Problematic behaviour is the leading cause of dog relinquishment in the United Kingdom. These behavioural issues have a range of causes, such as inadequate socialisation, traumatic experiences, and purchasing from unscrupulous breeders.

Even though this behaviour is subjective to the individual dog owner, research indicates that most owners do not seek professional help to diminish these behaviours. This is due to the expensive fees of behaviourists and owners wanting to train their dogs themselves.

Bud is an application that is suitable for both current and prospective dog owners. The application helps facilitate a positive ownership experience which helps to prevent and rectify problematic behaviour with the vision of reducing the rate of relinquishment.

Once the user has selected a goal, they are given a personal training plan to complete. After each lesson the user unlocks a new badge, once all the badges have been collected for their goal the user gets sent a physical medal that can be attached to their dog’s collar. Data has shown that out of 53% of dog owners who attend puppy training classes, only 14.4% finish the course. Therefore, Bud uses gamification strategies to incentivise the user to complete their training plan.