Product Design NEA (Dog walking)

[Matteo Slee]

Hi all, I am currently doing my A level Product Design NEA and my focus is dog walking. My aim is to produce a product that will make dog walkers lives easier and less stressful at times. However so that I can do this, I have some questions to ask all of you.
I would really appreciate it if you could answer them.

1) How often do you walk your dog?
2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?
3) How old is your dog?
4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?
5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?
6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?
7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?
8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?
9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?
10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

Thanks!

 

[JoanneF]

Hi, good luck with your project.

1) How often do you walk your dog?

once if it’s a long walk (over an hour) or twice if one hour and under.

2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?

both


3) How old is your dog?

11

4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?

mainly off lead


5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?

extra? I carry a lead, poo bags and treats. Water if it’s going to be a long walk with no source of water en route.

6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?

no, pockets usually do it. I’d use a rucksack if I had to carry more than fits in my pockets.


7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?

never lost anything.

8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?

I use a cupboard in the utility room, leads and harness go on a hook by the door.


9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?

harness

10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

I’m the main walker, sometimes other people join us. My dog is seldom walked without me.

 

[Inka]

Hi and welcome

1 Daily
2 Both
3 from 18 months to 14yrs
4 'Walking dogs' is on a lead, off lead is a 'benefit' only given if any dog is obedient and has a 100% recall (they get both)
5 Leads, poo bags, car keys ( rattle keys they know to instantly come regardless of what they are doing)phone
6 No, leads on dogs, poo bags in pocket along with keys/phone
7 Have lost a lead in the past because I failed to clip it onto me... no not interested in carrying additional equipment
8 No, leads are hung up, poo bags are already in pocket/clipped to the lead
9 Depends on dog, generally a collar, sometime collar and harness for two connection point contact ( but that is not for walking, it is for training)
10 Only person who walks them

There are already lots of 'products' that you may find useful to research such as dog back packs, so they can carry their own poo bags, small bottle of water, collapible bowls, water bottle with attached drop down 'dish', poo bag holder that clips to their lead or your belt, clip on belt treat/toy bags, duel dog lead attachments( to walk more than one dog on one lead), traffic handle ( a handle attached to a clip) double ended lead or belt lead (so one is connected to you, the other connected to the dog no hands required) a short version of the double ended lead about 6-8" of lead with clip at each end ( great for connecting two same sized dogs together one obedient dog, one not so obedient, so the obedient dog teaches the other to come when called but gets 'off lead' time from handler)

 

[Hemlock]

1) How often do you walk your dog?

Once or twice a day depending how she feels, as she is elderly and not very well (cancer).

2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?

Whatever she is up for.

3) How old is your dog?

12

4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?

Mostly offlead

5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?

Poo bags, spare lead, treats, CO2 spray

6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?

Not sure what you mean by organising. I wear either a coat with multiple pockets or a falconer's vest with lots of pockets.

7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?

Always interested in new products, but my current way is fine, so it would have to be exceptionally good.

8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?

I hang up lead, put treat bag in a cupboard, and the rest stays in my pockets when coat is hung up.

9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?

Collar

10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

My husband walks her as well, but nobody else.

 

[JoanneF]

Sorry OP but - @Hemlock, why do you carry CO2 please?

 

[Hemlock]

To deal with dogs that want to barrel into mine/into me, after I have asked their owners to call them/keep them away. I have also broken up dog fights with it. My dog is weak and vulnerable, and some dogs want to target her.
I'm vulnerable too, and don't want to be kneecapped by big unruly untrained dogs. It's very much a last resort, but very much needed.

 

[Ross J]

I also carry a CO2 spray called pet shield not had to use it yet,(Amazon)when out walking one day I got talking to a elderly dog Walker I told him about the spray as some dogs were going for his dog,next time I saw him he had some with him.I also have the red spray that you can use against humans in case of self defence ( I had it for my job).

 

[JudyN]

1) How often do you walk your dog?

Twice a day

2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?

Depends on how he feels - often they're very short but take forever

3) How old is your dog?

12

4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?

Mostly on lead now as he's gone off the car and we sometimes don't get to off-lead places - but as soon as we get to a safe area, the lead comes off.

5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?

Poo bags, treats, phone, keys, whistle, Piriton in case of adder bites, tick remover, water bottle (for the dog) in summer, a small amount of 'emergency' money. Now I take my Kindle too...

6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?

Only in that my keys end up under everything else and it can sometimes take a while to find them when I get home.

7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?

I've lost a couple of leads, usually when I've nipped into undergrowth for a comfort break, put it down, forgotten to pick it up, and not been able to find the same bit of undergrowth. I'm sure I could work out a way to stop it happening if I put my mind to it, but I just tell myself I won't forget next time.

8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?

No - I hang coat and bag in the integral garage.

9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?

Collar

10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

Either me, or hubby and me. For various reasons hubby hasn't taken him on his own in an age, and he (the dog, not hubby) would probably refuse to leave the house without me.

 

[SpotTheCat]

Hi all, I am currently doing my A level Product Design NEA and my focus is dog walking. My aim is to produce a product that will make dog walkers lives easier and less stressful at times. However so that I can do this, I have some questions to ask all of you.
I would really appreciate it if you could answer them.

1) How often do you walk your dog?
2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?
3) How old is your dog?
4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?
5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?
6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?
7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?
8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?
9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?
10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

Thanks!

1) I try to do once a day
2)both, once a week we go on a long walk 1+hour, daily walks are about half an hour
3) 13 about
4) all ways on a lead
5)treats, extra lead (start doing this very recently), collapsible bowl, poo bags and water on hot or long walks
6)a bit, I have not seen a dog bag I like yet
7)nope
8)no, I have a hook by the front door and shelf
9)harness
10) most of the time I am the only person who does

 

[RGC]

Thank you JoanneF, taking a pragmatic approach I’ve copied and pasted your format:


1) How often do you walk your dog?

once if it’s a long walk (over an hour) or twice if shorter.

2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks?

both


3) How old is your dog?

5

4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly?

mainly off lead


5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog?

I carry a lead, poo bags and treats. Water if it’s going to be a long walk with no source of water en route.

6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,?

no, pockets usually do it. I’d use a rucksack if I had to carry more than fits in my pockets.


7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem?

never lost anything.

8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home?

I use a cupboard in the utility room for treats, leads and harness go on a hook by the door.


9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar?

harness

10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it?

I’m the main walker, sometimes my wife will join us.

Hope this helps.

 

[melb100]

1) How often do you walk your dog? Twice a day.
2) Do you take your dog on long walks or short walks? Usually 1 hour in morning which includes hanging out and chasingher dog pals, probably 30 mins actual walking. Second walk usually a bit shorter, about 45 min, and less dog play. Sometimes one longer walk (4-5 miles) at weekend.
3) How old is your dog? 1 year
4) Do you keep your dog on a lead mostly or do you let it off mainly? On lead when on or near a road or livestock. Off lead when we're sure its safe from traffic and livestock.
5) How much extra equipment do you carry with you when walking your dog? Treats, poo bags, emergency ball, whistle. Take water bottle with us on longer walks but usually keep in the car as its not as tasty as muddy puddles anyway. On the beach we take a frisbee.
6) Do you have trouble organizing dog equipment such as toys, treats, poo bags, etc.,? I bought a bum bag with one pocket for treats, and the other pocket carries poo bags, spare ball and whistle.
7) Do you ever lose equipment whilst on these walks? If so would you be interested in a product that would solve this problem? Dont lose anything now I have my trusty bum bag!
8) Do you need an area to keep the equipment away from the dog while you’re at home? No, just hang bumbag from coat hook on door.
9) Does your dog use a harness or just a collar? Collar
10) Are you the only one who walks your dog or do other people also walk it? Me, partner, dog walker twice a week