A dog training school lives or dies on what happens between sessions. Owners forget the homework, trainers lose the notes, and the front desk spends Monday morning rebooking the classes that filled on Sunday. A good system keeps the class roster, the progress notes and the payments in one place, so the trainer spends the hour training dogs instead of chasing admin. The best software for dog training schools does exactly that, and it shows the owner what their dog learned, not just what they paid for.
This guide compares eight tools on published prices, the training job each one does best and the catch that only shows up after the trial ends. Prices below are published starting prices as of late 2026, with annual billing noted where it changes the number. Start with the shortlist, then read the reviews that match the classes you actually teach.
The Quick Shortlist
The table below matches each common dog training school job to the single tool that handles it best. Use it to narrow the best software for dog training schools to two or three candidates before you read the full reviews. Prices are monthly list prices unless noted, and annual billing is usually cheaper than paying month to month.
| Job | Best tool | Why it wins |
|---|---|---|
| Trainers who track progress session by session | Heeldash | Heeldash is built specifically for professional dog trainers, not boarding facilities, and it makes the training session the heart of the product, with exercises and progress tracked over time |
| Class rosters, packages and attendance | DogBizPro | DogBizPro is online software for dog professionals with training, daycare and boarding modules, and its strength is the class roster, with packages, credits, attendance and waitlists in one place |
| Prepaid sessions and session notes | Pawfinity | Pawfinity lists a dog training edition, and its standout feature is prepay credits, because clients buy sessions in advance and use them as the course progresses |
| Schools that also run day training or boarding | Gingr | Gingr is a cloud platform for pet daycare, grooming, boarding, training and retail, and its Spa plan is designed for groomers and trainers offering appointment based services |
| Multi service facilities that want one system | PetExec | PetExec is a web based pet care platform that handles daycare, grooming, boarding, training and retail from one system, with a drag and drop calendar and automatic appointment reminders |
| Modern pet care businesses that want automation | MoeGo | MoeGo is an operating platform for modern pet care businesses, and it helps grooming salons, mobile groomers, boarding and daycare facilities run daily operations and automate workflows from one connected system |
| Multi service pet care with sitting and walking | Time To Pet | Time To Pet is built for multi service pet care, and it handles sitting, walking, boarding and training from one system with client portals and staff scheduling |
| Solo trainers who want booking and payments | PocketSuite | PocketSuite is a general purpose business app for service professionals, with a dog trainer template that covers booking, payments and client messaging |
How We Judged the Shortlist
A tool earned a place here only if it does a real training job in 2026, not if it added a class list to an old kennel system. The best software for dog training schools was judged on the five checks in the table below, because those are the checks that decide whether a school keeps paying after the first year. A booking tool that cannot record what a dog learned in session four, or a facility platform that charges boarding prices for a class roster, fails no matter how polished the demo looks.
The second check is whether the price is published and how it scales, including per seat and per booking charges that change the real bill as the business grows. The third is output quality in daily use, because a tool that needs a workaround for every second booking costs more time than the old spreadsheet. The fourth is fit with the systems already in place, from the POS to the payment provider, because a tool that cannot talk to them creates double entry.
| Check before you buy | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Class rosters | Enrolment, attendance and waitlists | A school lives on class rosters, not one off appointments |
| Progress notes | Session notes, homework and goals | Owners pay for progress they can see |
| Published price | Starting price and what scales it | Per location and per staff fees change the real bill fast |
| Packages and payments | Class packs, prepaid sessions and deposits | A school sells courses, not single hours |
| The catch | Caps, fees and contract terms | A facility platform charges facility prices for training features |
The 8 Tools, Reviewed One by One
Each review below gives the published starting price, the dog training school job the tool does best and the catch that only shows up after the trial ends. Read the reviews for the best software for dog training schools that match the work you do most, and skip the rest until you have a shortlist of two or three.
1. Heeldash
Starting price 19 dollars a month flat, everything included; 14 day free trial, no card required. Best for Trainers who track progress session by session. Watch out No facility tools, so it suits trainers, not kennels.
Heeldash is the pick for trainers who track progress session by session, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. Heeldash is built specifically for professional dog trainers, not boarding facilities, and it makes the training session the heart of the product, with exercises and progress tracked over time. The price is flat at 19 dollars a month with unlimited dogs, clients and sessions, so a growing school never hits a client cap that forces an upgrade mid term.
The catch is scope. If the business also boards or grooms dogs, Heeldash has no kennel management, point of sale or offline mode, and a facility platform will be needed alongside it.
2. DogBizPro
Starting price Basic from 39.99 dollars a month or 399.99 dollars a year; Intermediate from 69.99 dollars a month; Professional from 119.99 dollars a month. Best for Class rosters, packages and attendance. Watch out No proposals or homework feature listed.
DogBizPro is the pick for class rosters, packages and attendance, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. DogBizPro is online software for dog professionals with training, daycare and boarding modules, and its strength is the class roster, with packages, credits, attendance and waitlists in one place. Basic covers one user and four employees, Intermediate covers four users and fourteen employees, and Professional has no cap on logins or employees, so the tiers match a school as it grows.
There is no proposals or homework feature listed, and the trial is a demo only, so a trainer who sells by proposal or sends video homework should check that gap before signing.
3. Pawfinity
Starting price Groom and Train from 55 dollars a month billed annually, or 60 dollars month to month; Royal package from 100 dollars a month billed annually. Best for Prepaid sessions and session notes. Watch out The training edition is one of several, so check the plan contents.
Pawfinity is the pick for prepaid sessions and session notes, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. Pawfinity lists a dog training edition, and its standout feature is prepay credits, because clients buy sessions in advance and use them as the course progresses. Session notes sit alongside the credits, so the trainer can see what was covered and what the owner still needs to practise at home.
The catch is the edition maze. Groom and Train, Stay and Play and Royal overlap, and the Royal package that adds boarding and daycare costs 100 dollars a month, so read the plan contents before you pick.
4. Gingr
Starting price Spa plan from 100 dollars a month billed annually, or 109 dollars month to month; Play from 142 dollars a month billed annually. Best for Schools that also run day training or boarding. Watch out The highest entry price here, and no free trial, demo only.
Gingr is the pick for schools that also run day training or boarding, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. Gingr is a cloud platform for pet daycare, grooming, boarding, training and retail, and its Spa plan is designed for groomers and trainers offering appointment based services. Every plan lists a customer portal, a mobile app, integrated payments and automated notifications, which keeps owners informed without the front desk chasing them.
It is the most expensive entry plan here at one seat, the pricing page does not name class rosters or session packages for the Spa plan, and there is no free trial, so it suits a facility more than an independent trainer.
5. PetExec
Starting price From 105 dollars a month. Best for Multi service facilities that want one system. Watch out Facility scale pricing for a training only school.
PetExec is the pick for multi service facilities that want one system, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. PetExec is a web based pet care platform that handles daycare, grooming, boarding, training and retail from one system, with a drag and drop calendar and automatic appointment reminders. The reporting covers the whole business, so a school that also boards dogs can see training income next to boarding income without a spreadsheet.
At 105 dollars a month it is facility scale pricing, and a training only school pays for boarding, grooming and retail modules it will never open, so it only makes sense when those services are real.
6. MoeGo
Starting price From 49 dollars a month; Basic from 79 dollars a month for two team members. Best for Modern pet care businesses that want automation. Watch out The dog training app was still launching when we checked.
MoeGo is the pick for modern pet care businesses that want automation, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. MoeGo is an operating platform for modern pet care businesses, and it helps grooming salons, mobile groomers, boarding and daycare facilities run daily operations and automate workflows from one connected system. The platform covers scheduling, payments and client messaging, which cuts the admin that eats a small school’s week.
The catch is timing. The MoeGo dog training app was set to launch shortly when we checked, so a training school should confirm the training features are live before it signs, not after.
7. Time To Pet
Starting price From about 80 dollars a month, scaling with clients and staff. Best for Multi service pet care with sitting and walking. Watch out The bill scales with clients and staff, so it grows fast.
Time To Pet is the pick for multi service pet care with sitting and walking, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. Time To Pet is built for multi service pet care, and it handles sitting, walking, boarding and training from one system with client portals and staff scheduling. Owners book, pay and message through the portal, which keeps the front desk free for the dogs instead of the phone.
The price starts at about 80 dollars a month and scales with clients and staff, so a growing school should ask for the bill at its real client count before it commits.
8. PocketSuite
Starting price Free basic plan; premium from about 33 dollars a month. Best for Solo trainers who want booking and payments. Watch out A general business app, not a training specialist.
PocketSuite is the pick for solo trainers who want booking and payments, and it earns that place on the strength of what it does every day rather than on the promise in the demo. PocketSuite is a general purpose business app for service professionals, with a dog trainer template that covers booking, payments and client messaging. The free basic plan lets a solo trainer start without a monthly bill, and the premium tier adds the features a busy trainer needs.
It is not built for trainers. There is no real progress tracking, no class roster depth and no training specific reporting, so it suits booking and payments better than training itself.
Side by Side Comparison
The table below puts the best software for dog training schools side by side on the numbers that decide the purchase. Prices are starting monthly prices as published in late 2026, and quote only tools are marked so you can see where the price is a negotiation rather than a number.
| Tool | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Heeldash | 19 dollars a month flat, everything included; 14 day free trial, no card required. | Trainers who track progress session by session |
| DogBizPro | Basic from 39.99 dollars a month or 399.99 dollars a year; Intermediate from 69.99 dollars a month; Professional from 119.99 dollars a month. | Class rosters, packages and attendance |
| Pawfinity | Groom and Train from 55 dollars a month billed annually, or 60 dollars month to month; Royal package from 100 dollars a month billed annually. | Prepaid sessions and session notes |
| Gingr | Spa plan from 100 dollars a month billed annually, or 109 dollars month to month; Play from 142 dollars a month billed annually. | Schools that also run day training or boarding |
| PetExec | From 105 dollars a month. | Multi service facilities that want one system |
| MoeGo | From 49 dollars a month; Basic from 79 dollars a month for two team members. | Modern pet care businesses that want automation |
| Time To Pet | From about 80 dollars a month, scaling with clients and staff. | Multi service pet care with sitting and walking |
| PocketSuite | Free basic plan; premium from about 33 dollars a month. | Solo trainers who want booking and payments |
What It Costs in Year One
A realistic year one budget for a small school runs from about 20 dollars a month for a training first tool to about 150 dollars a month once a facility platform, payments and reminders are all covered. The table below prices three honest stacks, so you can see what the monthly total looks like before you sign anything. The best software for dog training schools on this list cover the whole range, from free plans that cost nothing until the bookings arrive to platforms that charge hundreds a month before the first guest walks in, so the stack matters more than any single price.
| Stack | What you get | Monthly cost | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lean, one trainer | Heeldash plus Square | 19 dollars a month | Sessions, progress notes and card payments |
| Growing school | DogBizPro Basic plus PocketSuite | 73 dollars a month | Rosters, packages and booking |
| Facility with boarding | Gingr Spa plus PetExec | 205 dollars a month | Training, daycare, boarding and retail |
The honest way to compare is to price the stack at your real volume for a full year, including the transaction fees, the add ons and the renewal price, and then divide by twelve. A cheap month one that doubles in month thirteen is not a cheap tool, and a dear month one that stays flat for three years is often the better buy.
What to Check Before You Sign
Ask what happens at the cap. Every tool on this list has a limit somewhere, whether it is a booking count, a user count, a court count or a transaction fee, and the limit that matters is the one you will hit first. A free plan that caps at fifty bookings a month is a trial, not a system, and a paid plan that charges per location doubles the bill when you open a second site. Get the cap in writing before you sign, and ask what the upgrade costs.
Read the contract and the data export terms before you sign. A platform that holds your customer list, your booking history and your payment records hostage is a platform you cannot leave, and the cost of leaving is the real price of the software. Ask how to export every record, how long the contract runs, and what happens to the data on the day you cancel. A vendor that answers clearly is a vendor worth trusting.
Trial the tool on a real busy day, not on a quiet afternoon. A demo on a Tuesday tells you nothing about a Saturday, and the tool that looks fast with ten bookings may crawl with two hundred. Run a full day on the trial, move a booking, cancel a booking, take a payment and chase a late payer, then ask the team what broke. The answer is worth more than any sales call.
Ask what year two costs, not just month one. Introductory prices, founding member rates and first year discounts all end, and the renewal price is the price you will actually pay for most of the life of the software. A tool that costs 75 dollars a month in year one and 179 dollars a month in year two is a different purchase, and the renewal should be in the budget before the trial starts.
Ask who trains the team and how long it takes. A platform that needs a week of training for every new hire costs more than the subscription, because the training hours come out of the working week. A tool that a new starter can learn in an afternoon is worth more than a tool with a thicker manual, and the vendor should be able to show you the training, not just describe it.
Ask how support works when it matters. A support line that answers in ten minutes on a Tuesday and in ten hours on a Saturday is no support at all for a business that earns on weekends. Test the support channel during the trial, at the busiest time of the week, and judge the vendor by the answer you get, not by the promise on the pricing page.
Ask what the tool does with your customer data. A platform that sells or shares guest data, or that trains its models on your bookings, is a risk to the business and to the guests who trusted you with their details. Read the privacy terms, ask the question directly, and pick the vendor whose answer is short and clear rather than long and vague.
Ask what happens when the owner is away for a week. A system that only the owner can run is a system that stops when the owner stops, and the business needs software the team can run without a phone call. Test it by handing the diary to a member of staff for a day during the trial, and see what breaks. The answer tells you how much the tool really costs in training and cover.
How to Pick the Right Tool from the best software for dog training schools
Start with the training you sell most. If the diary is mostly group classes, pick a tool built for rosters and packages first and treat boarding as second choice, because a roster tool handles a kennel badly and a kennel tool handles a roster worse. If the school is mostly one to one sessions, a training first tool beats a facility platform you will never fill.
Price the stack at your real client count, not the demo count. A facility platform at 100 dollars a month looks dear for a solo trainer, and a per location fee means a second site doubles the bill. Ask each vendor for the bill at your class size, your busiest term and your quietest month, and compare those three numbers before you sign. That is the test every best software for dog training schools on this list has to pass, and the tool that passes it at your volume is the one to buy.
Trial each finalist on a real course, not a quiet week. Enrol a class, take attendance, write a progress note, sell a package and chase a late payment, then check what the trainer sees. The tool that survives a full six week course without a phone call to support is the one to buy. Run the trial with the whole team, not just the owner, because the trainer who uses it daily will find the gaps the owner misses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest dog training software to start with
Heeldash is the cheapest credible start at 19 dollars a month flat, with unlimited dogs, clients and sessions included. PocketSuite has a free basic plan and premium from about 33 dollars a month, which suits a trainer who also needs proposals and contracts. Start there, and add a bigger platform only when rosters, boarding or multiple trainers make the small tool strain.
Which software is best for tracking a dog’s progress over time
Heeldash is built for exactly that, because the training session is the heart of the product, with exercises and progress tracked over time. BusyPaws is the pick for trainers who sell video courses and multimedia homework. Pick Heeldash for session notes, and BusyPaws when the course itself is the product.
Do I need a facility platform or just a training tool
A training tool is enough while the school runs classes and one to one sessions. The best software for dog training schools earns its price when the school adds boarding, daycare or grooming, because then the facility tools matter. Until then, a training first tool keeps more money in the school.
How much should a small dog training school budget for software
A realistic year one budget is 19 to 40 dollars a month for a training first tool, 55 to 110 dollars a month once rosters and packages join the stack, and 150 to 250 dollars a month with a facility platform added. Budget for the stack at your client count, not for one tool, and trial each one on a real course before you commit to annual billing.
Our Verdict
If you buy one tool this quarter, buy Heeldash if you train dogs and DogBizPro if you run classes at scale. Heeldash is the best value on this list at 19 dollars a month flat, with unlimited dogs, clients and sessions and progress tracking that no facility platform matches. DogBizPro is the strongest roster tool at 39.99 dollars a month for Basic, with packages, rosters and attendance that suit a school with a full class diary. Across the whole list, the best software for dog training schools that win are the ones that match the dog training school you actually run, and both of these do that from the first month.
Whatever you pick, start with the classes that fill your diary, trial it on a real course, and keep a paper backup of the roster for the first month. The tools on this list all work. The difference is whether the tool records what a dog learned or only what its owner paid, and whether you measure the return in hours saved and dogs that graduate rather than in features used.