Questions and answers

What clubs usually ask before they start with Canidary. For a fuller tour, see everything Canidary does.

Getting started

Who is Canidary for?: Clubs that raise future service dogs. That means the raisers who bring puppies home, the members who sit them, and the officers who keep the club running. It works for a club of any size.
How do members join our club?: Your club has an invite you can share as a link, a QR code or a short code. A new member creates an account, then joins with the invite. Your club can let people in right away or have officers approve each request.
How do we start a club?: Create an account, then go to Start a club and give your club a name. You’re in as its President. Your invite, your calendar and a set of common offices are ready straight away, so you can start inviting members.
Can I belong to more than one club?: Yes. One account can be in several clubs, and you switch between them from the top of the screen. Each club keeps its own members, dogs and notifications.
Is there an app to download?: There’s nothing to download. Canidary works in the browser on any phone, tablet or computer. Add it to your home screen and it opens like any other app.

How does Canidary choose a sitter?: Sitters apply to the shifts they can take. A little before the shift, Canidary gives it to the applicant who has sat the least in your club, so the work is shared fairly. If two have sat the same amount, whoever applied first gets it. Your club can choose sitters by hand instead, for every shift or only some.
What does a sitter do before applying?: They read the dog’s sitting notes and answer any check questions the raiser has added. That way every sitter knows the dog’s routine and commands before they arrive.
Can anyone sit a young puppy?: Your club decides. With the young-dog rule turned on, puppies under the age your club sets can only be sat by sitters your club has certified.
What is a sitting log?: A short report the sitter files after the shift about how it went, so the raiser knows how their dog did. The raiser is notified as soon as it’s filed.
How are sitting hours counted?: From the sitting log. When a sitter files the log on time, the hours they sat are added to their total. Raisers can see how many hours others have spent sitting their dog.

Who can see my information?: Other members of your club see your name, photo, short bio, your role in the club and the dogs you raise. Your email address, dues, attendance and sitting hours are seen only by you and your club’s officers.
Can other clubs see our club?: No. Each club is completely separate, and there’s no public list of clubs. People find your club only through your invite.

Can we set up our own officer roles?: Yes. Canidary starts you with common offices like President, Treasurer and Puppy sitter coordinator. You can rename them, add your own, set up committees, and choose what each one is allowed to do.
Does Canidary collect dues?: No, Canidary never handles money. It keeps track of who has paid and reminds members before the due date, and your treasurer marks each payment as it comes in, with how it was paid. Members pay the way your club already collects dues.
Can we take attendance at meetings?: Yes. Show a QR code at the meeting and members check in from their phones, or mark attendance from a list. Each member can see their own progress toward your club’s attendance requirements.
Can we share our Instagram posts in the app?: Yes. Paste the link to a post or reel on an event or an announcement, and members see the post on its page, with a link to open it on Instagram.

How will I hear about new shifts and events?: In the app’s inbox, and also by email or push notification if you’d like. You choose how you hear about each kind of update.
How do I ask a question, report a problem or suggest an idea?: Once you’re signed in, press the Settings gear at the top of any page, then Message us. You can add screenshots, and personal details in them are blurred before they’re sent. Replies arrive in your notifications.

Join with an invite from your club, or start your own.