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PupManager vs Acuity for dog trainers
Acuity is solid general-purpose scheduling. The problem isn’t that it books appointments badly. It’s that a dog trainer’s work isn’t just appointments. There’s no concept of a dog, a training plan, homework, or a client who needs to see their progress between sessions. So trainers bend Acuity to fit and bolt three more tools around it.
PupManager works the way trainers actually do, not borrowed from generic booking software.
Updated June 2026
| Acuity | PupManager | |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment scheduling | Yes, general-purpose, any industry | Yes, built around training sessions and packages |
| A data model that knows what a dog is | No, a booking is a booking | Yes, dogs, owners, sessions, plans and history are first-class |
| Structured session progress (tasks, scores, video) | No | Yes, the core of the product |
| Client app with homework between sessions | No | Yes, trainer-branded, web, iOS + Android |
| Group-class rosters, attendance, make-ups | Worked around with class types | Yes, purpose-built for multi-week series |
| Messaging with the dog’s full history alongside | No | Yes |
| Tools it takes to cover the rest | Acuity + email tool + course tool + a spreadsheet | One login |
If scheduling is genuinely all you need, Acuity is fine. If your week is sessions, homework, group classes and clients who ask “what was that cue again?” That’s the part Acuity was never built for.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acuity good for dog trainers?
Acuity is excellent general-purpose scheduling, so if all you need is online booking it works fine. It has no concept of a dog, a training plan, homework or a client app, so most trainers end up bolting an email tool, a course tool and a spreadsheet around it. PupManager is built around training sessions, progress and a client app, so it is one login instead of four.
What does PupManager do that Acuity doesn't?
Structured session notes (tasks, scores, video), client homework between sessions, a trainer-branded client app on web, iOS and Android, group-class rosters with attendance and make-ups, and messaging with the dog's full history alongside. Acuity handles the appointment; PupManager handles the training.
Does Acuity have a client app for dog owners?
No. Acuity gives clients a booking page, not an app to follow their dog's training. PupManager gives each client a trainer-branded app showing this week's homework, the videos you shot, and their dog's progress over time.
Is PupManager more expensive than Acuity?
They price differently. Acuity charges per scheduling plan; PupManager is US$10 per trainer per week (about US$43 per month) for the whole training platform: booking, notes, homework, the client app and group classes, and replaces several separate subscriptions, so compare the total stack cost rather than just the booking line.
More PupManager comparisons
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