Honestly, I don't know how I feel about this product. My gut says that it might be a better idea to leave your furry friend at home where they feel safe than putting them in a strange box filled with the scents of many other dogs.
It's not actually the size of the box that bothers me (after all, most dogs find being in their kennel to be a safe and reassuring experience, like being in their "den") but I just don't have enough information. For example, my 75lb lab couldn't fit in that box. Is it only for small dogs right now? How can you be SURE that other owners have had their dogs vaccinated? They say they're cleaned once a day, but what if there's an accident as you go to use it? Are the boxes heated? Cooled?
It seems frivolous. Let me know what you folks think.
Report
@veronica Yeah this is sketchy - it's not so much the box as it is the potential to spread disease. If it worked like those fancy NYC public bathrooms that clean themselves after every use I'd feel a lot more comfortable about it. In the meantime I'll just leave my dog at home if we're going shopping.
@veronica Founder of Dog Parker here. Happy to answer your questions. As this is a first-of-its-kind service, you can imagine we get a lot of valid questions and we love explaining our service. We totally agree that most of the time, it will still make sense to leave your dog at home. Dog Parker is a service for those moments when you have your dog with you and need to stop inside a store where they aren't allowed. Or those days when they can be with you for most of the day except a small portion and you'd rather have them with you, leading an active life instead of cooped up at home all day. It's a safer alternative to tying them up to a pole outside (for many reasons beyond theft), which is a habit we see far too often here in NYC because there is not a good solution for urban pet parents. The (small) Dog Parker in the picture is indeed way too small for your 75lb furbaby. He would fit well inside our large Dog Parker. We have small, medium, and large Dog Parkers in the field currently and encourage our members to use the smallest size that comfortably fits their dog as dogs prefer a 'den-like' environment. The houses are temperature controlled (insulated, and have cooling fans and pads for summer months) and temperature monitored. We have webcams too. We ensure vaccinations by asking for vaccinations records before membership cards are mailed out. And as far as accidents, dogs don't tend to 'go' where they are enclosed. But if that should happen some day, we have a 24/7 customer service line and the ability to remotely shut down the house until it is cleaned. In three months of the service, no accidents to report, just happy storeowners and members. Thanks for your questions!
Report
@veronica I think a mobile app would be well suited for this concept so you could report incidents such as an accident and take photos of the vaccination certificates.
@lonseidman@veronica Your dog is more likely to catch a disease at a dog park than in a Dog Parker as they are single-occupancy. But to your point, we are already testing self-cleaning technology for future Dog Parkers, and while likely overkill, might give anxious dog owners peace of mind.
Why leave your dogs at home for free when you can pay money to lock them up inside this box?!!! For only $12 an hour, you too can lock your dog up into a tiny box while you go inside climate controlled, comfortable buildings without them.
I wonder how this does legally. In many states, you can legally break a dog out of a car on a hot day. Their FAQ says they are cooled, and will lock out appointments if the box is over 85 degrees, but what if you put your dog in when it's 83 degrees inside the box, then it keeps going up ?
@vacord Hi there! We have no had an incident where the Dog Parkers have risen above our safe temperatures, but should that happen, we text the member to let them know and ensure their dog is taken out before the temperature rises. We have the ability to remotely take the houses offline for the day. We have an amazing field team and maintenance team locally. Dog Parkers are a safe alternative to leaving your dog inside the car.
Report
@vacord The boxes have a webcam inside and it will probably send you a smartphone alert.
Report
Hey guys.
Been working with Chelsea through the Next Top Makers program in NYC. It's absolutely easy to dismiss this concept as an animal lover, but when we're dealing with state and city regulations that are limiting the ability for pet owners to be able to enjoy their days with their wonderful best furry friends, it's a serious issue. The fact that shelters, organizations, and dog owners have been on board with Dog Parker means there is true validation.
It's easy to feel uncomfortable about the concept, but dogs in hot cars are a serious issue. It's also not entirely known amongst people that you can legally break into a car to save a hot dog.
It's a big idea. Time will tell about validation.
Finally, the same concept about cleaning, scents, and the like is a similar response to those who were skeptical about the startup Breather and how they were able to keep their spaces clean, comfortable, and ready for the next people using the space. What happened? They ended up raising a massive capital round led by Peter Thiel's fund. :-)
Report
@pe_feeds Breather is not a dog box. 'Apples and oranges'. And I don't think people pee/poo in the rooms (at least I hope not ;))
@robertyau Dogs also do not pee/poo in the Dog Parker, so all good there!
Report
@robertyau But the difference is Breather struggled initially to get people in because the immediate thought was what people would "do" (drug deals, sketchy rendezvouses, etc.) in the spaces and how Breather would handle the cleanup in between space reservations. Yes, definitely different target customer wise but still both serious in terms of incident backlash.
Report
yea its great until a dog with fleas stops by...and oh wait, how about all the boy dogs marking their territory? @veronica I am with you, a little hesitant.
@gizboz1@veronica It's good to be skeptical, but we clean the Dog Parkers regularly with use (at least once a day) and there is no soft surface for the fleas to stay on inside our houses (the floor mat is a nonporous, antimicrobial pad that is used at vets and shelters around the country). They aren't jumping off the dog to hangout on the plastic interior, I promise :) You're more likely to get fleas from a dog passing you on the sidewalk than in a Dog Parker.
Report
Not a chance I'd leave my dog in there. Dogs who are kennel trained are comfortable in their own dens, but as @veronica suggested, a box filled with the scent of other dogs is not the same thing. I think this idea needs some serious customer research.
@robmillis@veronica We talked to hundreds of dog owners one on one before developing the service and because the media loves to cover us :) we have gotten over 40k indirect pieces of feedback and research in the last 3 months. We love it!
Report
sorry, I'm a serious dog person and find this idea conceptually vulgar. however, if you want my support then simply have all company employees spend one full day inside a large box and stream live so that prospective customers may examine the experience.
@passingnotes We're serious dog people too, and while I've had dogs my whole life we made sure to bring in the experts for this--dog trainers, vets, and animal wellness experts when designing the service. I've spent lots of time in the Dog Parkers during install :) Dog Parkers are meant for very short trips (which is why our model is "by the minute"). Dogs will not spend whole days inside. Based on our current member usage, the average trip is 5-15 minutes and is safer than leaving them tied up outside and makes the dog and owner happy because they can be out and about in the city together more easily now.
Unity
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
saasyDB
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
Dog Parker
Dog Parker