Privacy Notice
The Dog Fear Coach
Last updated: 4 November 2026
The Dog Fear Coach is a small, independent UK business operated by Maria Kyle.
I respect your privacy and aim to collect and use only the personal information necessary to provide my online courses, respond to enquiries and communicate about my educational resources.
This notice explains how personal information is handled and your rights under UK data protection law.
1. Who is responsible for your information?
The Dog Fear Coach is operated by Maria Kyle, a UK-based sole trader.
I am responsible for personal information processed for my business, including information processed on my behalf by service providers.
You can contact me about any privacy-related questions at:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.thedogfearcoach.co.uk
2. Course purchases and enrolments
My online course, Building Bravery Around Dogs, is hosted and delivered through Thinkific.
When a parent or responsible adult purchases or enrols in a course, Thinkific collects and manages the information required to create an account, process the purchase and provide access to the course.
This may include names, email addresses, purchase information and course participation or progress records.
Payments are managed through Thinkific Payments and its payment-processing providers. I do not independently collect or store customers' full payment card details.
This information is processed as necessary to fulfil course purchases and provide access to the learning materials. Some information may also be retained to meet legal or financial obligations.
Further information about Thinkific's privacy practices is available at:
https://www.thinkific.com/privacy-policy/
3. Enquiries and email correspondence
If you contact The Dog Fear Coach by email, I will use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and manage any related correspondence.
My business email service is provided by IONOS.
I do not add people who contact me to a general marketing mailing list without an appropriate legal basis.
4. School and educational outreach
I occasionally contact schools and educational organisations to introduce resources that may be relevant to children and families.
For this purpose, I use publicly available institutional contact details obtained from sources such as Department for Education records, school websites and local authority directories.
I maintain basic records of which organisations have been contacted and any responses or requests not to receive further communications.
Where this information constitutes personal data, I rely on legitimate interests where appropriate, subject to applicable marketing rules and the rights of individuals.
Anyone who wishes to stop receiving marketing communications can reply to my email or contact [email protected].
You have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time, free of charge. I will respect any such request.
5. Course feedback and pilot participation
From time to time, I may invite families to participate in course pilots or provide feedback.
Where I collect feedback, I will explain what information is being requested, how it will be used and whether participation is optional.
I will only collect information needed to evaluate and improve the course.
Where feedback relates to children, I will take particular care to protect their privacy and avoid collecting unnecessary identifying or sensitive information.
Any use of identifiable feedback or quotations for promotional purposes will be explained separately, and appropriate permission will be obtained.
6. Third-party services
The Dog Fear Coach uses:
Thinkific to host the website, manage course enrolments and deliver online learning.
Thinkific Payments and its payment providers to process course purchases.
IONOS to provide domain and business email services.
These services process relevant information as necessary to deliver their functions.
Some information may be processed outside the UK. Where applicable, international transfers must be subject to appropriate data protection arrangements.
I do not sell personal information to third parties.
7. Cookies and website functionality
The website is hosted through Thinkific, which uses cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, security, account access and payment processing.
Some cookies may also support visitor identification or other platform functions.
I do not currently use Google Analytics or Meta Pixel on my website.
You can manage or delete cookies through your browser settings, although disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.
Information about Thinkific's data handling is available through its Privacy Policy linked above.
8. How long is information kept?
Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this notice.
Course and purchase information is retained as needed to provide the service and meet relevant legal obligations.
Financial records are retained for applicable accounting and tax requirements.
Email correspondence is retained while relevant to an enquiry or ongoing business relationship.
School outreach records are reviewed periodically and deleted when no longer needed.
Minimal information may be retained where necessary to ensure marketing opt-out requests continue to be respected.
Where information is held through Thinkific or other service providers, relevant retention arrangements also depend on the services used.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you may have the right to:
Request access to your personal information.
Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected.
Request deletion or restriction of information in certain circumstances.
Object to certain uses of your information, including direct marketing.
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.
Request transfer of certain information where applicable.
To exercise your rights, please email [email protected].
You can also raise concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
10. Updates to this notice
I may update this notice if my services or the way I handle personal information change.
The latest version will be available on The Dog Fear Coach website.