website and the services we provide.

If you have any questions about this policy, you can contact us using the form on our website.

2. What personal information we collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal information:

Contact details you provide when filling in the contact form or booking a service: your name, email address, phone number, postcode or town.
Information about your dog: name, age, breed, any behavioural concerns you tell us about.
Booking and payment information when you enrol on a programme: booking date, service chosen, transaction reference (we do not store your full card details; payment is processed by Stripe).
Communications with us: emails, messages, notes from sessions.
Technical information when you visit the website: IP address, browser type, the pages you view, the date and time of your visit. This is collected automatically by our hosting provider.

3. Why we collect it and the legal basis

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

To respond to enquiries sent through the contact form or by email or phone. Legal basis: legitimate interest (responding to people who get in touch with us).
To provide the services you have booked, including delivering training sessions, taking payment, and following up. Legal basis: performance of a contract with you.
To send service-related communications about a booking you have made, such as confirmation emails, reminders, or follow-up notes. Legal basis: performance of a contract.
To keep records required by law, including tax, accounting, and insurance records. Legal basis: legal obligation.
To improve the website and the services we offer. Legal basis: legitimate interest.

We do not send marketing emails unless you have explicitly opted in. Where consent is the legal basis, you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information to anyone. We share it only with the following categories of third party, and only when necessary to deliver our service:

Payment processor: Stripe processes card payments on our behalf. Stripe is the data controller for the payment data it receives. See stripe.com/gb/privacy.
Booking and scheduling tools: where we use a third-party booking platform, your booking details are processed by that provider on our behalf.
Hosting and email providers: our website is hosted by a third-party provider, and our email is processed by a separate provider. Both act as data processors for us.
Accountants and professional advisers, where information is shared as part of our legal and financial record-keeping.
Public authorities, where we are required to disclose information by law (for example, to HMRC).

5. How long we keep your information

We keep personal information for the following periods:

Enquiries that do not result in a booking: up to twelve months from the last contact.
Client records and session notes: for the duration of our engagement and for six years afterwards, in line with our legal and accounting obligations.
Financial records: at least seven years, in line with HMRC requirements.
Marketing list entries: until you unsubscribe, or until we close the list.

6. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to the personal information we hold about you:

Access: ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Correction: ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Erasure: ask us to delete your information where we no longer have a lawful basis to keep it.
Restriction: ask us to limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.
Portability: ask us to provide your information in a structured, machine-readable format.
Objection: object to our use of your information where we rely on legitimate interest.
Withdraw consent: where we rely on your consent, withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the form on our website. We will respond within one month.

7. How to complain

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your personal information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent regulator for data protection. Contact details:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Phone: 0303 123 1113.
Website: ico.org.uk.

8. Cookies and analytics

Our website uses a small number of essential cookies to keep it running. We do not use cookies for advertising or for cross-site tracking. If we later add an analytics tool, this policy will be updated and you will be asked for consent on your first visit.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The current version, and the date it was last updated, is shown at the top of this page. Material changes will be communicated to anyone who has an active client relationship with us.

10. Governing law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.