VICTOR TEIXEIRA – LMDI
COMPAWNION DOGBLOG – MARCH 2023
It’s commendable to want to help a dog in need by attempting to take it home as a rescue, but it needs to be done in a responsible way. This is one of the reasons we didn’t opt for a rescue dog when we first got Oscar – we had no previous experience (nor a lifestyle that could support a dog that potentially came with traumas).
We both worked shifts and travelled at the drop of a hat. Getting a puppy was also a way to force us to stay home more… But soon after his first days of training, at 3 or 4 months old, we started to leave Oscar home alone for up to 4 hours and relied on a dog walker/trainer for support. Had we rescued a dog with a history and potential problems, leaving it home alone might have proven a lot trickier. I have heard very testing testimonials from friends who nearly abandoned the experiment and took the dog back. It can be traumatic for both dog and owner.
So it is imperative that the new family of a rescue dog has the right conditions to welcome an animal with possible severe trauma. You may need a quiet home, a property with outside space, no children in the family, unusual levels of patience, no other pets in the household, etc… And you may have to be prepared to accept when the trial is not working. For your sake and the dog’s.
Anvith Varanasi is a masters graduate from Imperial College London, an entrepreneur and also a dog daddy. He is the founder of an app that aims to help the owners of reactive dogs with their training. Who better to write about this subject?
Welcome to our Compawnion DogBlog!
Compawnion – a first-of-its-kind app for dogs with behavioral issues
Hello everyone! My name is Anvith. I’m an aspiring entrepreneur and a masters graduate from Imperial College London. But most importantly, I am also a pet parent of a lovely golden retriever named Ralph! So, what is a masters student from Imperial doing in the Let My Dog In group? I am the founder of Compawnion, a petcare app that leverages technology to make a pet parent’s experience of training their reactive dog a lot less stressful and emotionally draining in a cost effective way.
Here’s a link to the website: https://compawnion.verticode.co.uk/
How it all started:
Around the same time last year, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey to build a Tinder-like app for dogs, to help us pet parents give our four-legged friends an enriched and joyous playdate experience by making them meet another dog that matches their age, energy levels, temperament, among other preferences! This resulted out of a problem I faced with Ralph.
Subsequently, I interacted with several pet parents, trainers and behaviorists to research more about playdates and socialization. However, as I kept exploring more and more, it became evident that behavioral issues such as anxiety and reactivity are huge problems that many pet parents face.
Another devastating thing I realized was that a lot of people who couldn’t deal with it anymore were returning their pets with behavioral issues to animal shelters. This is because, as several parents of such pets claimed, it is like having a child with special needs, an emotionally stressful experience. I was devastated to learn this. That is when I decided to address this issue, because, as a pet parent myself, it breaks my heart to see pets being abandoned.
So, here’s what Compawnion aims to do: build a first-of-its-kind community for reactive dog owners that helps them in their journey of training their beloved pooches by making it less stressful and more enjoyable.
So, why me?
Well, anyone who has raised pets develops a soft spot for them. As a pet parent myself, I have a strong desire to make pets happy. And when I first thought of combining entrepreneurship and pets, two things I am very passionate about, it just seemed perfect. Thus began Compawnion, with the mission ‘to make dogs smile’.
Why am I here?
I am hoping to have a short conversation with the lovely members of Let My Dog In who are on the journey of raising pets with behavioral issues described above. I want to understand your experience of being a pet parent, and get insights on the key challenges you all face.
I would also like to present a prototype version of the app I have developed to gauge how helpful you all find it.
If you would like to speak with me, you can message me directly on Facebook, here’s a link to my profile: https://www.facebook.com/anvith.varanasi/
So, who wants to help a member out by providing feedback?
In the last 30 days…
277 posts, comments and reactions
30 new members
Top contributors in the last month:
1 – Regina Cocito
2 – Raquel Tasca
3 – Furbabies Botanicals Range
4 – Therapyforlondoners
5 – Ana Luiza Castro
THANK YOU! ❤️
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Finally, if you’d like to write a piece for our monthly blog, all it needs to be is dog-related and dog-friendly.
