As the owner of a dog daycare, your days might feel like a flurry of barks and wagging tails. Whether you’re just starting your dog daycare business or have been running your operations for a little while now, you know how hectic your schedule can get and how crucial it is to stay organized.
This is why dog daycare software is essential. Your dog daycare software will significantly reduce the daily stress and hassle of managing your business off your shoulders so you can spend more time with the animals in your care.
In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about software for your dog daycare, including:
Before covering the steps you should take to choose the right software, let’s dig into some of the basics by addressing some common questions.
Dog daycare software is a digital management system specifically designed to handle dog daycares’ unique business needs. Typically, this type of software offers features related to scheduling, payment processing, managing check-ins and check-outs, vaccination tracking, pet-specific note-taking, and employee management tools.
There are many reasons to choose dedicated dog daycare software over generic business management tools. For one, this software is designed specifically for your niche, meaning that it will come ready to tackle any unique challenge or requirement your business may have. This can also help you comply with pet industry regulations and maintain a safe and healthy work environment.
Investing in the right dog daycare software will also help you:
Save time. Dog daycare software is designed for convenience and ease of use, giving you back more of your time during the day to spend interacting with pets and your staff. For example, offering self-serve appointment bookings could save staff hours of time, making their shifts more productive.
Boost revenue. Your operations will become more efficient by automating certain workflows or offering self-serve opportunities for customers. Additionally, you can effortlessly boost profits with special features like add-ons that customers can opt into when booking.
Go paperless. Transferring your data and management systems online will help you not only cut down on your carbon footprint but also prevent piles upon piles of papers from stacking up in your office.
Attract more customers. Customers appreciate dealing with a business that has an organized and predictable system for billing and scheduling.
Manage your staff. Dog daycare software isn’t just for managing canine associates—you can also manage staff schedules and communications under the same roof.
We’ll dive deeper into the specific features that make dog daycare software so beneficial later in the guide.
The key differences between these two types of businesses are that:
Dog daycares care for pets during the day, usually while owners are at work or otherwise busy.
Dog boarding businesses care for pets for a longer period of time, often when owners are traveling or unable to care for their pets for an extended time (e.g., recovering from surgery).
The software you choose should reflect these differences. For example, dog daycares see a higher volume of daily check-ins and check-outs. A software system specifically designed for dog daycares can account for and manage this high turnover rate.
Additionally, dog daycare software offers a system for managing flexible packages for customers’ needs. For example, one dog owner might want to bring her pet into your daycare for half-days three times a week, while another may prefer four full days of care. Dog daycare software can keep track of these flexible packages and automatically charge customers based on their package levels.
The short answer? It depends.
Software implementation timelines vary widely depending on a number of factors, such as the size of your business, what system you’re migrating from, how much data you’re migrating, and the complexity of the migration. This is why it’s so important to choose a software provider that offers the support you need to get up and running, troubleshoot, and get the most out of the tool.
No two pet-care businesses are exactly alike, so take time to identify the unique features of your dog daycare to inform your software decision.
The size of your business
Your average monthly or yearly revenue
How many employees work at the business and whether the software offers enough seats for your entire staff
How many clients you serve on average for a specific period of time
What existing technology or software you currently have and whether it will integrate with your new system—especially hardware like a POS system
Current and future goals and whether the software will help you achieve them
Using these ideas to get started, make a list of your business’s unique needs before you start your search. From there, you can explore your options and ensure you choose a solution that offers everything you need.
Next, set a budget for how much you’re able and willing to devote to dog daycare software costs.
Be wary of software that is advertised as “free,” as this term can be misleading. For example, you may end up paying:
Hidden fees
To unlock features
For the “premium” tier
Once your free trial runs out
In non-financial ways (e.g., the software is not well-maintained and experiences a data breach, costing you the trust of your clients)
As mentioned, you should make sure the software will help you achieve your current and future goals. Consider software with a scalable pricing model to ensure you only pay for what you need at the moment but always have the option to expand as your business grows.
Read up on what current and past customers are saying about each dog daycare software system. Browse testimonials and investigate review sites like Capterra and G2.
Obviously, you want a solution that has mostly positive reviews, but pay attention to the specific features that reviewers are praising within each system. Positive reviews may mention that the software is:
Efficient and convenient
Time-saving
Customizable
Intuitive and simple
Remember not to stop at reviews. Take the opportunity to book a demo or tour of the software before you make your final decision. Typically, these are meetings with sales representatives from the company who are happy to answer questions and give you a look at the software in action.
Make sure to choose a vendor that provides software support at all stages of the process. While you shouldn’t have to be a tech wizard to use it, you may run into snags while installing it or want guidance about how best to leverage it. After all, your software won’t be helpful if you can’t understand how to use it.
Ideally, your vendor should start with a comprehensive, guided onboarding process. Choose a vendor that offers implementation guides and one-on-one support meetings to help you get started. Your vendor should also offer ongoing customer service in case issues arise later on. Lastly, your vendor should prioritize keeping your data safe by offering high-level security and system monitoring.
Premier dog daycare software should offer a variety of features that simplify and unify your operations on a single platform. Gingr offers comprehensive dog daycare software complete with all the tools you need to keep your business running smoothly.
Specifically, these top features include:
Your dog daycare software should house all relevant information for both pets and their owners, such as:
Booking history
Vaccination records
Special health needs like allergies or food preferences
Pet behaviors, including possible red flags like anxiety or aggression
Other pet or owner preferences (e.g., a dog likes to go for walks in the afternoon or loves playing a specific game).
Gingr’s specialized dog daycare software uses informative icons to help users quickly identify special pet or client needs. For example, a certain icon might indicate that a dog has an allergy, meaning you need to feed them separately and check labels carefully. Customers will appreciate the special care and attention paid to their beloved pets, and staff will know they’re offering the best, safest experience to the dogs.
Your customer portal is your clients’ online hub for everything they need to know about their engagement with your dog daycare. Customers should be able to:
Sign necessary forms and waivers
Purchase packages
Pay their bills
Easily communicate with you
Gingr recently released a new and improved customer portal. This version of the portal offers major improvements to the booking workflow and user interface, making it easier for customers to navigate. The portal also offers a host of new features like notifications and reminders, Gingr PreCheck, and access to Gingr’s mobile app.
Consider offering a way to book their dog’s spot at daycare online, too. This way, staff won’t have to waste what could add up to hours a day on the phone manually booking sessions. Plus, customers can book quickly at any time of day, regardless of whether you’re open.
You can also boost your revenue by an average of $15 to $25 per ticket by offering add-ons to your booking pages. These look different for every business, but dog daycares might offer special snacks, enrichment activities like lick mats or arts and crafts, or grooming services like nail trims.
Your customers likely have a lot going on in the mornings, whether they’re getting kids to school, struggling to get to work on time, battling traffic, or all three. Don’t let dropping their dog off at your facility be another hurdle.
To speed up the process, leverage Gingr PreCheck to cut down on morning and afternoon chaos at your facility. This feature allows pet parents to complete the check-in process and form before they arrive, so all they have to do is drop off their dog. Plus, they’ll receive automated reminders to help them make it to their appointment on time. This will cut down on the number of no-shows you get, make your records more accurate as owners will have plenty of time to complete forms, and boost revenue through add-ons.
Your dog daycare software should have a mechanism to allow clients to automatically set schedules for repeat visits for their pets. Ensure you can also automate repeat payments to simplify billing for you and your customers.
Additionally, your software should take into account any customer “punch cards” you offer for frequent customers that allow them to eventually receive a discount after a certain number of visits. This fosters loyalty, rewarding customers for returning to your business again and again.
Much like a baby monitor allows parents to keep an eye on their kids when they’re left with a babysitter, dog owners appreciate being able to receive updates or live views of their cherished pets throughout the day.
Even if you don’t have kennel webcams installed in your dog daycare, you should still be able to provide pet updates through your daycare software. For instance, Gingr offers pet report cards with photos and videos of customers’ beloved pets to strengthen trust and foster goodwill.
Using the report card feature, you can:
Provide a comprehensive overview of the pet’s mood and behavior
Offer health updates, particularly for pets with existing health concerns (e.g., “Teddy received his insulin shot at dinner!”)
Share behavioral quirks to help owners understand their pet
These report cards give owners peace of mind when their beloved furry friend is in your care, allowing them to focus fully on their other obligations.
The best dog daycare software doesn’t just provide management tools for furry friends—it also helps you manage your staff members to keep your whole team on the same page.
Seek out a dog daycare software package that allows you to create employee schedules and to-do lists and allows staff members to log their hours and track tips.
A doggie daycare software option that provides tools for marketing your business allows you to go above and beyond in your efforts to engage customers and expand your operations.
With Gingr’s dog daycare marketing tools, you can stand out in the crowded pet industry, reach new customers, and engage existing ones by:
Sharing updates and reminders, which prevent customers from missing appointments and keep your business top of mind.
Sending marketing emails using customizable templates. Share concise, compelling messages that motivate customers to engage with your business.
Reaching customers on their mobile devices via SMS messages. Send mass messages to alert customers to deals, discounts, and updates.
Additionally, powerful pet-care business software offers the ability to segment customer groups to personalize communications and save successful communication templates to use for future campaigns. For example, if you only want to communicate with lapsed customers who haven’t used your services for a while, you can create a new segment and offer them promotions or coupons. The ability to draft and segment customer communications can help you create a more deliberate, effective marketing plan for your business.
Integrating high-quality dog daycare software into your daily operations is an investment in the longevity and success of your business. The software will free up time and energy to allow you to do more of what you love—interacting with animals and empowering your staff to perform at the highest level.
Your choice of software is an important decision, so if you’re interested in receiving more information, please contact us here at Gingr with any questions.
To learn more about how to optimize your pet-care business, explore these resources:
12 Must-Try Dog Daycare Ideas for Happy, Healthy Pups. Keep dogs at your daycare happy and entertained with these fresh and insightful dog daycare ideas.
The Secret to Successful Kennel Management: A Guide. Explore top kennel management tips and learn more about the role that technology plays in managing your capacity.
How to Start a Pet-Care Blog + 5 Tips for Compelling Content. You’ve got the right technology—now it’s time to find the right audience! See how a pet blog can help you do it.