Give your opinion on a new app for dog owners!

[RioTheWestie]

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Hello everyone!

My name is Lucija, I am a dog owner and a product designer. I am currently working on an app that's tailored to dog owners and I would love to get your opinion on it. If anyone is interested and willing to spend around 45 minutes helping me create the best solution for you and your pet, let me know in the thread. Thanks!

 

[Flobo]

Hi and welcome. What is the app about that you are working on? To be honest though I'm a bit old school and unsure how an app tailored to dog owners would be of benefit... if you gave us a bit more info it might be useful?

 

[RioTheWestie]

Of course, I can share a bit more about the app. The first key feature is keeping track of your dog's habits and appointments, as well as health records. So everything that you need to know to take care of your dog is going to be in one place and you can receive reminders for upcoming appointments and daily tasks. The second key feature is the meetup feature, that allows you to find other dogs nearby and arrange playdates.
These are just the features we are starting with, but there are plans to develop the app even further.
I want to show the prototype of the app to some dog owners to get your feedback and understand what else we can do to improve your and your dog's life.

 

[Mad Murphy]

Im old school too. I keep a written record of my dogs health appointments ,weight vaccinations etc as well as keeping their passports up to date.

Where I am in NL there was an app called doggy dating that shows all areas where dogs can be off lead and a meet up app for owners. That meet up app stopped this year.

To be honest I dont like walking with others I want to walk , enjoy my dogs and the nature not stand around chatting which is what I see a lot of when owners meet up leaving their dogs to run riot. Sorry ..

 

[excuseme]

We don't like to walk where we may meet other walkers and people who say their dog, he or she is friendly and just wants to say hello. They are just unruly and rude and neither us or any of our dogs like their attentions. We are lucky enough to have loads of places on the south downs and our local shoot, to not meet anyone !

 

[JoanneF]

I've seen things like this before. I'm really sorry, it feels like it's trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

keeping track of your dog's habits and appointments

receive reminders for upcoming appointments and daily tasks

I have a diary for appointments, online, but having a separate one for my dog would be a problem rather than a benefit - I don't want his vet appointment to accidentally overlap with my car repair, doctor or hair appointment.

that allows you to find other dogs nearby and arrange playdates.

Again, sorry but no. I really don’t want to arrange play dates with random strangers and their dogs.

 

[Hemlock]

Not for me either. I keep a diary for important dates, and I prefer to avoid random strangers with dogs that might be unruly. There is a safety concern for humans here too - I doubt you have envisaged safeguarding, but unfortunately some people would see this as a criminal opportunity.

 

[Mad Murphy]

Oh dear we sound like such an anti-social lot.
But I think there is a huge difference in people who walk for their dogs and people who walk with their dogs.
My walks are arranged to give my dog the best experience so we change up the walks one day it's next to the lake the other day it's in the woods one time on Hard paths another time on soft grass.
I dare say there are lots of people who have a dog for social contact and those are the kind of people you're probably aiming at which I don't think any of us are.

 

[RioTheWestie]

Thank you everyone for the input! As a dog owner who lives in a town that barely has any parks in general (let alone a dog park), this opportunity seemed interesting to me. I live in a very safe place, but my social dog has nowhere to go to meet other pups.
Seeing another point of view from everyone here is very eye-opening and I'll make sure to pass it on to my client.

I am wondering though, is there something that you do struggle as pet owners that an app could solve? I know for EU citizens who have a pet passport, health records are not an issue, but I've talked to some other people outside of the EU who do struggle with keeping up with their dog's records.

 

[JudyN]

I'm wondering if there's any social media platforms where you might find people more accustomed to using apps? I'm sort of trying to avoid saying 'younger people', but that's probably what it comes down to! My daughter-in-law uses apps for everything, from whose turn it is to clean the kitchen to (a couple of years back) which boob her baby should feed from next!

 

[Flobo]

Maybe an app to remind people to get off their phone whilst walking their dog and enjoy interacting with them and the environment (I am only having a laugh there!)
I do recognize also that many people use apps for everything, but like the rest on here, I have a diary I write in for work and appointments, page a day, so nice and clear. And I quite like the peace of a nice walk and not having to interact with people... sorry can't be of more help either!

 

[JudyN]

I asked my son about where would be a good platform to get feedback from your app and he suggested Reddit - they have subsections specifically for asking for feedback for this type of thing.