Fun

Innovative Dog Trainer Teaches Your Pup To Be A Tech Genius

Written by: Regina Lizik

May 30, 2015

I am a tech loving hooman, like majorly. My Shiba? Not so much. Like most dogs, he thinks technology is the evil thing that sucks away his mom’s attention. He can’t participate in the fun. Why should I be doing anything that doesn’t involve him?

Thanks to Anna Jane Grossman’s School for the Dogs, I may be able to get my boy to love technology as much as I do.

dog with ipad 2

A former journalist, it took the financial crisis of 2008 for Anna to realize that training dogs was the dream job she never knew she wanted.

She tells CNN:

“I kept in coming back to the thought that I really like dogs — talking to people about their dogs and hanging out with my dog — and wouldn’t it be cool if I could somehow make a living doing just that?”

After going through a six month long dog training course, Anna had the basics down. That wasn’t enough though, she wanted to modernize and elevate the tricks of her trade.

dog selfies

She knew that the internet ruvs dogs. Individual dog Instagram accounts rack up so many followers they could break the internet.

[bp_related_article]

But pups are dependent on their humans for these photo ops. Anna wondered what would happen if that wasn’t the case. So, now she teaches dogs to use iPads.

teaching dog to use ipad

It’s not only about the fluffy selfies:

“I wanted to show people that you can do this seemingly amazing thing with your dog very easily, that having your dog touch a tablet with their nose is a fun exercise which uses the same building blocks as when dealing with really serious problems such as aggression, anxiety or teaching your dogs to walk nicely.”

Does this mean Candy Crush is the solution to your dog’s endless barking? Probably not, but it’s a fun and brain building way to keep your pup entertained.

dog using ipad

Anna teaches her iDog classes out of her NYC School for Dogs, but for those not in NYC, she recommends some apps to help your dog get his tech on. Big Button turns the entire screen into a shutter button. Anywhere your dog noses your iPad will result in a selfie. There’s also App for Dog, which Anna helped create. This app turns your pup into Picasso, letting her paint with her paw or her nose.

You can watch a video, from The Wall Street Journal, of one of Anna’s iDog classes below.

Featured image via App for Dog.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Written by: Regina Lizik

May 30, 2015

Nutritionist-crafted food for your dog's breed or mix.

Recipes designed for dogs' individuality

LEARN MORE

INNOVATIVE DOG STUFF, EVERY MONTH.

A themed collection of BARK-designed toys, treats, and chews.

INNOVATIVE DOG STUFF, EVERY MONTH.

A themed collection of BARK-designed toys, treats, and chews.