Overview
Use Courses for group programmes such as puppy school, scentwork, obedience, and any multi-lesson class with a shared start date and a class list. Do not create those as a Regular service on Services.
A service is one appointment (a groom, daycare, a stay, or 1:1 training). A course is a published run of lessons with enrolment, capacity, and attendance.
Start here: Creating your first course template.
Where to Find Courses
Everything you need is in one place:
Main sidebar → Courses
From the Courses page, click "New" to access all course actions:
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| New Course Template | Create a reusable blueprint for your programmes |
| Publish New Course | Schedule a course instance from an existing template |
| Enrol pet(s) | Add pets to an available course |
Can't see "Courses" in your sidebar? The feature may need to be enabled. Contact support.
What are courses?
A course is a multi-lesson programme with a schedule, capacity, location, and instructor. Several pets enrol in the same published run. Staff enrol from Courses, not from the Appointments New Appointment form.
| Use this | For this |
|---|---|
| Courses and a course template | Puppy school, scentwork, obedience, agility, or any fixed group programme |
| A Regular service on Services | One appointment, including 1:1 training, a groom, or daycare |
Creating the template creates the lesson service. Do not add a Lesson or Regular service by hand for the group class.
Course Structure
Understanding the course hierarchy is essential for effective management:
Course Templates
Course templates are reusable blueprints that define the structure of your courses. They include:
- Course name (e.g., "Puppy School")
- Capacity - Maximum number of pets per session
- Recurrence pattern - How lessons repeat (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)
- Number of lessons - Total sessions in the course
- Duration - Length of each session
- Pricing - Cost per course enrollment
- Service requirements - Which service pets must be eligible for
Think of templates as your course catalog - the standard programs you offer regularly.
Course Instances
Course instances are specific scheduled courses created from templates. They include:
- Specific dates - When the course actually runs
- Assigned instructor - Which team member teaches the course
- Location - Where the course takes place
- Enrolled pets - Which pets are registered
- Status - Upcoming, In Progress, or Completed
Think of instances as your scheduled classes - actual courses with real dates and enrolled pets.
Sessions (Lessons)
Sessions are the individual class meetings within a course instance. Each session has:
- Lesson number (e.g., Lesson 1, Lesson 2)
- Date and time - When the lesson occurs
- Duration - How long the lesson lasts
- Status - Upcoming, In Progress, or Completed
Course Templates
Course templates serve as reusable blueprints for your recurring programs. You create and manage templates directly from the Courses page.
Creating a Template
Courses → "New" → "New Course Template" → follow the prompts.
Once created, you can refine any template at any time by clicking "Manage Template" on the template.
Key Template Components
Course Information:
- Name (e.g., "Puppy School 6-Week Program")
- Description and objectives
- Age/breed requirements
Capacity:
- Maximum pets per class
- Consider space and instructor capacity
- Safety considerations
Schedule Pattern:
- Recurrence rule (Weekly, Bi-weekly, Custom)
- Duration of each session
- Total number of lessons
Requirements:
- Age restrictions (if any)
- Breed restrictions (if any)
- Health requirements
💡 Birthday Eligibility Prompts: When a course or service has minimum or maximum age requirements configured, customers booking through the self-service form will be prompted to provide their pet's birthday if it is not already on file. This ensures the system can validate age-based eligibility before allowing the booking to proceed. The prompt appears automatically during the booking flow and asks the customer to select their pet's date of birth.
To require an earlier course or assessment before enrolment, set the prerequisite on the course template. See Service prerequisites.
Template Best Practices
Naming Conventions:
- Use clear, descriptive names
- Include duration in name (e.g., "6-Week Puppy School")
- Mention skill level if applicable (e.g., "Advanced Obedience")
Capacity Planning:
- Small classes: 4-6 pets for personalised attention
- Medium classes: 8-10 pets for good balance
- Large classes: 12+ pets for basic programmes
- Consider instructor experience and space constraints
⚠️ Group Class Capacity: Make sure both your course template's capacity AND the resource (training room/facility) can handle your group size, otherwise you'll get capacity errors. See Creating Your First Course Template for detailed instructions.
Scheduling:
- Choose consistent days/times for customer convenience
- Allow time between sessions for cleanup
- Consider customer availability patterns
- Account for holidays and closures
Next Steps
Set Up Course Templates
Before publishing courses, create your course templates:
- Go to Courses → "New" → "New Course Template"
- Set up Team Members for course instructors
- Set up Resources for course locations
Publish Your First Course
- Go to Courses → "New" → "Publish New Course"
- Follow the Publishing Courses guide for detailed steps
- Set up enrollment process with Managing Enrollments
Quick Access Links
You can open course forms directly using these links:
- Create New Course:
https://business.petboost.com/courses?action=create
Benefits:
- Bookmark creation forms for quick access
- Share direct links to specific course forms
- Connect with external training management systems
- Browser back/forward navigation works naturally
Manage Course Lifecycle
- Track course progress with Course Lifecycle management
- Monitor attendance and customer communication
- Plan future course sessions based on demand
Related Features
Service Integration
Course templates automatically create the underlying service configuration:
Team and Resource Management
- Team Member Management - Assign instructors and manage capacity
- Resource Management - Set up course locations and facilities
- Team Member Availability - Check instructor availability
Customer Management
- Customer Profiles - Manage enrolled pet owners
- Pet Profiles - Track individual pet progress
- Appointments - View course lessons as appointments
Settings and Configuration
- Settings - Account configuration
- Booking Settings - Course booking rules
- Notifications - Course communication settings
- Automatic Actions - Automated course workflows
Documentation Sections
- Creating Your First Course Template - Step-by-step first-time setup
- Publishing Courses - Create course instances from templates
- Managing Enrollments - Enrol pets and manage class capacity
- Course Lifecycle - Track progress and manage active courses
- Course FAQ - Common questions and troubleshooting
Need help? Contact support or click the "Get Help" button in your dashboard to chat with our team.