Being a dog owner, I have often wondered why my dog does many of the things he does. His stubbornness, his demands, his affection… oh the list is endless. Being a first time dog owner I had no idea that dogs could exhibit so many emotions. It is amusing how intelligent they are and their ability to adapt to situations is remarkable. Trust me; having a pooch is no different than having an infant in the house. Each day there is something to marvel at and my four-legged munchkin never ceases to amaze me. Oh, how I wish I could see the world through his eyes!
For all you dog owners who are with me on this one, I have some good news for you. There is a new startup in town called Dognition that actually decodes everything your dog does. It is an amazing platform that provides a window into your dog’s individual cognitive style — the thinking, learning, and problem-solving strategies that influence much of your dog’s behavior.
Meet The Great Minds Behind It All!
Ideated and co-founded by Kip Frey, Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, Dognition is here to help you unlock the little thoughts that run behind your pooch’s soulful eyes.
Dr. Brian Hare is an evolutionary anthropology professor at Duke University. After more than 15 years of studying canine intelligence, Brian was considering the idea of helping dog owners apply the same science to discover the unique intelligence in their dogs.
An entrepreneurial law student suggested that Brian meet Kip Frey. Besides being a professor at the Duke Law School, Kip is also a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Brian and Kip had coffee one day, and Dognition was born.
Vanessa Woods, also a co-founder, is a research scientist in evolutionary anthropology at Duke University. She is an award-winning author and journalist. Her most recent book, a New York Times bestseller, was The Genius of Dogs, written with Brian Hare.
The X-Factor!
Dognition is for those dog owners that have ever wondered more about what goes on in their dog’s mind. This startup’s core product is the Dognition Assessment, which measures a dog’s unique intelligence through games. With items found at home, this platform gives dogs and their human fun, science-based games to play together in their own homes.
The games will give feedback about their dog’s cognitive skills in empathy, communication, cunningness, memory, and reasoning, and will show how their dog compares among the tens of thousands of other dogs in our database. Dog owners can purchase a membership for additional games and personalized activities based on their dog’s results from the Dognition Assessment.
The Driving Force!
Dr. Brian Hare is the co-director of the Duke Canine Cognition Center and is often a keynote speaker at dog-related conferences. The idea germinated from him after being frequently asked about individual dog’s intelligence. For example, Brian would speak to professional dog trainers about what science has to say about dogs’ communication skills, and they’d be interested in how their individual dogs would score. Similarly, participants in his studies would often ask how their dogs did in the study. Dognition fills this unmet need to understand each dog’s unique intelligence.
On Road Blocks & Competitors!
The biggest hurdle for the team was creating a new sector in the pet industry as this is a one-of-a-kind product. Further, since, this idea is fresh on the block; Dognition has no direct competitor present in the market.
The Journey Ahead, Intended Users & More!
“Dognition has a 3-episode TV special, Is Your Dog A Genius?, premiering May 15th, 16th, and 17th at 10pm on NatGeo Wild. Viewers will be able to follow along at home to learn more about their own dogs”, says the team.
Since, this platform is mainly to assess dog intelligence, Dognition is primarily targeted at dog owners everywhere. Further, when it comes down to monetizing it, the Dognition Assessment is currently priced at $19 and the 1-Year Membership is prices at an additional $60 ($5/month).
So what are you waiting for? Get on to their site now to learn more about how to decode your dog’s behavior!!
Woof Woof…. Special Offer For Our Readers!
The team of Dognition was kind enough to leave our readers with some exciting offer. Use the code ‘Bark15’ at checkout for 15% off on your first-time purchase. Hurry up! This offer is valid only till March 31, 2015.
To know more details, do visit: www.Dognition.com
