1. Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their dog Dino.
Fred and Wilma adopted a five year old Golden Retriever, Dino, a few months back. Dino is very active and hates staying indoors. Fred and Wilma generally take Dino out for a walk every evening after they get home from work. It's tough to keep Dino on a leash as he keeps running around trying to meet other dogs. Fred says "We meet other dogs and dog-owners when we go to the park but often need to coordinate with them to make sure we meet." Recently while on one such walk, Dino while playing around with another dog was bitten and had to get stitches and a cone, which he finds very annoying. Ever since, Fred and Wilma, being recent dog-owners, very apprehensive about letting Dino off the leash and interacting with other dogs.
Fred and Wilma love hiking and other such outdoor activities but ever since they adopted Dino, they haven't really been able to indulge in such activities since most hiking trails don't permit pets. Wilma says "Access to dog relevant information (for e.g. dog friendly places to visit such as hiking trails, outdoor restaurants, etc.) would be very useful. Finding dog-owners in the neighborhood and organizing activities with them would be great too."
Key Observations
2. Betty and her dogs Fido and Dido.
Betty has had 7 year olds, Fido and Dido, for more than 5 years. She makes sure both of them are exercised daily. Fido and Dido are generally let out to play in the backyard everyday. Betty enjoys taking them out of the house. She remarks "In the summer there is an underground pool that the dogs enjoy swimming in.
Usually 4-5 times a week they are taken down to a meadow down the street where they can run and play. A few times a year the dogs are taken on hunting trips as well.". Betty feels that Fido and Dido are lucky to have each other to play with, since it is not easy to find other dogs. Betty isn't very comfortable letting them play with other dogs, since she is concerned about their cleanliness.
She says "\[Why aren't there any\] Doggie play groups? There are kid play groups, so why not? This actually could be a great idea. It could also be a way for people to meet other people who love dogs."
Key Observations
3. Pebbles and her pet chihuahua Bambi
Pebbles has had Bambi since 2 years. She is generally very busy to take Bambi out for walks, who generally plays in the garden. Pebbles tries to take Bambi out to a not-so-close park, at least twice a week, but Bambi gets to socialize only occasionally when there are other dogs present in the park. However, even this occasional interaction worries Pebbles since "\[the other dogs might be\] aggressive, unclean, too big (my dog is relatively small)". She wishes for a better and safer way to get Bambi and herself meet other dogs and participate in outdoor pet activities.
Key Observations
User Classes
Dog Owners
People who are interested in dogs