The Problem
"Managing group classes shouldn't require a spreadsheet degree."
Running group training programmes is complicated. You need to:
- Schedule multiple sessions across weeks
- Track who's enrolled in which course
- Manage capacity limits per class
- Record attendance for each session
- Handle payments for the full programme
Most trainers end up with a mess of spreadsheets, calendar entries, and sticky notes. It works, but it's exhausting. And as your business grows, the chaos grows faster.
The Solution: Courses & Group Programmes
Courses & Group Programmes is purpose-built for trainers running multi-session programmes. Whether it's a 6-week puppy school or a one-day intensive, everything lives in one place.
Here's what you get:
- Course Templates: Create once, reuse forever
- Multi-Session Scheduling: Define the full programme in one go
- Enrolment Management: Track who's in, with capacity limits enforced
- Lesson Check-In: Check each pet in and out of every lesson, with its own notes
- Course Payments: One course price, charged on the first lesson
No spreadsheets. No manual tracking. Just courses that run themselves.
Who Benefits Most
| Business Type | Primary Use Case |
|---|---|
| Dog trainers | Puppy school, obedience, agility |
| Training academies | Multiple concurrent courses |
| Daycares offering classes | Add-on training programmes |
| Behaviourists | Multi-session behaviour programmes |
Courses is available on every Petboost plan; customers enrol online on Business Pro, Business Flex and Business Max.
Key Capabilities
Course Templates
Create a template for each course type you offer:
- Puppy School: 6 weekly sessions, 8 puppies max
- Obedience Level 1: 8 weekly sessions, 10 dogs max
- Agility Foundations: 4 sessions, equipment access required
Templates include session structure, duration, pricing, and capacity. When you're ready to run a course, generate it from the template with specific dates.
Multi-Session Scheduling
When you create a course from a template, you define:
- Start date for the first session
- Recurrence pattern (weekly, fortnightly, custom)
- Session times (can vary if needed)
- Team member assigned to teach
Petboost generates all sessions in your calendar. One setup, multiple appointments.
Enrolment Management
Enrolments work differently from single appointments:
- Customers enrol in the course, not individual sessions
- Capacity tracks against the course, not per session
- Online enrolment closes when the course fills (your team can still add a pet)
- Enrolment status shows pending, confirmed, or completed
When a customer enrols, they're booked into all sessions at once. No back-and-forth for each week.
Lesson Check-In
Each pet's lesson card has Check In and Check Out, with its own notes for your team and for the owner. A graduation certificate lists the lessons each pet attended. There is no roll-call screen or attendance report.
Course Payments
The course price sits on the first lesson, so customers pay for the whole course once:
- One price for every lesson in the course
- A deposit when they enrol online, if you want one
- A pre-hold on their card before lessons
Customers pay once, attend all sessions. No invoicing each week.
Real-World Impact
Before Courses: Emma ran a 6-week puppy school with 8 puppies per class. Tracking enrolments, attendance, and payments across 48 customer sessions required 3 spreadsheets and constant updates.
After Courses: Emma creates the course from her Puppy School template. Customers enrol online, and the course price is charged on the first lesson. She checks each puppy in on its lesson card. At the end of the course, every puppy's lesson notes and graduation certificate are ready.
Time saved: 4-6 hours per course cycle. That's hundreds of hours per year for busy trainers.
How to Get Started
- Create a Course Template: Go to Courses and create a course template
- Define sessions: Number, duration, and structure
- Set capacity: How many dogs per course?
- Generate a course: Pick dates and assign a trainer
- Open enrolments: Customers can enrol through your portal
Your first puppy school can be live within 15 minutes.
The Bottom Line
Courses & Group Programmes removes the administrative burden of running training programmes. Templates, enrolments, attendance, and payments: all managed in one system.
Stop managing spreadsheets. Start running world-class training programmes.
Ready to Run Courses Without the Chaos?
Courses & Group Programmes is available on every Petboost plan; customers enrol online on Business Pro, Business Flex and Business Max.
Start your free 14-day trial →
Learn more about courses or see our puppy school features.