Kathleen started The Dog Company in 2009. Alongside group classes, private lessons and behavioural support, she runs a shop and online store. As registrations increased and a second instructor joined, she wanted to spend less time on admin.
Kathleen wanted to be a teacher as a child, although she did not yet know she would be teaching dog owners. Animal care studies, placements and further training helped her find her direction. She enjoys seeing people and dogs become a team. Videos at the start and end of a course help make that progress visible.
Personal training, well organised
The school combines a relaxed, personal approach with an emphasis on theory. Students can also use online learning. Behind the classes are recurring tasks such as processing registrations, creating accounts and tracking payments.
Fewer separate tools
Kathleen used Google Forms and Google Drive. Earlier solutions had not been a good enough fit. When she looked again, she returned to Aniday and decided to manage registrations and payments there.
The decision took time. Kathleen had created an account before, but the system did not meet her needs then. A possible custom solution never got off the ground either. As the school grew, she looked again at where she could save time. Registrations, payments and emails were the main recurring tasks.
More attention to the training itself
Students register themselves, can pay immediately and receive the emails they need. Kathleen says this saves a lot of time. The team can put that energy into training instead. In the interview, she also discussed ideas for further automation, including completing courses.
This interview took place on 21 March 2022.
