Tag Archives: dogs

Dog training clicker has built-in treat storage

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Dog owners who are self training their pets know that clicker training is probably one of the standard practices. It is also known as marker training as you use a clicker to let the dog know that it has fulfilled a task. As you continually use the clicker, it conditions the dog to want to perform what you want it to do based on the theory of operant conditioning. There are a lot of different clickers available for this specific training but of course there’s always room for newer and more innovative versions.

Designer: Zerong Yang

Depending on your dog training regimen, the use of clickers sometimes forego treats as rewards as the click themselves are the rewards for your dog. But there are also those that still use snacks to give to them once they are able to fulfill the task and to associate it with the clicker. The Clink Clicker combines the clicking and the treats in one convenient device so you just have to hold one thing when doing the training.

It looks like a typical clicker but it has a sliding mechanism where you can store the treats you want to use as rewards. So after the dog has finished the task you’re training them to do, you click the clicker and then the dog will probably come to you and you can feed them the treat immediately. The space for the snacks is a desiccant compartment so it will remain fresh even if you’re outside for your training and it may be a bit hot.

It’s a simple solution to a treat management problem that some dog owners may experience. Having the clicker and the treat storage in just one device makes it more convenient and may shave off a few seconds during your training, leaving more time for learning and fun (well for your dogs, at least).

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IKEA pet accessories collection is the minimalist vibe for fur babies

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The past years we’ve seen the growth of “fur parents” so this means there’s also a significant spike in products that will appeal to this market. There are a lot of options out there when it comes to accessories for dogs, cats, and all other pets that may need different kinds of habitats, toys, etc. But when a big name brand puts a lot of effort into research and product development for our fur babies, then they immediately catch our attention.

Designer: IKEA

Swedish brand IKEA is getting into the pet world craze with their UTSÅDD collection that is meant to bring joy not just to the cats and dogs but to their “parents” as well. The brand came up with this 29-piece collection by consulting with veterinarians and pet product specialists and also testing it out on those who will actually be using the products, the cats and dogs themselves.

This means that the products are not just well-designed but also are dishwasher-safe, water-repellant, machine-washable, durable, and of course safe and gentle for the pets. The collection has some items for playtime like the soft toys for dogs and the play tunnel for cats but also has functional ones like pet bowls, beds, and houses. The habitats in particular, like the dog bed and the cat house can both be fun and useful.

The collection will be available globally starting this April. And like with a lot of IKEA products, there is a wide range when it comes to affordability with items ranging between USD $2-70. Also as with most items with the Swedish brand, expect a clean and minimalist vibe.

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Ogmen ORo is a smart robot companion and guardian for your beloved dog

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Robots are invading our homes, in one way or another. There are the rolling discs that are robot vacuum cleaners, and there are a growing number of cute robots that aim to provide entertainment and sometimes even security for the whole family. Well, at least the human members of the family. Some households have “small” a.k.a. furry family members, and these are often left unserved by these modern innovations. Worse, they’re sometimes even put at risk because of how some smart home robots are not designed with pets in mind. Turning the tables around, Ogmen Robotics is revealing at CES 2024 a kind of intelligent home robot that was designed from the ground up to be the “pawfect” playmate, guardian, and caretaker for your canine best friend.

Designer: Ogmen Robotics

At first glance, the Ogmen ORo looks like one of those robots on wheels designed for human use. After all, it has the semblance of a face, or at least eyes, on a tablet-like screen and a somewhat tall frame that loosely resembles a body. They say that looks can be deceiving, and that’s definitely the case here since all of the ORo’s features were carefully selected for the benefit of dogkind primarily, and humans only by association.

At the top of the list of those features is its ability to provide physical, mental, and emotional stimulation through playful activities. It keeps track of the dog’s health and even detects when they’re feeling anxious, at which point ORo will play soothing music to help calm them down. It can even help owners train their dogs through obedience games and virtual training services right at home.

When paired with Orgmen’s food and medicine dispenser, the ORo robot ensures that the pooch gets a balanced diet while also monitoring their eating habits. For humans, ORo offers the benefits of remote connectivity and interaction, allowing owner and pet to bond even when they’re far apart. The robot can also take photos of the bet’s precious moments, allowing you to easily share and boast on social media.

Technology doesn’t need to benefit humans only. In fact, it should be used to benefit all, including the planet as well as our furry friends. Ogmen’s ORo puts those very same technologies that power human smart appliances and devices at the service of the four-legged members of the family. After all, having happy and healthy family members is a good thing for both humans and animals alike.

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This AI-powered dog bark collar safely trains your furry friend to bark only when necessary

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Having pets is fun and rewarding, but as our parents warned us, it’s also a big responsibility. In addition to feeding them and cleaning after them, it’s also our job to make sure they behave properly, both in private and in public. The latter can be especially problematic when it comes to dogs with bad barking habits, making a lot of noise almost incessantly. There are many ways to teach a dog to keep quiet, but most of them end up being ineffective. Manual training is stressful for both dog and owner, while some tools or gadgets turn out to be harmful to the pet’s physical and mental well-being. With this innovative dog bark collar, however, your dog can gradually learn when to bark and when to keep quiet safely and humanely, all thanks to the power of AI.

Designers: 66 Studio, Zhe Sun & Bin Hu

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $109 (45% off). Hurry, only 247/500 left!

HushPuppy – The world’s first AI dog bark collar.

HushPuppy can help you train your dogs to learn to be quiet at the correct times and locations.

Dogs can be a person’s best friend, but just like humans, they can have different temperaments and behaviors. Unfortunately, some dogs develop what people call nuisance or excessive barking, which can sometimes be triggered by random everyday sounds or objects. Bark collars are growing in popularity as a way to train dogs not to bark at certain times, but they aren’t always effective and can even be excessive, defeating the purpose of training and causing the poor dog more stress and anxiety. By utilizing cutting-edge AI, the HushPuppy bark collar can be smart in detecting your dog’s barking and safely guide your faithful companion to better behavior.

AI soundprint detection accurately recognizes dog bark, leading to an interruption of barking behavior.

Through repeated interruption, the dog learns to quiet down so you can enjoy a peaceful life once more.

NFSF technology ensures that the collar won’t easily capture a dog’s bark more than 5 feet away.

Unlike most bark collars in the market, HushPuppy uses tiny AI models installed right onto the collar’s chip to detect sounds and differentiate a dog’s bark from other indoor and outdoor sounds such as alarms, car horns, doors, and even people laughing. This prevents a “false alarm” that would have otherwise triggered the collar’s conditioning effect incorrectly. HushPuppy boasts 99.1% accuracy and, thanks to Adaptive Sound Detection (ASD) and High Precision Computational Audio (HPCA) technology, it can even identify your dog’s bark in a noisy environment. Even better, a state-of-the-art Near-Field Sound Filter (NFSF) ignores barking that is more than 5 feet away, which means a nearby dog’s barking won’t incorrectly trigger the collar either.

Warning mode (white LED) and training mode (blue LED).

When HushPuppy does detect your dog barking, it will send a safe “reminder” to tell your dog not to bark, applying the principles of Pavlovian behavioral conditioning to discourage dogs from this kind of behavior. In training mode, this comes as a vibration and a beep. In warning mode, however, a mild static stimulus is also added to the response. This static stimulus is delivered by a single AAA battery at a fixed electricity level to ensure the safety of the dog while still delivering a memorable nudge to help develop good behavior. Over time, this repetition will help the dogs form a positive association so that they will quiet down when they hear or feel the stimulus.

In addition to a safe training method, HushPuppy is also designed to be completely safe and comfortable to wear. No metal parts are exposed and a conductive soft silicone gel is used instead, ensuring that the collar is soft on the skin and free of potential allergic reactions and unsafe edges. It’s so easy to use, there isn’t even a manual power button! The collar immediately springs into action once it detects a bark, and then goes into a low-energy standby mode when no more barks are heard. Thanks to this smart operation, it can last up to 300 days on standby or 21 days of regular daily use, all on a single AAA battery. With the AI-driven HushPuppy, your canine companion will be able to learn good barking habits in a smart and safe way, saving both you and your precious pet from embarrassment and stress.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $109 (45% off). Hurry, only 247/500 left!

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The Ultimate Pet Protection System Is Designed To Keep Your Pets Comfy, Cozy and Secure

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For most of us, our pets aren’t simply pets! They’re our children and babies we consider our own blood. We take care of them the way we would take care of our own kids, and leave no stone unturned to ensure they are happy, healthy, and safe. If you’re looking for a new and improved way to take better care of your pet then you may want to look into Tavo’s latest product – the Maeve Pet Protection System. Tavo is another creation from the makers of Nuna who build top-of-the-line baby gear. And their Maeve Pet Protection System is designed to provide your pets with the ultimate comfort and safety.

Designer: Tavo

While building the Maeve Pet Protection System, Tavo utilized the decades of research, development, testing, and engineering that have been carried out at Nuna. Tavo made use of this valuable information to create the perfect system that allows you to seamlessly take your pet from your home to the car and finally to the desired location – whether it’s a vet appointment or some fun adventure. The Maeve Pet Protection System includes a carrier and a vehicle base for the carrier which is reminiscent of a child’s car seat.

However, if you need to carry your pet beyond a car then you can opt for the Roscoe stroller frame as well. When used together Maeve and Roscoe team up to create Tavo’s 3-in-1 Protection System which provides your pets with the ultimate safety and comfort while traveling, putting you at complete ease. Tavo utilizes the latest United Nations ECE child restraint standards to provide the highest degree of safety and protection. You can travel peacefully with your pet knowing they are safe and secure.

Much like Nuna, Tavo also pays complete attention to aesthetics and comfort. The Maeve carrier is available in five color options – Onyx, Fawn, Merle, Sable, and Brindle, while the strollers are accentuated with vegan leather details in classic color options such as black, cognac, and chocolate. So, you can pick and choose the colors that perfectly complement your aesthetic as well as your pets!

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This flat-pack dog kennel is the comfortable + cozy home your doggo needs

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As much as I love spending time with my own cats, I’m honestly running out of ways to keep them entertained and prevent them from knocking down an item or two in my home, out of sheer boredom. If you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me and are always looking for new ways to keep your pet entertained, productive, and happy, then you should consider having a look at the Barc kennel. British architecture studio Foster + Partners collaborated with plywood manufacturer Isokon to create the Barc kennel for Goodwoof’s annual Barkitecture competition.

Designer: Foster + Partners and Isokon

Foster + Partners and Isokon teamed up to create this flat-pack dog kennel called Barc. The bed features an arched canopy that was built from a thin and flexible sheet of plywood. The sheet of plywood is one of the kennel’s self-assembly components that can be put together and taken apart for easy storage. The kennel was built for the 2023 Barkitecture competition which is run by Goodwoof. Goodwoof challenged designers and architects to consider and look into the positive effect that dogs have on people, especially in workplace environments.

“It is a delight to present our design at Goodwoof, for the second year running,” said Norman Foster. “We have used a refined palette of materials to create Barc, a flat-pack kennel that responds to the ever-evolving nature of the workplace.” A pair of dowels form the base of the kennel, into which the canopy is secured. The bent plywood section is fixed in place by a pair of dowels affixed widthways. They also support a fabric sling enclosing a cushioned pad made from coconut husks. Four wooden screws hold the dowels in place.

The bed has been built from environmentally friendly materials and has been designed to be easily assembled and disassembled. “The sparing use of material and detail is rooted in the idea of sustainability – to do more with less,” said Foster + Partners. “Our design can be easily scaled up to accommodate larger breeds. Barc will come in three sizes – small, medium, and large – so it can be home to a variety of different dogs.” Foster + Partners concluded.

The post This flat-pack dog kennel is the comfortable + cozy home your doggo needs first appeared on Yanko Design.

Top 10 ultimate products for pets and pet lovers

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As much as I love spending time with my own cats, I’m honestly running out of ways to keep them entertained and prevent them from knocking down an item or two in my home, out of sheer boredom. If you’re pretty much in the same precarious situation as me and are always looking for new ways to keep your pet entertained, productive, and happy, then this collection of pet products promises to come to your rescue! From a modular pet-friendly sofa to an adorable pet-feeder designed like a sushi tray – these product designs will take good care of your pet, and keep them active and content. You can take a little breather, while they wrestle around with these newfound fun products! These are the pet products you need in your home.

1. Quarter Sofa

Built using a mixture of wood and fabric (the fabric isn’t specified), the Quarter Sofa has two major characteristics – it is modular, and pet-friendly. The various modules of the sofa are in the shape of circles and squares, and they can be assembled, disassembled, and moved around to create a configuration that works perfectly for you, your home, and your cat.

Why is it noteworthy?

The unique configurations that you can make using the modules serve as a playground for cats! They can move and jump around them, even allowing them to play together, if you have multiple cats. Cats are curious creatures that love new adventures and mysteries, and I do believe the Quarter sofa could be a great one for them.

What we like

  • You can rearrange the modules to accommodate different numbers of people, and create an arrangement that best meets your seating requirements
  • You can use the hollow spaces to store and display items such as magazines, books, and other tidbits

What we dislike

  • It’s a concept
  • If your cat poops or pees in the hollow spaces, they could be difficult to clean

2. Sharing Joy

Rather aptly titled ‘Sharing Joy’, this award-winning chair comes with a side table for humans to place their books and cups of tea/coffee on, and a crawl space for cats to casually lounge in (complete with a suspended toy for them to play with).

Why is it noteworthy?

What I personally love about Sharing Joy is that it subscribes to a broader vision of what lounging is and who can ‘lounge’. Designed for humans and cats to cozy up in, the chair comes with a hollow, oblong backrest that’s perfectly sized for an adult cat (or a tiny dog) to crawl into and laze around in. Moreover, having the human and pet lounging together against each other sounds like absolute perfection. 10/10 will give you the happiness hormones.

What we like

  • Sports a minimalist aesthetic that fits in most contemporary homes
  • Comes with a soft design language that’s inviting to humans and cats alike

What we dislike

  • There is no option to adjust or close the opening when not in use

3. The Bowowhaus

Designed by Conran and Partners, the Bowowhaus is a mobile hut doghouse meant to help dogs live a nomadic lifestyle. It features pencil-thin slabs of light wood and dark gray-hued panels and shades, providing doggos with a cushy and comfy traveler ambiance.

Why is it noteworthy?

A flight of stairs welcomes the dogs into the hut, while a space for food containers and bowls is propped up behind the house, to ensure that no food and water is spilled within the little home. It features a triangular shape, which provides a generous amount of space, for dogs of all sizes and shapes to enter and lounge about in the hut comfortably.

What we like

  • The roof of the dog house has been topped with solar panels, and the wheels are battery-operated, allowing the home to be easily transported and moved from one place to another

What we dislike

  • We’re not sure whether dogs would actually feel comfortable and safe traveling in the mobile doghouse

4. OurPets’ Pet Feeders

This series of Pet Feeders from OurPets has a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek way of bridging the visual gap between pet treats and what humans consider treats.

Why is it noteworthy?

The feeders come in two styles – a sushi tray and a plate of waffles (with maple syrup and butter on top), with sliding and rotating compartments to hide pet treats in. Getting to these hidden treats requires a fair bit of problem-solving, including figuring out how components move to reveal the food hidden inside.

What we like

  • Gives pets their mental stimulation, making them work for their food as their wild counterparts would have by scouting, strategizing, and hunting

What we dislike

  • May lead to agitation in pets who fail to solve for treats

5. Chang’s Walking Aid

There are definitely plenty of walking aid designs, some even serving multiple functions. Some are just a step above crutches that you have to lift to move forward, while others come with wheels that increase mobility at the expense of some stability. Some come with small seats for the user, and others have baskets to hold their things. This particular walker concept combines some of these to present a more agile yet safe aid that has room for your pet when you go out.

Why is it noteworthy?

The most conspicuous part of this walker is the large box that serves as your pet’s mobile home. You can simply slide the door on top to let the little furry friend in or out, or you can keep it close so that they don’t jump out suddenly. Of course, there are vents that allow the pet to breathe easily while comfortably confined in there.

What we like

  • The handle travels in almost all directions, giving the user the freedom to grip it any way they prefer

What we dislike

  • There is no visible brake to control the walker in case their pet makes a sudden move

6. The Flow Single Sofa

SUNRUI designed this rather minimal and chic-looking armchair as a part of the FLOW Collection. As the name of the collection hints, the armchair is called the Flow Single Sofa. If you look closely at the chair, it quite literally looks like a Queen’s Chair.

Why is it noteworthy?

The sofa has a rather bulky and space-consuming form, although its structure has been designed quite elegantly and smartly, which somehow downplays the stoicness of the sofa. What also imparts the single sofa with sophisticated air are its spiral armrests. The spiral armrests add an interesting and artistic element to the sofa, and also quite amusingly resemble the Ionic Order.

What we like

  • Meets the needs of humans and pets alike
  • Creates a shared space, where the owner and cat, can spend some quality time together

What we dislike

  • If your pet pees or poops inside the armrests, it could be difficult to clean up
  • Scratching of the hollow furniture could cause sizeable damage to the chair body

7. The PawMate Beacon

This concept for a pet tracker may help ease those worries and make sure that your pets are well and safe while you’re away during the day or for a longer period of time.

Why is it noteworthy?

It looks pretty much like a regular dog or cat collar but is able to do more than just be an identification for your fur baby. It’s more like an activity tracker but instead of telling you how many steps you’ve taken, it gives you insight into your pet’s activity. It is partnered with the PawMate Beacon which you place in certain areas to help in the activity tracking.

What we like

  • There’s an accompanying app that lets you enter your pet details and gives you stats and insights as well as real-time data

What we dislike

  • Without real-world testing, it is difficult to verify how well and how much distance the tracker covers

8. Swelltone

Eating time can sometimes be stressful both for pets who can’t help spill food out of their bowls as well as for the humans who need to clean up afterward. Attempting to return dinnertime to its original atmosphere, this fine-looking food bowl for furry friends brings something that’s not only beautiful but also functional, utilizing human creativity and craftsmanship to make a pet bowl that delivers a pleasant experience for everyone at home.

Why is it noteworthy?

It makes “ease of eating” the focus of its design, and it does so in a simple yet effective way. The stainless steel bowl that holds the food can tilt up to an angle of 20 degrees, which makes it easy for pets to slurp every last bit without spilling their food.

What we like

  • We don’t need to clean up after our pets after meal time, owing to the bowl titling at 20 degrees
  • Posh + sleek aesthetics

What we dislike

  • The product might be difficult to integrate into the lives of pets who are used to a certain mealtime routine, and particular products

9. Petpartment

Petpartment is a concept for a space for both the cat and the cat owner so you can have a “beautiful life with your beloved pets”. What differentiates it from the usual cat trees is that it doesn’t just let your cat be like Obi-Wan Kenobi and have the higher ground. It’s meant to be decorative and functional for both of you and hide those interiors you don’t want them to harm while they’re playing or going about their day.

Why is it noteworthy?

The architecture of this pet apartment is well thought out and actually has four different angles with different functions as well. The front view is a showcase of the material used which is red oak and stainless steel. It looks like a bookshelf, and you can fill it up with your books and cats!

What we like

  • Nice piece of furniture to have, even if you don’t have pets
  • Works well for humans and felines

What we dislike

  • Don’t know if we can trust cats to be around books since they have a tendency to scratch things

10. Solar

MyZoo, a cat goods company, designs modern cat furniture that caters to your cat’s every need, while not disrupting your interior design. Solar, one of their more recent designs, is a wall-mountable floating cat bed that mounts onto any vertical surface so cats rest midair in their own designated space.

Why is it noteworthy?

Shaped like the sun, Solar is a small, but sturdy floating cat bed that’s built from pinewood. In a similar fashion to their other pieces of cat furniture, MyZoo lined Solar with a slotted resting platform for safe jumping. Ideal for small spaces, Solar provides a resting spot and jumping platform for your cat and saves space in the meantime.

What we like

  • Solar doesn’t take up any ground space and easily mounts to any wall where there’s room
  • Easy to assemble

What we dislike

  • There’s no cushioning on the bed, which would make it comfier

The post Top 10 ultimate products for pets and pet lovers first appeared on Yanko Design.

This collapsible dog crate keeps your pet safe and free while traveling in your car

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When you see dogs riding in cars in movies or even advertisements, you always see the head hanging out, tongue lolling, and pet smiling scenarios. But as any pet owner knows, real life is not as picturesque as that. Dogs in cars can be messy, chaotic, and sometimes even dangerous for both the pets themselves and the owners. So what you need is something that can keep them safe and secure while in a moving vehicle but also give them some sense of freedom.

Designer: Hammacher

This dog crate is meant to be a safe space for your pet while they’re riding with you on a short or long road trip. The Safer Automobile Pet Crate doesn’t really look like an actual crate but more like an enclosed baby seat for your fur babies. It is meant to be placed behind the front passenger seat and is secured with a harness to the headrest and a seatbelt for the back part. This way, even when you’re driving fast (or as fast as you’re allowed), the crate will stay in place and your pet be safe.

It is made from lightweight polyester and has a breathable mesh on both sides so your dog will not feel suffocated as it can still breathe and feel the breeze if your windows are down. That way, they can also still see the outside world but they’re kept in place if they become too excitable with all the passing vehicles and the kids waving from other cars. There are zipper doors on either side for easy access and the crate also has two storage pockets for things like food and water and hook-and-loop fasteners to hold their toys and treats.

To make your dog more comfortable, it has a fleece-covered pad. The whole thing is also easy to clean as it is washing-machine friendly. And in case you’re not bringing your pet with you on certain trips, you can just fold it flat and store it somewhere else to make space in the car. The Safer Automobile Pet Crate measures 28 x 19 x 27 inches so it may be just right for your small or medium-sized dogs. It’s also pretty affordable at just $130 and for pet lovers that love to travel with their dogs, that’s a small price to pay.

The post This collapsible dog crate keeps your pet safe and free while traveling in your car first appeared on Yanko Design.

Robotic Dog Uses AI to Learn to Walk in Under 20 Minutes

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A group of researchers at the University of California Berkeley have trained a dog to walk on various terrain in under twenty minutes using machine learning. Using a ‘deep reinforcement’ form of artificial intelligence, the robot can quickly acclimate to traversing almost any ground cover it finds itself on. Obviously, there’s never been a better time to build a treehouse.

Using a Q-learning algorithm, the robot doesn’t require any prior knowledge of the terrain; it just immediately starts the learning process from the ground up, being rewarded for successful actions. Wait – what are they giving it, digital dog treats? How do you reward a robotic dog? I’m so confused right now. Granted, I’m confused most of the time, but right now included.

For reference, it took me a solid three years to learn how to walk. Before that, I could only crawl in reverse and get stuck under the sofa. You never heard my parents complaining, though; apparently, it made me incredibly easy to babysit.

[via TechEBlog]

Man Spends $15,791 on Ultra-Realistic Dog Costume

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Because we all have dreams, and everyone’s dreams are different, a Japanese man named Toko recently spent $15,791 on an ultra-realistic Border Collie costume so he could dress up as his favorite dog breed. Hey, different strokes for different folks – that’s what my favorite high school substitute teacher Mrs. Gitland used to tell us while relating a story about how her daughter raises ostriches in Arizona.

Toko hired Zeppet Workshop, a company known for its costume work in movies and television as well as its custom furry commissions, to make the suit, which took over 40 days to construct through trial and error. According to an employee at Zeppet, “Since the structure of the [human] skeleton is very different, we spent a lot of time studying how to make it look like a dog.” Well, clearly all that studying paid off because the result is uncanny. So uncanny I’m not convinced this isn’t a dog in a human suit wearing a dog costume.

It was smart choosing a Border Collie instead of a chihuahua on account of 1) the obvious size and 2) all that extra belly fur helping to hide the fact that there’s an adult man in there who chose to spend $16,000 on a costume to look like a dog. Now just to be clear, I’m not judging – if anything I’m just jealous I don’t have the money to commission the ultra-realistic turtle costume I’ve always dreamed of.

[via 9gag]