The University of Sydney launched a world-first app that will optimise puppy socialisation and help dogs get the best out of life.
WHY THE NEED FOR A DOGLOGBOOK APP?
Research from the UK has revealed that the leading cause of death in dogs under the age of three relates to behavioural problems – being abandoned or euthanased because they display unwelcome behaviour or were involved in car accidents.*
This free app will offer you new ways to recognise and meet your dog’s needs, with the opportunity to let your vet see into your dog’s world and better understand how your dog is behaving.
The Doglogbook app was designed by animal welfare scientists in the Faculty of Veterinary Science to be a dog’s new best friend, helping ensure optimum quality of life and happiness – from puppyhood through to old age to assist with difficult end-of-life decisions.
The free app draws on the University of Sydney’s new science of ‘dogmanship’ – a term coined by Professor Paul McGreevy in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. Professor McGreevy said: “Dogs can easily be socialised so they do not display the common behavioural problems that relate to anxiety – which is where the doglogbook comes in, guiding owners as they socialise their pups, making pups more worldly and potentially even saving their lives.”
He explained that the Doglogbook would enable dog owners to gather and review real data about their dog’s healthcare, management and preferences in life for the first time: “The data generated by users of doglogbook, as valued citizen scientists, will be available to researchers and also used to inform and educate the next generation of veterinarians.”
Not only does it help owners help their dogs be happier and healthier, but it could also play a life-saving role by teaching young dogs to behave better – thereby reducing the chances of pups falling victim to what are currently their top killers.
Mia Cobb, a canine scientist who was part of the expert doglogbook development team, said it was hoped these combined features would help owners become more mindful of their dogs’ overall happiness and wellbeing.
“Doglogbook may also help take some of the pressure off owners in identifying and acknowledging decline as dogs near the end of life,” Ms Cobb said.
HOW DOES THE DOGLOGBOOK APP WORK?
Doglogbook is available online and is free to download from iTunes and Google App stores.
All you need to do is:
1. Register as a user
2. Create a profile for your dog(s) entering basic information such as your dog's breed, age, weight, whether he/she is desexed or not etc.
3. Complete an initial activities rating (what does he/she enjoy or dislike the most) as a starting point.
The app is gamified to increase engagement and reward owners for seeking out novel experiences during the critical socialisation period.
This feature can work well in conjunction with puppy preschool, or as a simple means of logging when a puppy has travelled, visited different types of environments and met a range of people and other animals.
Doglogbook also enables dog owners to log the activities that their dog undertakes in a usual day (for example eating, walking, playing with other dogs, etc) and rate the enjoyment their dog gets from each activity both home and away. Owners can gather and review real data about their dog’s happiness in life for the first time.
There is also a ‘working dog’ channel in Doglogbook that logs training investment and tracks assessment outcomes, as well as assisting in the health management of dogs working in roles as diverse as scent detection, guide/seeing eye, livestock herding, guard/protection dogs, and racing Greyhounds.
Beyond the Doglogbook app itself, you can also consult the history of your data or invite your dog’s vet, trainer, therapist or handler to see the data you have collected with the app in the dashboard.
About Doglogbook
Funded in part by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Meat and Livestock Australia, doglogbook has the support of the Working Kelpie Council of Australia, the Dog Ownership and Human Health node at the University of Sydney, and was developed in collaboration with the Australian Working Dog Alliance and Smart Sports Solutions.
Doglogbook information could eventually feed into VetCompass, the national opt-in pet surveillance system for vets launched in Australia recently.
References:
*O'Neill, DG and Church, DB and McGreevy, PD and Thomson, PC and Brodbelt, DC (2013) Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. VETERINARY JOURNAL, 198 (3). pp. 638-643.
The free app draws on the University of Sydney’s new science of ‘dogmanship’ – a term coined by Professor Paul McGreevy in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. Professor McGreevy said: “Dogs can easily be socialised so they do not display the common behavioural problems that relate to anxiety – which is where the doglogbook comes in, guiding owners as they socialise their pups, making pups more worldly and potentially even saving their lives.”
He explained that the Doglogbook would enable dog owners to gather and review real data about their dog’s healthcare, management and preferences in life for the first time: “The data generated by users of doglogbook, as valued citizen scientists, will be available to researchers and also used to inform and educate the next generation of veterinarians.”
Not only does it help owners help their dogs be happier and healthier, but it could also play a life-saving role by teaching young dogs to behave better – thereby reducing the chances of pups falling victim to what are currently their top killers.
“Doglogbook may also help take some of the pressure off owners in identifying and acknowledging decline as dogs near the end of life,” Ms Cobb said.
HOW DOES THE DOGLOGBOOK APP WORK?
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| Doglogbook app - Smart Sports Solutions |
Doglogbook is available online and is free to download from iTunes and Google App stores.
All you need to do is:
1. Register as a user
2. Create a profile for your dog(s) entering basic information such as your dog's breed, age, weight, whether he/she is desexed or not etc.
3. Complete an initial activities rating (what does he/she enjoy or dislike the most) as a starting point.
The app is gamified to increase engagement and reward owners for seeking out novel experiences during the critical socialisation period.
This feature can work well in conjunction with puppy preschool, or as a simple means of logging when a puppy has travelled, visited different types of environments and met a range of people and other animals.
There is also a ‘working dog’ channel in Doglogbook that logs training investment and tracks assessment outcomes, as well as assisting in the health management of dogs working in roles as diverse as scent detection, guide/seeing eye, livestock herding, guard/protection dogs, and racing Greyhounds.
Beyond the Doglogbook app itself, you can also consult the history of your data or invite your dog’s vet, trainer, therapist or handler to see the data you have collected with the app in the dashboard.
About Doglogbook
Funded in part by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Meat and Livestock Australia, doglogbook has the support of the Working Kelpie Council of Australia, the Dog Ownership and Human Health node at the University of Sydney, and was developed in collaboration with the Australian Working Dog Alliance and Smart Sports Solutions.
Doglogbook information could eventually feed into VetCompass, the national opt-in pet surveillance system for vets launched in Australia recently.
References:
*O'Neill, DG and Church, DB and McGreevy, PD and Thomson, PC and Brodbelt, DC (2013) Longevity and mortality of owned dogs in England. VETERINARY JOURNAL, 198 (3). pp. 638-643.