(PRESS RELEASE) SEATTLE, WA — Pet technology company PupPod announced the launch of the PupPod Rocker and Feeder, a set of innovative canine enrichment devices that gamifies feeding time with interactive puzzle challenges for dogs. Pet parents can also use the connected devices to access a live video feed and play with their dogs from anywhere via the PupPod Mobile App.
The PupPod Rocker and Feeder are powered by a proprietary software platform designed to connect pets and their owners in new and meaningful ways. More than a toy, the PupPod Rocker and Feeder combine mental stimulation, physical exercise, and behavioral training to make mealtime an engaging and rewarding experience for dogs.
How PupPod Works
The PupPod Rocker uses software and sensors to push a dog’s mental capacity. When dogs interact with the PupPod Rocker at the correct time, they earn food rewards from the PupPod Feeder. As the dog gets smarter, the game gets harder.
PupPod tracks when dogs interact at the right time, the wrong time, and when they miss an opportunity, so pet parents can quantitatively see how their dog is learning. The product can also provide indoor exercise to help dogs stay fit when their pet parents can’t provide enough physical activity or the weather is not conducive to outdoor activities.
Pet parents can control the game from their smartphone and stream live video from the PupPod Feeder’s 1080p camera to the PupPod Mobile App. All the software in the app, interactive rocker, and feeder can be updated with new features and challenges. PupPod is also providing innovative digital services via its mobile app for pet parents so their dogs can be part of their digital life.
“Our first-generation product, the PupPod Wobbler, solved real problems for pet parents,” said Erick Eidus, PupPod’s CEO. “To give our customers even more ways to play with their pet, we redesigned the software platform and all the hardware so they can keep their dog entertained from anywhere—at home or away—at an even more accessible price point and for longer periods of time with an extended battery life.”
Designed to Reinforce Behavioral Training
The PupPod game is based on the principles of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement to teach dogs new cognition skills such as touch on cue, concentration, impulse control, task discrimination, and adapting to randomness. The game can help solve common issues by helping to reduce separation anxiety, build confidence, and give working breeds a job.
“PupPod is not just a toy but a tool to help keep our dogs mentally active and physically fit,” said Dr. Wailani Sung, DVM, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist at the San Francisco SPCA. “There are many ways PupPod can teach dogs new skills, such as reducing doorbell barking, an issue many pet parents can relate to because it’s both time-consuming and tricky for the average pet parent to correct. By creating a positive association between the doorbell sound and food rewards, PupPod can modify behavior through positive reinforcement.”
Eidus continued, “Our mission at PupPod is to build smart products for companion dogs and enable them and their pet parents to live their healthiest, happiest, and most productive lives.”
Long-term plans for the company include the development of software-driven games to help dogs learn skills to help their owners, such as detecting the presence of cancer, COVID-19, low blood sugar in diabetics, and more.
The PupPod Rocker with Feeder is now available for purchase here or Amazon for $199 and is paired with a free mobile app.