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THIS WEEK'S TOPICS:

• 🤖 Your AI dog sitter has arrived

• ✈️ Flying dogs

• 🥦 Do you need a dog nutritionist?

🤖 YOUR AI DOG SITTER HAS ARRIVED

AI has been all the rage this year, and as we said before sooner or later it’s coming for your pets.

…that time has come!

One of the first players in the space is taken by the up-and-coming canine companion company, Companion, which is redefining doggy daycare with some seriously smart tech!

Imagine a world where your dog doesn't sit around depressed all day just to finally wag its’ tail in excitement when you come home, but has a daytime sitter that can keep them enriched and report their activities straight to your phone.

That's the world Companion is crafting with its AI-powered device. No more pressing buttons or deciphering barks. This device understands tail wags and puppy eyes, speaking in a language of love that your pup understands.

Now, we all know the “big dogs” in the pet care arena: Chewy & Petco have been the go-to for pet parents looking for everything from kibble to plush toys.

While other pet players have been focused on shipping boxes, Companion is shipping experiences. Their CEO, John Honchariw, is all about those tail-wagging moment that bring health and happiness front and center​​.

Companion’s setup is a blend of the digital and the physical—think of it as a smart gym for dogs, minus the sweatbands.

It's a system that includes:

• 🖥️ a device

• 📲 an app

• ☁️ cloud storage

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 a dedicated animal behavior team. This dream team works together to track your dog’s every stretch and scratch, turning playtime into prime learning time.

The monthly service starts at $49. 

For those who want to go the extra mile for their canine companion, advanced features like doggy yoga and post-surgery pain management are also on the table​​.

Companion's treat dispensing system ensures your pooch won’t trick its way to an all-day snack buffet.

The device is set to provide only 20-30% of your dog’s daily caloric intake. So, no matter how much those puppy eyes beg, it’s a waistline-friendly approach to rewards​​.

And for the pups who may not see or hear as well as others, Companion’s got them covered too.

Their tech is so sharp; it can detect changes in your dog’s health over time. That's right, this device is almost like having a daily vet visit.

Companion has officially ushered in the pet AI revolution.

✈️ FLYING DOGS

We’ve flown with our dogs and it's a huge pain in the ass!

Sometimes there’s no other travel option and therefore is a necessity.

So we’ve gathered some basic facts and best practices in case you need to transport Spot across the skies.

So what makes air travel tough?

The reasons are many:

• You typically have to call in to make a reservation, and flights have limits on the number of dogs allowed.

• You may have to mail in or bring physical copies of things like vaccination records, etc.

• If you have large dog, you can't bring them in the cabin and they instead need to go into the cargo hold. (some airlines have banned this)

• Do you sedate your dog for the flight?

• Different airlines have different requirements for things like carrying crate, weight limits, etc.

And the biggest question…

What is the impact on your pets health?

This ultimately is up to you as the owner.

So we aren't going to try and take a stance on this, and we've gathered some info from a variety of sources to understand more of the risks:

• The biggest differentiator seems to be whether you will be able to bring your dog in the cabin, or have to put them in the cargo hold. Most sources (ASPCA, AVMA) recommend avoiding air travel if you need to store them in the cargo area. The main reasons being:

  • 🔊 It's noisier

  • 🥶 It's colder

  • 🧳 Other items can fall on their carrier

  • 😰 And most of all, you can't see them and they can't see you. So mix that in with noise, temperature, etc. and you have a recipe for a stressed animal. And if you can't see them, you can't monitor their health (one reason why cargo sedation can be riskier)

• Underlying health conditions can be made worse when flying, so a vet visit beforehand is highly recommended

• Sedatives can have unintended effects

• Let's be clear, that doesn't mean this is high risk. Only 1 out of every 10k animals that fly have an incident.

So if you do have to fly, what should you do?

We found some some advice from a career airline employee and dog owner:

• 󠁿❌ Not all airlines are created equal - some are more pet friendly and accommodating, so when flying, pick one that caters to your dog's needs. For example, some airlines offer temperature controlled cargo sections in the event you do need to store your dog down below.

• 🧑‍⚕️ Get a vet visit beforehand to make sure your pooch is healthy and the vet thinks they can tackle the flight.

• 📝 Make sure to follow all of the airlines requirements - the employee has seen multiple dogs denied flight b/c the owner didn't have the approved carrier size, paperwork, etc.

• 🧸 Make sure you have items that help your dog feel at ease (favorite toy, blanket, treats, etc.)

• 🐕‍🦺 If you do need to store your dog in the cargo area, carrier training can help reduce stress.

• 🍲 Try to feed your dog as little as needed on the day of the flight to reduce the risk of nausea.

• 🧻 Bring some absorbent pee pads, paper towels, ziplock bags, and gloves in case their is a potty emergency.

• 🏃 Tire your dog out 2 days in advance before the trip! It can help them rest or sleep during the flight.

For what it's worth, the employee said they would absolutely fly with their pup (and have)!

Pro tip: JSX is the friendliest airline we could find. They have limited routes but definitely the best option overall, especially for bigger dogs!

🥦 DO YOU NEED A DOG NUTRITIONIST?

We all probably understand that nutrition is important for both people and animals.

For most of our ownership history, nutrition advice for our dog came from our vet. Who better to ask to ask than the medical professional?

But things have changed.

More information is now available to us as owners via the internet and we've started to view dogs as family (therefore putting more emphasis on their overall health).

This has lead to an increase in questions and considerations which not all vets might be equipped to answer.

"But Dogonomist, why wouldn't our vet be the best person to ask about nutrition?"

Let us be clear, many vets will be a good resource to talk through nutrition with, and we are not saying that vets aren't.

What we are saying is nutritional understanding and needs are expanding, and it might make sense to start to think about specializing when getting advice.

Nutrition training and vets

A veterinarian is a medical professional. They need to attend schooling and get a state license and certification.

However, not all vet schools are created equal.

Some may focus more on nutrition, but there are many that only have a few units dedicated to nutrition.

Also, only about half of schools have a board certified nutritionist on the faculty to reach nutrition.

To become board certified in a veterinary specialty, a veterinarian must complete four years of veterinary school, a one-year internship or equivalent, and then complete a two to three year residency program that meets the standards of a recognized specialty college or board. So "board certified" means they are legit.

A 2020 study of US and Canadian vet students found that while most students had favorable attitudes towards nutrition they felt there was a low emphasis on nutrition education in comparison to other areas.

Less than half of incoming veterinary students anticipated that their veterinary nutrition education would prepare them to confidently discuss nutrition with future clients (quite concerning).

We also came across a number of articles written by vets (so this is purely anecdotal) that all mentioned that some of the nutritional info they received in school was given by representatives from dog food companies (even more concerning).

All this is to say that not every vet gets extensive training from a top tier source.

The same goes for human doctors, which is why you often get referred to nutritional experts yourself.

"Nutritionists"

Did you know that anyone can receive a canine nutrition certificate with 100 hours of online training?

Sure that's a good amount of time, but nothing compared to what someone with a medical degree goes through.

Being a "nutritionist" is not a regulated term and often is used to give us as owners a level of comfort and trust in what they know.

We point this out so that you as an owner, can distinguish some of the different titles that people will use to describe their experience.

There are plenty of great nutritionists, but from our research, a board certified veterinary nutritionist is the title that carries the most training and education.

Board Certified!

Like we mentioned before, becoming a board certified nutritionist takes a lot of work.

Four years of medical school, multiple years of residency, and finally passing some rigorous exams.

What makes them unique is that they incorporate the medical knowledge from having a veterinary degree with nutritional expertise gained from their residency training in veterinary nutrition.

So our preference would be finding a specialist like this depending on your pup's dietary needs.

Some reasons why you may want more specialized help:

1. Personalized Diet: They'll create a diet plan just for your furry friend, factoring in things like age, breed, and any health issues your dog might have.

2. Health Boost: If your dog has specific health problems, these specialists can craft a diet to help manage or even fix those issues.

3. Avoiding Trouble: They can help prevent health problems, like obesity or dental issues, by making sure your dog gets the right chow.

4. Supplements: They'll recommend any extra nutrients your dog might need for tip-top health.

5. Staying in the Know: These specialists are up to date on all the latest doggy diet science.

6. Keeping Tabs: They'll keep an eye on your dog's progress and make changes to the diet when needed.

The takeaway here is do your research and understand your options (as it usually is with us 😆).

DOGGYDEX™

Winner 🏆: DOGGYDEX

Proudly introducing the DoggyDex™, an index comprised of 10 publicly traded companies whose primary focus is the dog/pet industry.

List of tickers used can be found at the very bottom of the newsletter.

The yellow line-plot in the chart represents these companies above (DoggyDex™) and their combined performance against both the S&P 500 and Bitcoin on a weekly basis.

Pawformance is measured by % gains & losses.

• 🏨 This hotel has adoptable dogs in the lobby: The Westin Rancho Mirage has adoptable dogs at their hotel that visitors can come hang out with and ultimately take home furever if they so choose.

• 🎤 Woman FaceTimes her dog into a concert: Apparently this Patterdale Terrier is a big fan of Jessie Murph and didn’t want to miss the show!

• 😆 Dog dad plays with Corgi and “has to save his life”: This dog dad wrestles with his Corgi on the bed, at which point the Corgi lays still on his side until his dad gives him fake defibrillator treatment.

DOGGY B-DAY

• $CHWY - Chewy: E-commerce platform for pet supplies

• $IDXX - Idexx Labs: Vet point of care instruments and vet software

• $FRPT - Fresh Pet: Pet food company

• $PETQ - PetIQ: Pet health products and medicines

• $PETS - PetMeds: Online pet pharmacy

• $ZTS - Zoetis: World's largest producer of meds and vaccines for pets and livestock

• $TRUP - Trupanion: Pet insurance company

• $WOOF - Petco Health & Wellness co.: Pet health & wellness company

• $BARK - BarkBox: Subscription service providing dog products, services, and experiences

• $PET - Wag! Group Co.: Tech platform that allows pet owners to connect with industry professionals for services such as, walking, training, etc.