Can the Dog Haus Area Development Agreement be signed electronically?
Dog_Haus Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Area Developer shall not develop, create, generate, own, license, lease or use in any manner any computer medium or electronic medium (including, without limitation, any Internet home page, e-mail address, web site, domain name, bulletin board, newsgroup or other Internet-related medium or activity, including all social media) which in any way uses or displays, in whole or part, the Dog Haus Marks, or any of them, or any words, symbols or terms confusingly similar thereto without Franchisor's prior written consent, and then only in the manner and in accordance with the procedures, policies, standards and specifications that Franchisor may establish from time to time. Area Developer shall not separately register any domain name or any portion of any domain name containing the Dog Haus Marks or participate or market on any web site or other form of electronic media (including, without limitation, through the use of social technology, social media, social networking platforms or other forms of electronic media not yet developed) using the Dog Haus Marks without Franchisor's prior written consent. Area Developer's general conduct on the Internet and in the use of other forms of electronic media is subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all other rules, requirements or policies that Franchisor may identify from time to time. Franchisor may, at any time after Area Developer commences use of any approved electronic media, prohibit further use, effective upon receipt of written notice by Area Developer.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 87–328)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
Based on the 2025 Dog Haus Franchise Disclosure Document, the document does not explicitly state whether the Area Development Agreement can be signed electronically. However, it does address the use of electronic media in other contexts.
Specifically, the FDD states that as an Area Developer, you cannot use any electronic medium (including internet home pages, email addresses, websites, domain names, bulletin boards, newsgroups, or social media) that displays the Dog Haus marks without prior written consent from the franchisor. You also cannot register any domain name containing Dog Haus marks or market on any website or electronic media using the Dog Haus marks without the franchisor's prior written consent. Your general conduct on the internet and use of other forms of electronic media is subject to the terms and conditions of the Area Development Agreement and all other rules, requirements, or policies that Dog Haus may identify from time to time. Dog Haus can prohibit further use of any approved electronic media at any time after you start using it, effective upon your receipt of written notice.
Because the FDD does not directly address electronic signatures for the Area Development Agreement, it would be prudent for a prospective franchisee to directly ask the franchisor whether electronic signatures are acceptable for this agreement. This will ensure compliance with Dog Haus's current policies and procedures.