Built for independent dog trainers and training-business owners
Dog training CRM for trainers who want client, dog, session, and package tracking in one place instead of five apps.
An owner of a 2-trainer board-and-train operation outside Portland walked through her tools: Acuity for scheduling, Square for payment, Dubsado for intake forms, Google Calendar for sessions, Mailchimp for client education emails, and a shared notebook for behavior notes. The notebook was the real client record. Strkr pulls client, dog, session, package, waiver, and behavior notes onto one record so the trainer stops juggling tabs during a 60-minute session.
Dog training businesses are a specialty slice of the small-business services category because the data model needs more than contact management. A client has one or more dogs, each dog has a training history, each package has sessions remaining, each session has behavior notes, and the waiver chain carries liability weight. Six pains show up on most trainers who have outgrown pen-and-paper.
Scheduling lives in Acuity or Calendly
The booking tool that does not know the client's package balance.
Acuity, Calendly, or SimplyBook schedule sessions, but the booking does not know whether the client has sessions remaining on their package, whether they are mid-course, or whether this session should be in the home or at the training facility. Clients overbook. Trainers get surprise sessions. Strkr runs scheduling with package balance, session type, and location rules built in.
Package tracking is a spreadsheet
The 10-session package where nobody remembers which session they are on.
Clients buy packages (10-session puppy foundation, 6-session recall, 4-week board-and-train) and the sessions-remaining count lives in a spreadsheet or the trainer's head. Trainers accidentally give extra sessions. Clients argue over how many sessions they used. Strkr runs the package as a record with session consumption logged automatically and the balance visible to both trainer and client.
Waivers are PDFs
The paper waiver that got filed in the wrong binder.
Liability waivers, dog bite history disclosures, and health-condition disclosures are usually PDFs signed on paper or in a basic e-sign tool. The signed waiver gets filed and then nobody can find it when an incident happens. Strkr runs the waiver as a signed record attached to the client with signature date, waiver version, and renewal cadence tracked.
Behavior notes are in a notebook
The session notes that walk out when the trainer leaves.
Trainers log behavior notes (reactivity triggers, prey drive observations, handler-dog bond assessment, exercise progression) in a notebook or a notes app. When the trainer takes vacation or leaves the business, the behavior history goes with them. Strkr runs behavior notes on the dog record so the history travels with the dog across staff turnover.
Recurring billing fails quietly
The weekly session package that charged five times, then stopped.
Weekly session packages on recurring billing fail at Stripe or Square (card expiry, insufficient funds, declined). The trainer notices when the client has not shown up for three weeks. Strkr Flows run billing retry logic, surface failed charges on the client record, and trigger a client outreach flow before the relationship goes cold.
Client education emails are blast sends
The leash reactivity series that goes to every client.
Client education emails (puppy socialization windows, leash reactivity progression, counter-surfing solutions) go to the whole list in Mailchimp regardless of what training phase the client is in. Clients get content that does not match their dog. Strkr segments educational content by training phase, dog age, and specific behavior focus so the email the client gets matches the dog in front of them.
What a dog training CRM should actually do
Client, dog, package, session, behavior notes on one record.
Dog training CRM evaluation is about whether the data model understands the vertical: client-plus-dog is the real record, packages have session balances, waivers carry liability, behavior notes travel with the dog. The nine cards below describe the Strkr dog-training primitives that ship on every paid tier.
Client with dog records
The handler and the dog as linked records.
A client record carries one or more dog records as children. Each dog carries breed, age, intake date, behavior history, training goals, current package, session log, and health notes. The handler-dog relationship is the real training unit. The record shows what the trainer needs at a glance.
Package tracking
Sessions remaining with automatic consumption.
Clients buy packages (10-session puppy foundation, 6-session recall, 4-week board-and-train, monthly maintenance). The package tracks sessions remaining, expiration date, and session consumption as each session completes. Clients see their balance in the client portal. Trainers see it on the client record. Billing recognizes revenue appropriately.
Scheduling with package awareness
Booking that knows the balance.
Strkr scheduling knows the client's package balance, session type eligibility, and location rules. A client cannot book past their package balance. A client with an in-home package cannot accidentally book a facility session. The trainer's availability respects session-type blocks (board-and-train days are different from private-lesson days).
Waiver and consent flow
E-signed waivers with renewal tracking.
Strkr Docs runs waivers as e-signed records attached to the client. Signature date, waiver version, dog-specific signatures (if required), and renewal cadence track automatically. Expiring waivers flag before the next session so the trainer never runs a session on an expired waiver.
Behavior notes on the dog
Session notes that travel with the dog.
Behavior notes attach to the dog record with session date, trainer, behavior observations, progress markers, homework assigned, and photo-video attachments. The notes stay with the dog across trainer rotations and staff changes. The next trainer picks up where the last trainer left off.
Recurring billing with retry
Weekly or monthly packages on Stripe with retry logic.
Strkr integrates with Stripe for recurring billing (weekly maintenance sessions, monthly packages, board-and-train deposits). Retry logic handles failed charges automatically with configurable retry cadence. Failed charges after retry trigger a client outreach Flow. The trainer stops noticing the billing failure three weeks after it happened.
Segmented client education
Content that matches the training phase.
Strkr Marketing segments client education by training phase (new puppy, basic manners, reactivity work, maintenance), dog age (puppy, adolescent, adult, senior), and specific behavior focus. The leash reactivity series goes to the clients working on leash reactivity, not the clients who finished three months ago.
Incident and bite reporting
The record that matters when liability shows up.
If a bite incident or injury happens, Strkr runs an incident report attached to the dog, client, and session with photo evidence, witness notes, and reporting-authority correspondence. The record is defensible under liability review. Trainers hope they never need it; the trainers who do need it are grateful it exists.
Flat pricing
Modules included on every paid tier.
Strkr pricing is per seat with the full product on every paid tier. CRM, scheduling, package tracking, waivers, behavior notes, recurring billing, Marketing automation, Reports, Projects (for board-and-train operations), Docs all included. The invoice is one line that scales with trainer count.
What this looks like for a solo trainer versus a 10-trainer operation
The product shape at each scale.
Dog training businesses scale from solo trainer to 2 to 3 trainer studios to multi-location operations with 10 or more trainers. The six cards below describe how the Strkr product adapts to the scale.
Solo trainer
One seat, full product.
A solo trainer runs Strkr as one seat with full product access: client records, scheduling, package tracking, waivers, behavior notes, recurring billing, Marketing automation. The invoice is one per-seat line. No module escalator, no feature gating. The trainer gets the same product shape a 50-trainer operation gets.
2 to 3 trainer studio
Shared client base with per-trainer calendars.
A small training studio runs a shared client base with per-trainer calendars, shared package tracking, shared waiver repository, and per-trainer behavior notes. Clients can book with any trainer in the studio. The studio owner sees total studio pipeline, revenue, and client retention across trainers.
Multi-location training facility
Facility-level resource scheduling and board-and-train operations.
A multi-location training facility runs Strkr Projects for board-and-train operations with dog kennel assignments, feeding schedules, exercise rotations, and daily behavior logs. Private lesson scheduling runs per-facility with facility-specific availability. The owner sees facility utilization, revenue per facility, and trainer productivity.
Franchise or multi-brand operation
Multiple brands under one parent business.
Some training operations run multiple brands (private lesson brand, board-and-train brand, puppy socialization brand) or franchise locations. Strkr workspace model handles multiple brands with shared client records (if the parent business owns the data) or separated brand workspaces (if each brand operates independently).
Trainer-plus-admin team
Separating training work from admin work.
As the business grows, admin work (client intake, scheduling, billing, waiver follow-up) separates from training work. Strkr role-based permissions let admin seats handle scheduling and billing while trainer seats focus on behavior notes, session delivery, and training planning. The admin runs the business operation; the trainer runs the dog.
Owner reporting
The business dashboard the owner actually opens.
The owner dashboard surfaces monthly revenue, package utilization (sessions sold versus sessions delivered), client retention, trainer productivity, and the lapsed-client queue (clients past their typical reorder window). The owner opens the dashboard weekly and runs the business on data instead of gut.
How dog trainers compare CRMs
The honest evaluation checklist.
The common best-dog-training-software articles rank vendors by review score. The six criteria below are what every trainer mentions after switching once.
Client-plus-dog record model
Does the data model match the training unit.
Strkr: client with child dog records native. ProPet: dog-focused data model. Gingr: dog-boarding focus with training adjacency. Acuity: no dog model, calendar only. The record model drives whether the tool fits the actual training motion.
Package tracking depth
Session consumption and balance.
Strkr: package tracking with session balance and consumption native. Gingr: strong boarding and daycare package tracking. ProPet: adequate package tracking. Acuity: packages supported but balance tracking is light.
Behavior notes
Session notes that travel with the dog.
Strkr: behavior notes on the dog record with staff turnover resilience. ProPet: notes capability varies by configuration. Gingr: notes focused on boarding and daycare behavior. Most generic CRMs do not have dog records at all.
Waiver flow
E-signed waivers with renewal tracking.
Strkr: native e-signed waivers with version and renewal tracking. Gingr: waiver support strong for boarding operations. ProPet: waiver capability at a comparable level. Standalone e-sign tools (DocuSign, PandaDoc) handle the signature but do not connect to the client record.
Recurring billing
Weekly or monthly packages with retry.
Strkr: Stripe recurring billing with Flow-based retry and client outreach on failures. ProPet: billing capability varies by tier. Gingr: strong billing for boarding and daycare. Square and Stripe standalone handle billing but do not connect to session consumption.
Three-year TCO
What this costs by year three.
Strkr: flat per seat with modules included, usually 30 to 60 percent below the Acuity plus Dubsado plus Mailchimp plus Stripe stack for a 2 to 3 trainer studio. Vertical-specific tools (ProPet, Gingr) price competitively for the solo-trainer scale and are good options there.
Head-to-head
Strkr vs the Acuity plus Dubsado plus Mailchimp stack.
The most common dog training stack is Acuity or Calendly for scheduling, Dubsado for intake, Mailchimp for emails, and Stripe or Square for payment. The head-to-head below shows what Strkr covers on one flat per-seat line.
Feature
Strkr
Acuity stack
Pricing basis
Flat per seat, modules included
Four tool subscriptions stacking
Client-plus-dog record
Native client with dog children
Contact records only
Package tracking
Session balance with automatic consumption
Packages supported, balance tracking light
Scheduling awareness
Booking knows package balance and session type
Calendar only, no package awareness
Waiver flow
E-signed waivers with renewal tracking
Dubsado for intake, no renewal tracking
Behavior notes
On the dog record, travels with staff turnover
Separate notes app or spreadsheet
Recurring billing
Stripe with Flow-based retry logic
Stripe or Square standalone
Client education
Segmented by training phase and dog age
Mailchimp blast sends
Incident reporting
Native incident records attached to client and dog
Manual record in notes or document
Three-year TCO (2 trainers)
Flat growth with headcount
Four subscriptions compound at 15-25% annually
How teams use Strkr
Playbooks dog training businesses run on Strkr today.
The common theme across dog training Strkr customers: get the client-dog-package-session chain on one record and stop juggling four tools during a 60-minute session. Each playbook below is a motion live on a customer account.
Solo trainer in Portland
Package utilization visibility that caught 11 missing sessions.
A solo trainer in Portland moved from a spreadsheet to Strkr for package tracking. The first-month audit found 11 sessions that clients had used but had not been deducted from their package balance. That was 11 free sessions the trainer had given away unknowingly. The trainer recovered the sessions through client conversations and tightened the consumption logging. The subscription paid for itself in month one.
2-trainer board-and-train studio
Board-and-train operations run on Strkr Projects.
A 2-trainer board-and-train studio outside Seattle runs 2 to 4 week board-and-train programs with 6 to 8 dogs onsite at a time. Strkr Projects runs the operation: kennel assignments, feeding schedules (which dog gets which diet), exercise rotations (yard time, pack walks, decompression crate time), training session planning (3 to 4 sessions per day per dog), and daily video updates to owners. The owner stopped running the operation out of a whiteboard.
Reactive-dog specialist
Behavior notes that caught a trigger pattern.
A reactive-dog specialist running 1-1 private lessons noticed over six months that a breed-plus-age-plus-reactivity-type pattern responded best to a protocol. The pattern surfaced because Strkr behavior notes aggregated across clients. The trainer refined the protocol into a documented methodology and raised rates for that specialty. Revenue per client in the specialty cohort climbed 40 percent on top of overall growth.
5-trainer multi-location facility
Trainer rotation that kept behavior history coherent.
A 5-trainer facility rotated trainers across clients based on specialty match. Historical behavior notes on the dog record meant the next trainer picked up the context without a long handoff conversation. Client retention climbed because the training story stayed coherent across trainer rotations. Owner feedback cited the sense that every trainer at the facility knew their dog as the retention driver.
Group-class heavy training business
Group-class waitlist that filled every class.
A group-class heavy training business ran puppy socialization, basic manners, and recall classes. Historical attendance tracked which clients signed up for which class progression. Strkr Marketing surfaced class openings to clients at the right training phase. Group-class fill rates went from 65 percent average to 94 percent average inside two quarters. Revenue grew without new trainer headcount.
A dog training CRM that fits the client-dog-package-session chain.
Scheduling that knows the package balance. Behavior notes that travel with the dog. Waivers with renewal tracking. Recurring billing that retries. Start a 14-day trial.
A solo trainer uses the base client record, scheduling, package tracking, waivers, and recurring billing on day one. The remaining modules (Marketing automation, Reports, Projects for board-and-train, Flow automation) come online as the business scales. Strkr's per-seat pricing means a solo trainer pays for one seat and gets the full product. The alternative is 4 or 5 separate tool subscriptions (Acuity, Dubsado, Mailchimp, Stripe, a notes app) which cost comparably in year one and climb faster in year two and three.
Does Strkr handle board-and-train operations?
Yes. Strkr Projects runs board-and-train operations with kennel assignments, feeding schedules, exercise rotations, daily behavior logs, and training session planning. Dogs onsite show as a Projects board with status (just-arrived, mid-stay, going-home-this-week). Owners get daily video updates triggered by Flow. The trainer runs the operation from the Projects board instead of a whiteboard. For multi-location facilities, Strkr workspaces handle facility-level resource scheduling.
How does the client-plus-dog data model work?
A Strkr client record has one or more dog records as children. The client record holds handler contact info, payment method, package history, waiver status, communication preferences. Each dog record holds breed, age, intake date, behavior history, training goals, current package, session log, health notes, and incident history. A client with three dogs has one client record and three dog children. The training unit is handler-plus-dog, which is why the data model separates the two.
What is the migration path from Acuity or Dubsado?
Strkr has a general migration tool that pulls client records, scheduling history, and payment history from Acuity, Dubsado, Calendly, and SimplyBook. Behavior notes from a notebook or notes app usually require a manual re-key. Teams typically complete migration in 2 to 3 weeks for solo trainers and 3 to 6 weeks for multi-trainer studios. The Strkr implementation team walks you through the first few client imports and the first few sessions to make sure the data model fits your training motion.
Does Strkr handle group classes with waitlists?
Yes. Strkr scheduling handles group classes with capacity limits, waitlists, and session-type eligibility (puppy socialization requires puppy under 20 weeks, intermediate manners requires completion of basic manners). Marketing automation surfaces class openings to clients at the right training phase. Waitlist promotions auto-fill cancellations. Group class fill rate becomes a managed metric rather than a monthly surprise.
How does Strkr help with liability and waivers?
Strkr Docs runs liability waivers, dog bite history disclosures, and health-condition disclosures as e-signed records attached to the client. Signature date, waiver version, and renewal cadence track automatically. Expiring waivers flag before the next scheduled session so the trainer never runs a session on an expired waiver. If a bite incident or injury happens, Strkr runs an incident report attached to the dog, client, and session with photo evidence and witness notes. The record is defensible if liability review happens.
No sales call, no migration consultant, no four-month implementation. Enter your card, get 14 days of the full Pro tier, cancel any time before day 14 with zero charge. Spin up a workspace, import your CSV, and have something useful before lunch.
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