The ad on Facebook said, “Transform your dog into the perfect companion with our revolutionary training video … for your dog.” I read on: “Our video delivers effective training while your dog simply watches and learns commands without your help or time.” I thought, “This can’t be real!” I checked the website.
The website said: “XXX is a visionary company born from casual ‘what if’ conversations with family members over two years ago. Inspired by the idea of leveraging television to train dogs, our journey began when we noticed our own dogs highly interested in watching TV which brought up the conversation time and time again … What if there were videos that can actually train a dog while they watch? After rigorous testing and contemplation, we decided to turn our vision into reality.”
I posted a link to the website so that friends online could check it out, too. I asked them for their reactions to the website and the ads.
Here are some of their responses.
Colette Kase (Mexico) I’m assuming it’s satire.
Rebecca King (Ohio) That cannot possibly be real.
Marilyn Marks (Connecticut) What will it teach the dogs who bark and paw at it?
Photo by Erin Saywell
Adrienne Critchlow (United Kingdom) So if I watch some videos of a surgeon doing open heart surgery, would you be happy for me to perform the same operation on you? No?! Why not?? Come on, I watched a video about it!!
Carol Duncan (Texas) Ha ha! So the dog is supposed to imitate the dogs on the screen? What a scam.
Nathalie Mosbach Smith (California) AI to the rescue!
Stephanie Presdee (United Kingdom) Do As I Do—by ethologist and dog trainer Claudia Fugazza. The purest form of imitation is an animal who can, purely on the basis of a demonstration, carry out an otherwise unlikely behaviour without purpose. Other scientists define imitation as also requiring insight into the intrinsic goal of the behaviour. With this definition of imitation, few are the species other than human beings who can achieve it. ‘‘Capuchin monkeys are extremely intelligent, and wild populations have been shown to use tools! They will also copy human actions … watch one of our clever monkeys use a scrubbing brush, accidentally left in their enclosure. We won’t need volunteers soon!” Though I think XXX is a touch too far. The basics would be clicker trained … so teaching cues.
Elisha McCallum (British Columbia) Even though there is some interesting data on the value of mimicry, training behaviours that stick requires monitoring and appropriately timed reinforcement.
Lili Chin (California) While there is no doubt that dogs learn through observation, this whole project misses the point of ‘training’ as a bonding process, a relationship, a two-way conversation with positive reinforcement for both parties. The fact that they used AI imagery is also a huge red flag. Two words come to mind—lazy and unethical.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) From their website: “While our video is a fun and engaging way to introduce your furry friend to new commands, it’s important to note that it is not a substitute for traditional training methods.”
Frances Dauster (Alabama) They need to define “traditional training methods,” too!
Hilary Lane (Colorado) What? If this was revolutionary and it worked the way they say it does, it wouldn’t be exclusive to their company. The concept has been around for years, with mixed success on its own.
Ruth Crisler (Illinois) A bit silly, but basically harmless. Do I think it’s realistic to imagine a dog being effectively trained this way? No, sir. Do I think it will do harm to the dogs that watch it? No, not unless they are agitated generally by dogs on TV, which one would presumably know before purchasing. I expect that some trained dogs will find it genuinely engaging. I doubt that untrained dogs will take much from it, but I don’t think it will undermine any real-life efforts to teach them.
Glenda Lee (Maine) Oh, my. Silly me. I’ve spent a lifetime teaching my dogs without screens! Gosh, the time I could have saved! However, while I’ve had cats that watch TV, I’ve never had a dog give it more than a passing glance!
Frances Dauster So even if the watching dog does what the screen shows/says, where is the reinforcement (unless the watching dog gets intrinsically reinforced by movement on the screen) … ????
Sodonnia Wolfrom (Arkansas) I actually saw something similar that I thought would be legitimately helpful for pet owners. The one you shared looked sketchy AF, and I wouldn’t go for it. The one I [saw] seemed much more put together and more reasonable, TBH.
Colette Kase The other give-away to this being a hoax, in my opinion, is that there is no company address nor any real information provided about the owners. The ‘about us’ section is completely vague. My spidey senses say hoax.
Is it for real? Colette Kase said elsewhere, “I’m pretty sure it’s a marketing project.” I think this text from the website might wave a red flag about the nature of this offer: “By completing the purchase of our digital video download, you acknowledge and agree to abide by this No Refund Final Sale Policy. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact our customer support team before making your purchase.”
What do you think? Is it a joke, a scam, or an attention-catching display of multiple big red flags? We don’t know for sure yet. I say, buyer beware, as always.
