PUPPER

A Smell Based Dog
Learning Tools Set

Position: New York
Duration: 2 weeks, Dec 2018
Role: Research, Interaction design, Engineering, Fabrication
Technic: Arduino, Wood working

Dogs have maintained close and great relations with people since ancient times due to our domestication. The training of dogs is often based on sound and vision. We use human language words and gestures as clues to teach dogs a variety of things. However, studies have shown that visual and auditory learning methods are not efficient for dogs. Using smell as a clue to mark different objects and events is more conducive to dog learning and memory.[1] According to a pet industry consumer report,[2] due to people's habits and industry development, residents in many Asian countries, especially China, train dogs at home. I developed a tool for owners to teach puppies and even communicate with them more intelligently at home.

Unlike humans who are heavily dependent on their sense of sight, a dog's main perception is through its sense of smell. Dogs’ sense of smell is ome orders of magnitude more sensitive than humans because of they have hundreds of millions more olfactory cells lining the epithelium than human. Even their self-recognition is based on its sense of smell. A scent or odor may communicate a lot of information to a dog’s perspective such as the direction of the wind, the diet of the previous dog, and even the mood and health of the owner.
 
A research study has revealed that dogs are more efficient at odor-citation-assisted learning under fMRI detection. [1] When the tester uses a specially-shaped object, a specific odor, and a meaningless language to mark a learning content, odor was proven to be the best and most effective learning method that stimulates dog brain activity. There are very few tools for olfactory-guided dog learning in the market. Pupper aims to explore this particular learning method to improve learning efficiency of current dog training.

Credit. Fast neural learning in dogs: A multimodal sensory fMRI study

shake hand module

Smell containers

pull / bite module

The behavior capture method is a common dog-training method. The method does not force the dog to perform certain actions. Rather, the behavior capture involves a more natural and gentle approach, including positive

feedback in the process. It is an effective way to encourage a dog to learn correct behavior by immediately notifying and rewarding the dog when a desired behavior is performed. Pupper mainly establishes a "capture system" by studying dog behavior, by calling out these specific dog behaviors through the tools included in the system, and by rewarding dogs for effective behavioral learning.

The different training tools of pupper provide and present various scents. These scents are usually special such as anise extract, not so ubiquitous in daily life, and neutral to dogs (no harm or special attraction). Dogs are more likely to remember behaviors by linking behavior to particular scents as they interact naturally with the tool and are guided towards performing desired behaviors. Addition- ally, the small containers that contain the scents are convenient and handy for the owner to hold and carry in his hand at any time. The dog can be reminded and trained when necessary to achieve better training outcomes.

The handshake module consists mainly of a box and a panel of deep boxes. The panel is at one end of the lever and can be easily pressed to achieve an approximate handshake.

The bite/pull module is a box with a number of magnetic interfaces on each side. The knots, balls, bite toys, etc. are temporarily attached to the box through these interfaces, resulting in different ways of playing.

The reward module does not exist independently under normal circumstances and is required to be used in conjunction with the behavior module. Rewards must be awarded after capturing specific behaviors, especially when the owner is not present, to deepen the pet's memory of the desired behavior. I refer to some of the reward methods for dog training mentioned by Stanley Coren, and decided to introduce two reward modes: first-level reward (food) and second-level reward (language).

The groove of the communication circuit at the bottom of the reward module corresponds to the protrusion of the behavior module, and the circuit is connected when the two are combined. Thus, when the dog performs the desired behavior required by the behavior module, the trigger button will cause the reward module to release a reward. In the early stage of dog training, first-level rewards will be given more frequently to stimulate the dog's enthusiasm. In the middle and late stages of dog training, the voice is the main one. The dog adapts to the behavior even without the use of food rewards.