privacy policy & accessibility statement

updated october 2026

who we are

Bear Basics Canine Academy (“Bear Basics”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is the data controller for the personal information covered by this policy.

Legal business name: Bear Basics Canine Academy Ltd Trading name: Bear Basics Canine Academy Business address: 24 Littlewood Crescent, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF15FJ Email: info@bearbasicscanineacademy.co.uk.

This policy explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you visit our website, enquire about training, apply for a course, book or take part in a service, use the Bear Basics Hub, or communicate with us.

information we collect

We collect the information needed to respond to you, assess whether a service is suitable, deliver training safely and manage bookings. This may include your name, email address, telephone number, address where relevant, booking and payment information, correspondence and the details you provide in forms or messages.

We may also collect information about your dog, including their name, breed, age, health, medication, dietary requirements, behaviour and training history, current management, welfare needs and suitability for a group setting. We use this information to plan and deliver safe, appropriate training. If you give us information about another person, please make sure you have their permission to do so.

We may create training notes and keep progress records. We may receive photographs, videos or other training footage that you choose to share. We may take photographs or video during training where needed for safety, training review or progress records.

We also collect limited technical information when you use our website, such as cookie and device information, where this is enabled through our website platform and cookie settings.

how we use information and why

We use your information to respond to an enquiry, review a course application, offer a suitable service, send booking or location information, take payment, provide training and resources, manage attendance, handle cancellations or refunds, and respond to questions or complaints. We do this because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement with you, or to perform the agreement once you book.

We use dog-related information, training notes and relevant safety information to plan safe and suitable training, protect the welfare of dogs and people, and manage our business responsibly. We do this because we have a legitimate interest in delivering services safely and appropriately. Where you give us information about your own health, disability or accessibility needs, we only use it to make appropriate arrangements and will seek consent where required.

We use payment, invoice and transaction records to manage our accounts and meet legal obligations.

We send marketing emails only if you have actively opted in. You can withdraw this consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in an email or by contacting us. We will not make participation in training conditional on agreeing to receive general marketing.

We use identifiable photographs or video of you or your dog in public marketing, our website or social media only with separate, optional permission. You can withdraw this permission for future use by contacting us. Withdrawal will not affect uses already made before we received and actioned your request.

course applications, internal tracking and whatsapp support

When you apply for a course, we use your application information to assess whether the course is likely to be suitable for you and your dog. We may keep an internal record of applications and confirmed participants in Google Sheets within Google Workspace. Access is limited to the Bear Basics team who need it for course administration.

For Calm By Nature and other services where it is included, we may use WhatsApp to receive training videos, answer relevant questions and provide the agreed coaching support. WhatsApp processes the messages, media and profile information you choose to send under its own privacy terms.

A private course WhatsApp group is optional. If you choose to join it, WhatsApp and other group members can see your phone number, profile name, profile image and any information you choose to share. We will not add you to a course group without your agreement. The group is used for course updates, homework reminders and short, course-relevant questions during the stated course period. We aim to close the group or remove Bear Basics as administrator shortly after that period ends. Other group members may retain messages or information that they received, which is outside our control.

who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information.

We use trusted service providers to help us run the business. Depending on the service you use, these may include:

Wix, which hosts our website and collects website-form submissions;
Klarrna, ClearPay/After Pay, which processes payments, invoices and refunds;
Google Workspace and Google Sheets, where used for email and secure internal application or course administration;
Mighty Networks, which provides access to online training resources;
WhatsApp, where you choose to communicate with us there or join a private course group;
professional advisers, insurers, accountants, IT support or service providers where they need information to provide their services to us; and
regulators, law-enforcement bodies or other parties where we are legally required to share information or where it is necessary to protect safety, rights or property.

Some providers may process information outside the UK. Where this happens, we use providers that state they have appropriate safeguards for international transfers. You can contact us for more information about the safeguards relevant to your information.

how long we keep information

We keep information only for as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected, to keep appropriate safety and training records, to resolve queries or disputes, or to meet legal and accounting obligations.

As a guide, we normally keep unsuccessful enquiries and applications for up to 12 months after our last meaningful contact. We normally keep client, training, safety and payment records for up to six years after the relevant service ends, unless a longer period is required for a legal claim or obligation. We keep marketing-contact information until you unsubscribe or we decide that there has been no meaningful engagement for 24 months. We review this periodically.

Hub access, direct WhatsApp coaching and WhatsApp-group access normally end at the point stated for the service. We may retain the related booking and training record for the periods above.

cookies and website tools

Our website may use essential cookies to operate properly and optional cookies or similar technologies for analytics, functionality or marketing. Where required, we ask for your choice through our cookie banner. You can change cookie preferences through the banner or browser settings. See our [insert Cookie Policy link, if separate] for more information.

your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you can ask us to access the information we hold about you, correct inaccurate information, erase information, restrict or object to certain processing, or provide portable information. You can also withdraw consent where we rely on consent.

To make a request, contact info@bearbasicscanineacademy.co.uk. We may ask for information to verify your identity before responding.

If you are unhappy with how we use your information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

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

changes to this policy

We may update this policy where our services, systems or legal obligations change. We will publish the current version on our website and update the “Last updated” date at the top of the page.