How DogBase is bringing AI and tech to elevate working dogs

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When training working dogs, many trainers still rely on outdated paper-based systems or, worse, nothing at all. That’s a big problem when we’re relying on these dogs to perform jobs and training becomes a slow and expensive process. The working dog market is a $50 billion industry, and it’s rapidly growing. 

DogBase, a SaaS solution for canine units, is modernizing the way we train and manage working dogs by leveraging data and AI. DogBase takes a streamlined approach that provides actionable insights, improves working dog performance, addresses compliance issues, and ultimately saves both time and money.

When DogBase founder Almog Koren saw a gap in technology and working dog performance, he knew he could create a solution using his personal experience as a former special forces member, technical expertise as a developer, and passion for search and rescue. We sat down with Almog to talk about DogBase’s intersection of pet tech, AI, and traditional industries like military and search and rescue.

Breaking the mold: From paper to tech

Working dog performance is traditionally low tech, tracked with paper notes, Excel spreadsheets, and clunky technology. Police units have some older enterprise software, but they aren’t designed with working dogs in mind. That’s limiting the effectiveness and efficiency of training. DogBase set out to change that with its log, track, and improve framework. The custom training allows teams to log in the field, manage teams of canines, and access real-time automation and recommendations.

Typically when you hear the phrase working dogs, you think of military and police dogs. But working dogs also encompass bio-detection dogs, whether gas detection or COVID dogs, as well as search and rescue, therapy, and service dogs. Almog defines working dogs as dogs with a job. 

Navigating traditional markets

Most notably, DogBase has found its niche in military and federal training environments, where a single session can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. By automating tasks and providing valuable insights, DogBase helps canine units streamline their workflows and significantly reduce operational costs by 30-60%. 

If you’re training a dog to return to a helicopter in military cases, that training could easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you reduce the number of training sessions even by a few, you’re saving a lot of money because the amount spent on pilot and tarmac time is significantly reduced. That’s a no-brainer for most military units and trainers.

While tech adoption in traditional industries like military and law enforcement can be slow, DogBase has found innovative ways to overcome these challenges. Almog says, “Highly specialized units within military branches like the special forces unit or canine units see the value of DogBase right away, and they’re able to get the budget allocated right away.”

Harnessing AI for optimal training outcomes

Training one dog at a time using repetitive training is time and resource-intensive. You must show a dog is good at a task bit by bit and gradually make it more difficult. But often dogs get bored. Almog pushes the concept that we need to shift past repetitive training to progressive and adaptive training, and this is possible by leveraging AI. 

DogBase leverages video analysis to summarize the training sessions and takes into account other factors that impact working dog performance, such as the weather, number of hours trained, what and when they ate, and dog breed. Then it provides an assessment and actionable recommendations, including if the dog is ready to progress to the next level. 

With AI, they can leverage data to track trends and correlations through data. For instance, DogBase data could show that working dogs perform better for explosive detection when using a maximum of 5 grams with TNT odor kits. They can also work against trainer’s blind, when a high-performance working dog suddenly doesn’t want to work one day. Trainers will say the dog is having a bad day or blame it on the weather. Instead of falling back on these assumptions, Almog says DogBase can provide AI and data-backed reasons for why a dog won’t work one day.

From search and rescue to forensics: Expanding horizons

One of the most intriguing aspects of DogBase’s journey is its evolution from serving search and rescue units to branching out into unexpected areas like forensics. Almog says the go-to-market strategy is fairly organic through networking: “We’re forming one-on-one relationships with people and our customers are finding us. For instance, we’ve learned about fields like forensics canines and human remains detection (HRD) in 20 and 40-year-old archaeology cases.”

While the company plans to expand into the dog sports and trainer field, Almog acknowledges the need to carefully consider product-market fit and potential feature adjustments. Currently, DogBase has robust data about working dogs, and to expand to trainers and further to consumers, they must collect more data and introduce different features catered to those target audiences. 

As DogBase continues to innovate and expand its reach, the future looks promising. Down the road, Almog says they will be able to look at 3-4 second videos of dogs to determine two things: 1) the dog’s stress level and mood, and 2) the activity level based on the exertion, age, and breed. Almog sums up the company’s vision: “We believe in the power of tech to elevate working dogs. Our goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and make a positive difference in the lives of working dogs.”