The Dog Gurus

What The Dog Gurus does

The Dog Gurus is a Houston-based education and coaching platform serving pet care business owners and their staff across the daycare, boarding, grooming, and training verticals. The company was founded in 1997 by Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs, who co-authored 'Off-Leash Dog Play' and built the 'Knowing Dogs' canine body language training program; it was acquired by ManifestEd in 2023 and today operates as a private subscription SaaS with roughly 11-50 employees. Its core offering is an AI-powered learning platform combining a domain-specialized AI Companion, tiered Growth Roadmaps, the Staff Training Hub, the Business Insights Dashboard (KPI tracking with QuickBooks integration), a curated Knowledge Vault, and live group/peer coaching delivered by a bench of former pet care operators.

The platform is sold on a tiered subscription model with three owner tiers (Launch, Grow, Pro) and three staff tiers (Essentials, Advanced, Enterprise), priced roughly $108-$279/month per owner plan (annual promotional) and $71-$263/month per staff plan, with Pro and Enterprise on custom pricing and multi-year contracts. Distribution is primarily self-serve through the company website with complimentary fit-assessment calls, supplemented by preferred-vendor referrals (30+ partners including software platforms like Gingr and financial partners like Live Oak Bank), industry events (notably the Pet Care Boarding and Daycare Expo), free resource libraries, podcasts, and webinars. The company serves 1,500+ pet care owners worldwide and operates within the $10B+ U.S. pet boarding and daycare market.

Name

The Dog Gurus

Legal name

The Dog Gurus

Website

https://thedoggurus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dog Gurus is a Houston-based, ManifestEd-owned subscription platform that provides AI-powered coaching, staff training, and business analytics to 1,500+ pet care business owners and their employees across the daycare, boarding, and grooming verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Care Business Education Software

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Care & Pet Services Platforms (Sitting, Walking, Grooming) (BPAMAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pet Services (Grooming, Training, Daycare) (CRALAIAJ)

Keywords

• Pet care education
• Business coaching services
• Staff training software
• Canine behavior training
• Subscription learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription Plans - Owners: Monthly and annual subscription plans (Launch, Grow, Pro tiers) providing access to AI companion, coaching, knowledge vault, and business tools. Annual plans offer 40% discount with one month free. Monthly plans at 20% discount with 3-month minimum commitment.
2. Subscription Plans - Staff: Staff training subscriptions (Essentials, Advanced, Enterprise) with tiered features for team onboarding and development. Covers canine body language, group play leadership, enrichment, customer service training.
3. Setup Fees: One-time setup fees mentioned for Pet Guru College and Knowing Dogs courses, non-refundable upon purchase.
4. Physical Products: Sale of physical products including the Knowing Dogs Staff Training Program materials. Ships to US, Canada, and Mexico.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Dog Gurus provides an AI-powered subscription learning and business management platform for pet care entrepreneurs. Its core offering combines an AI Companion trained on pet care industry expertise, growth roadmaps, expert coaching, a knowledge vault, and a staff training hub, delivered through tiered subscription plans (Launch, Grow, Pro for owners; Staff Essentials, Staff Advanced, Enterprise for teams). The company also sells standalone training programs such as the Knowing Dogs curriculum and the Pet Guru College course.

Product overview

The Dog Gurus offers an all-in-one AI-powered education and business management platform for pet care entrepreneurs, consisting of tiered subscription plans (Launch, Grow, Pro for owners; Staff Essentials, Staff Advanced, Enterprise for teams). The core offering combines an AI Companion, expert coaching, staff training, business analytics, and a curated knowledge vault. Owner plans range from $159-$279/month (promotional) and include AI-powered insights, growth roadmaps, and peer coaching. Staff training products ($103-$263/month promotional) focus on canine body language, group play leadership, and enrichment. The platform was launched in 1997 and acquired by ManifestEd, serving 1,500+ pet care owners worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ruffly Speaking: Holistic dog care site launched by The Dog Gurus
• Knowing Dogs
• Pet Guru College

Products and services

• Launch Plan Subscription for pet care business owners in their first 1-2 years or under $100K revenue, including AI Companion, Launch Blueprint, Insights Dashboard, Toolkit, group coaching, and vetted expert network access.
• Grow Plan Subscription for established pet care owners ready to accelerate growth, including deeper AI Companion access, 1:1 onboarding, high-impact recommendations, industry benchmarking, QuickBooks integration, and personalized financial reviews.
• Pro Plan Custom-priced subscription for multi-location or high-revenue owners building towards scale, acquisition, or exit, including expert leadership across Marketing, Finance, Operations, Strategy, and Hiring, white-glove concierge support, advanced KPI analytics, monthly 1:1 coaching, and exclusive Pro network events.
• Staff Essentials Per-seat staff training subscription for small teams covering safety fundamentals, canine body language, core SOPs, AI Companion access for all staff, foundational training modules, supporting one location up to 10 employees.
• Staff Advanced Per-seat staff training subscription for growing teams including advanced dog behavior, enrichment, incident evaluation, leadership and peer coaching tools, career pathways, supporting up to 25 employees.
• Enterprise (Staff) Multi-location staff training solution with centralized tracking across all facilities, custom training programs and SOPs, unlimited staff AI Companion and Toolkit access, and dedicated onboarding support.
• AI-Powered Learning Platform Platform combining personalized learning pathways, AI Companion trained on pet care expertise, expert coaching, business KPI dashboards, and integrated benchmarking for pet care entrepreneurs, serving as the foundation of The Dog Gurus' subscription products.
• Knowing Dogs Program Science-based canine body language and safety training program that teaches staff to read canine signals and manage group play confidently; certified for CEUs by PACC, RACE, and CCDPT and available as a one-time purchase with a non-refundable setup fee and physical training materials.
• Pet Guru College Comprehensive online education program for pet care professionals covering business operations, marketing, finances, and customer service, sold as a separate course with a one-time setup fee.
• Knowing Dogs Staff Training Program Materials Physical merchandise associated with the Knowing Dogs Staff Training Program, including printed training materials shipped to customers in the US, Canada, and Mexico with signature required for delivery.
• Off-Leash Dog Play (Book) Industry reference book on dog daycare operations, group play safety, and canine behavior co-authored by co-founders Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs, serving as a foundational text for the company's training methodology.
• Pet Care Business Launch Formula Comprehensive launch guidance program for aspiring pet care business owners, including step-by-step instructions, facility design guidance, marketing strategies, pricing setup, and customizable templates for business planning.
• Growth Intensive Growth-focused program helping established pet care businesses streamline operations, achieve $1M+ revenue, boost profit margins up to 30%, and increase per-customer revenue by 20-40%.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue growth from $0 to $1M+ annually achievable
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GingrcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware integration partner providing pet care business management software. Gingr is listed among preferred software vendors on The Dog Gurus platform.
• PocketSuitecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership announced May 2026 to survey 457 pet-service business owners on financials, operations, and growth. Results shared in free live webinar for industry benchmarking.
• Terwisscha ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred facility design and construction partner. Featured in joint Paws To Profits webinar on launching pet care facilities.
• PACCC (Professional Animal Care Certification Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Susan Briggs in 2015. Provides independent testing and certification for pet care professionals. PACCC certification integrated into The Dog Gurus training programs.
• WalkerScoutminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStaff recruitment platform listed as preferred vendor for hiring pet care employees.
• Better Than HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred vendor for pet care business sales and exits, helping owners prepare for profitable transitions.
• Blue-9 Pet ProductsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnrichment supplies vendor. The Dog Gurus has collaborated with Blue-9 for advancement of dog daycare enrichment programs.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gingr: Cloud-based pet care management software for boarding, daycare, grooming, and training businesses. Listed as a preferred vendor and integration partner of The Dog Gurus; competes for the same operator's tech stack budget with scheduling, billing, and CRM.
• Time To Pet: All-in-one pet care business management software for dog walkers, pet sitters, daycare, and boarding operators. Competes with The Dog Gurus for the same operator's wallet through workflow automation and client communication tools.
• MoeGo: Pet care scheduling and management platform serving groomers, daycares, and boarding facilities globally. Preferred vendor of The Dog Gurus; overlaps on operator daily workflow and could expand into education/coaching.
• Pawfinity: Pet care management software for daycare, boarding, grooming, and training businesses with CRM, scheduling, and payments. Directly addresses the same SMB pet care operator persona as The Dog Gurus.
• Kennel Connection: Kennel and pet care management software for boarding, daycare, and grooming facilities. Preferred vendor partner of The Dog Gurus targeting the same SMB pet care owner.
• PawPartner: Cloud-based pet care software for daycare, boarding, and grooming businesses. Preferred vendor of The Dog Gurus; competes for operator software spend and customer relationship ownership.

Broad incumbents

• Pet Care Services Association (PCSA): National trade association for the pet care services industry providing education, certification, and advocacy. Broad incumbent offering overlapping education/community value to the same operator base as The Dog Gurus.
• International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA): Long-standing industry association providing education, networking, and resources to pet care service professionals. Broader incumbent in pet care operator education and community.

Emerging players

• PetDesk: Veterinary and pet care client communication and practice management platform. Adjacent emerging player with pet owner engagement tools that could extend into pet care services operator workflows.
• ProPet Hero: Online pet first aid and CPR certification training for pet care professionals. Emerging player with overlapping content/training value proposition to the Staff Training Hub offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheDogGurus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-dog-gurus
• Xx.com/TheDogGurus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Dog Gurus