Guides

Dog daycare software: what a small daycare actually needs

Big all-in-one platforms like Gingr and PetExec do a lot: payments, report cards, grooming, retail, staff schedules. If you run several locations they can be worth it. A single daycare with a handful of staff often uses a fraction of that and pays for the rest. Start from your front desk.

The must-haves

1. A check-in board. At drop-off, staff should see who is expected, who is in, and who has gone home, without searching.
2. Vaccine dates with flags. Expired or missing shots should be obvious before a dog joins a group.
3. Care notes where staff look. Feeding, meds and behavior notes on the check-in card, not three clicks away.
4. Booking requests. A link pet parents can use, so requests stop arriving as texts at 10pm.
5. Your data out. A CSV export, so you are never locked in.

Nice-to-haves (depending on how you run)

• Card payments and invoicing. Many small daycares already take cards with Square or similar and don’t need a second system.
• Photo report cards for owners.
• Staff scheduling and payroll.
• Grooming and retail.

Questions to ask any vendor

• What is the full monthly price for my size, and what costs extra?
• Is there a setup fee or a contract?
• How do I get all my data out if I leave?
• How do I reach support, and how fast do they answer?
• Does it work on the tablet or laptop I already have at the desk?

Where DogDaycareManager fits

DogDaycareManager does the must-haves and nothing else: check-in board, dog records, vaccine flags and reminder emails, booking requests and CSV export. It’s free for up to 10 dogs and one flat monthly price after that. It doesn’t take payments, so keep using what you use today.