Question 1

How is Petboost different from recurring appointments for courses?

Accepted Answer

Generic booking systems try to manage courses as 'recurring appointments', but that doesn't give you enrolment tracking, capacity per course, attendance records, or lifecycle management. Petboost has native course concepts built in: templates define the structure, instances are scheduled courses with real dates, enrolments track which pets are registered, lessons auto-schedule based on recurrence, and attendance marks who showed up. No spreadsheet workarounds required.

Question 2

What is a course instance?

Accepted Answer

A course instance is a template with real dates. When you "publish" a template, you create an instance like "Friday Mornings starting May 31." All lessons auto-schedule based on the template's recurrence pattern. Customers enrol in instances, not templates. You might run multiple instances of the same template (e.g., Monday Puppy School and Saturday Puppy School).

Question 3

How do I track capacity per course?

Accepted Answer

Each course template has a capacity limit (e.g., max 12 puppies). When publishing an instance, you can adjust capacity if needed. The system tracks enrolled pets vs. capacity in real-time. You'll see '8/12 enrolled' at a glance. Magic Availability Check respects capacity limits, so customers can't book into full courses.

Question 4

What happens when a course is full?

Accepted Answer

When a course reaches capacity, it shows as unavailable to new customers. If a spot opens (someone cancels or you increase capacity), the course becomes available again for booking. You can track interest by noting customer enquiries and reaching out when spots become available.

Question 5

Can I track attendance per lesson?

Accepted Answer

Yes! For each lesson, mark which enrolled pets attended. This gives you completion rates per pet, helps identify students at risk of dropping out (multiple missed sessions), and provides documentation for certification programs. Attendance tracking is essential for puppy schools issuing graduation certificates.

Question 6

How do customers enrol and pay for courses?

Accepted Answer

Customers browse available courses on your booking portal, select a course instance, and pay the full course fee upfront. Payment is processed through Stripe like any other Petboost transaction. After payment, they are enrolled in all lessons automatically. No per-lesson payment complexity.

Question 7

Can I offer make-up sessions for missed lessons?

Accepted Answer

Petboost tracks attendance but doesn't automatically schedule make-up sessions. For missed lessons, you can: (1) invite the pet to attend the same lesson in a different course instance, (2) offer a private catch-up session (booked as a regular appointment), or (3) provide homework/video resources. The approach depends on your business policy.

Question 8

How do I assign instructors and locations to courses?

Accepted Answer

When publishing a course instance, assign an instructor from your team members and a location from your resources. The system checks availability during course creation. You can have different instructors for different instances of the same template (e.g., Sarah teaches Monday, James teaches Saturday).

Question 9

What types of training programs work well with Petboost courses?

Accepted Answer

Petboost courses are perfect for: Puppy School (6-8 week programs), Group Obedience (beginner to advanced levels), Specialty Programs (agility, scent work, therapy dog prep), Life Skills Classes (recall, loose lead walking), and Socialisation Sessions (regular group meetups). Any structured, multi-session program with group enrolment benefits from native course management.

Question 10

How do I cancel a course?

Accepted Answer

To cancel an entire course: open the course, click More Actions, and select 'Cancel Course'. You can notify enrolled customers and process refunds (full, partial, or none). All remaining lessons are cancelled and the course moves to 'Cancelled' status. Completed lessons remain in history. This cannot be undone, so for individual lesson changes, reschedule instead.

Question 11

How do I cancel a single enrolment?

Accepted Answer

To remove a pet from a course: go to the course's Attendees tab, find the enrolment, and click 'Cancel Enrollment'. Choose refund options (full, prorated for lessons attended, or none) and whether to notify the customer. The spot opens for another enrolment, and the pet is removed from remaining lessons.

Question 12

Can I move an enrolled pet to a different course?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Use 'Move Attendee' to transfer an enrolled pet to another course instance, and you see the whole move before it happens. Choose the pet first and Petboost pairs their sessions with the new course by date, showing a before and after table of every lesson, with any date that clashes with the diary named and marked in red. The destination course must be the same template type and have available capacity, and the customer is notified of the change.

Question 13

How do I reschedule a course?

Accepted Answer

To change course dates: open the course and click 'Reschedule Course'. Set new start date, lesson times, and recurrence pattern if needed. The system checks instructor and location availability. Enrolled customers are notified of the new schedule. Past lessons remain unchanged; only future lessons are updated.

Question 14

Can Service Supporters manage courses?

Accepted Answer

Service Supporters have limited course permissions. They CAN: view courses, enrol pets, and move attendees between courses. They CANNOT: create courses, cancel courses, reschedule courses, or manage course templates. These restrictions are designed for reception staff who need to handle day-to-day operations without modifying the course structure.

Question 15

Can someone join a class part way through?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Rolling classes let someone join an ongoing programme at any point, rather than only at the start of a fixed-length course. Use a fixed course when the content builds week on week, and a rolling class when each session stands on its own.

Question 16

How do I manage my puppy class capacity?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's Courses system lets you set capacity limits per course, automatically managing enrolments and stopping registrations when classes are full. Set maximum capacity per course (e.g., 8 puppies). Enrolments automatically stop when capacity is reached. Track enrolled vs available spots at a glance. Handle late additions through your normal booking flow. View all enrolled pets and their progress in one place.

Question 17

Can I restrict my puppy class to actual puppies?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's service eligibility rules can include age criteria, ensuring only pets within your specified age range can enrol in age-appropriate classes. Set age criteria for services and courses. Pet profiles include date of birth. System calculates current age automatically. Only eligible pets can book or enrol. Clear communication about age requirements.

Question 18

Can I set specific start times for group classes?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's fixed start time option ensures services like group classes are only bookable at specific, predetermined times rather than any available slot. Set specific start times (e.g., 9am, 2pm, 6pm only). Customers choose from your defined time slots. No random times that do not fit your class structure. Perfect for group classes, tours, and scheduled events. Combine with capacity limits for complete class management.

Question 19

Can I set age limits for my puppy classes?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's service eligibility rules can include age criteria, automatically filtering out pets that don't meet your age requirements. Set minimum and maximum age for services. Pet profiles include date of birth. System calculates current age at booking time. Only age-appropriate pets can enrol. Different age ranges for different class levels.

Question 20

How do I manage a 6-week puppy school course?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's Courses system is purpose-built for multi-week group training programmes like puppy school. Create course templates with defined lesson structure and timing. Set capacity limits per course (e.g., max 8 puppies). Track attendance for each lesson automatically. View participant progress and completion status. Mission Control surfaces courses needing attention. Enrolment management handles joins, withdrawals, and makeups.

Question 21

How do I track attendance across multiple lessons?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's Courses system includes attendance tracking for each lesson in a course, letting you monitor pet progress across the entire programme. Track attendance for each lesson in a course. See who attended, missed, or needs makeup sessions. View participant progress at a glance. Complete attendance history for each enrolled pet. Course completion based on lesson attendance.

Question 22

What if I need to reschedule an entire course?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's course management lets you edit course details and reschedule lessons, though complex pattern changes may require recreating the course. Edit course details after creation. Reschedule individual lessons as needed. Manage enrollments through changes. Notify enrolled customers of changes. Complex pattern changes may need course recreation.

Question 23

Can participants join a course mid-way through?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's enrolment management allows you to add participants to a course after it's started, accommodating late joiners when it makes sense for your programme. Add new enrolments to in-progress courses. Track which lessons the participant attended. Manage partial attendance appropriately. Adjust pricing or offer makeup sessions as needed. Flexible enrolment for your business needs.

Question 24

How do I run a multi-week dog training course?

Accepted Answer

Petboost has native course management: create course templates with multiple sessions, enrol participants, track attendance across all weeks, and handle makeup sessions. Built specifically for multi-week puppy schools and training programmes. Create course templates: Puppy School, Advanced Obedience, etc. Define sessions: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, etc. Schedule course instances with specific dates. Enrol participants and track attendance per session. Handle makeup sessions and late joiners. One payment for entire course (not per session).

Courses & Group Training

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Group Courses

Sessions & Capacity

Memberships

Courses & Group Training

Read the full feature

Group Courses

Sessions & Capacity

Memberships