Paw
An app created for house-training your dog with smart tracking,
real-time reminders and rewards
Kiki at 3 months old
Introduction
When my boyfriend and I got our puppy Kiki, we quickly found out that besides being the cutest little creature she was also requiring a lot of potty breaks as she is very active and loves her food and treats.
We’ve done a lot of research prior to getting her and learned a lot about potty training and training in general and knew it wouldn’t be an easy task.
To keep track of her potty breaks, we created a WhatsApp group where we logged the time, location, and any patterns we noticed. We also used it to track her training progress, behavior patterns (for example, we noticed that she is going under tables or chairs when she wants to go for number 2), and challenges (and to send derpy pictures of her, of course).
However, this way of tracking had its flaws. It was inconvenient to use WhatsApp because it was overflowing with chats which made it harder to keep track of the progress. In order to view our notes we had to get into whatsapp and search for our group chat between all the other chats and groups that were active at the same time.
This experience inspired me to design an app specifically for puppy owners that would allow them to see when it would be best to take their dog out, record notes for training or health monitoring,and make important information easily accessible when needed.
Problem Statement & Research
The Problem
New puppy owners often struggle to track their dog’s potty schedule, training progress, and behavior patterns.
User Research & Insights
To better understand the needs of other puppy owners, I conducted research through:
- Personal experience & pain points – using WhatsApp and relying on memory for house-training was inefficient, especially for the first few months where potty breaks happen at least every hour and in the middle of the night.
- Conversations with other puppy owners – Many shared similar struggles, wishing for an easier way to track their puppy’s routine. None of the puppy owners I talked to had these notes written down and were basing their walks on memory.
- Advice from trainers – I talked with multiple trainers and read information online, all agreed that tracking and taking notes is the most efficient way to train puppies that will grow to be house-trained and happy.
From this research, I identified key challenges and pain points:
- Disorganized tracking – Notes and logs often get lost when using messaging apps.
- Inconsistent potty schedules – Predicting when a puppy needs to go can be difficult without a clear history.
- Lack of motivation – Many owners start tracking their puppy’s habits but eventually skip updates or stop altogether. Between training, feeding, playing, and cleaning up messes, tracking can start to feel like just another chore. And when frustration kicks in, it’s easy to lose focus and forget to log things consistently.
Competitors Research
I looked for similar apps in Apple's App Store and found one app that focuses on puppy training, called "Dogo" created by Dogo App GmbH.
I signed up with the free plan (that I later discovered doesn't include a lot) and went through the app's screens. It seems like this app is more focused on training in general and doesn't put a lot of emphasis on potty training.
The app is built with courses (that I couldn't get into as a free user), one of which is for Potty Training. The app claims to have 24/7 dog training support and users can send videos of their dogs to get feedback, which iI think is great for dogs that are already/mostly house-trained.
As a dog owner I don't think I would find this app convenient or helpful for these reasons-
- Potty Section-
The potty log is good and straight forward, after logging the users can see a calnedar view of when the dog went potty and where. However the logging option was hard to find, logging things like sleeping, eating, drinking (which affect metabolism) wasn't easy to find, users can only log it when logging a potty walk which doesn't make a lot of sense as drinking, eating and sleeping doesn't occur on potty walks.
With the free version, I wasn't able to get predictions as to when the next walk would be. I also didn't find any information as to if it is included in the paid version. I did get an option to set reminders every 5 hours (based on my Dog's age) but I feel like this isn't a very good method as especially with younger dogs, you might have to go out more than just the "Age in months+1" / 3-4 trips a day with adult dogs. - Training Section-
I liked the tracking option, it reminded me a lot of Duolingo (having a streak, similar design) and it looks like it has in-depth training videos. It is clear that this app is more about command-training than house-training and it looks like it would be good for more expxerienced owners.
I feel like with younger dogs where to focus is on potty training, the command training takes up a lot of the space and focus.
The app is titled "Dog & Puppy Training" so it isn't specific for command training or potty training, but from my experience with a 2 month-old puppy, potty training would come before teaching more complex commands like going backwards or giving a handshake.
In conclusion, users who need help with house-training their puppies and download this app will get a partial solution.
The Opportunity
A dedicated app could solve these problems by providing:
- A structured potty log with time and activity based predictions, this way the users will be able to see when to expect the next potty break and plan their time accordingly.
- Easy-to-find training and behavior notes
- A reward system – Users earn coins for logging potty breaks, training updates, or notes daily. These coins can be redeemed for exclusive deals on dog toys, discounts on pet supplies, and other rewards. This reward system not only encourages consistency but also makes the experience more engaging and beneficial for dog owners in the long run.
Ideation & Concept
After identifying the struggles that puppy owners go through and looking back at the struggles we faced as new puppy parents, I brainstormed ways to create a simple, structured, and engaging solution. The goal was to design an app that makes tracking easy, encourages consistency and reduces frustration.
I wrote down some key features-
- The most accessible feature should be the potty log. I remember how inconvenient is was searching for our group chat a times where it had felt like our puppy may need to go out, having to scroll through the chats (and sometimes in the group chat too, in cases where the recent messages weren’t related to her business) when you need to get quick access to information isn’t ideal. It was clear to me that the potty log should be accessible and show relevant information like when to expect the next walk.
- I wanted to add the option to take notes that will be sorted by date, this way the users will be able to take notes regarding their dog’s behavior, milestones and health.
- I wanted to “gamify” this tracking progress, similar to how in some health apps users can convert steps into coins and get special health/sport related offers. This way tracking feels less like a chore and more like something that the user is looking forward to and wants to do.
Final Concept
In conclusion, the best approach combines structured tracking, predictive insights, and gamification to keep users engaged. The app would include:
- Smart potty predictions- based on age, potty and activities data filled by the users.
- Training tracker- to track the progress of command training.
- Notes- where users can write down notes about behavior and health.
- A reward system- users earn coins for every logged activity, which can be redeemed to get special offers. The amount of coins recieved and the maximum coins pre day will be calculated based on the dog's age (as younger puppies require a lot more potty walks than adult dogs).
- Shared access- Allows multiple puppy parents to sync data, ensuring everyone stays informed.
User Personas & Strategy
User Personas
Next, I created 2 user personas to better understand who the users of the app are.
The main target audience is young adults-adults who are first time puppy owners, but also targeted to usres who are expereinced dog owners and added a new puppy or an adult dogs that needs to be house-trained to their family.
Emma Carter- first time puppy owner.
Age: 28 years old.
Background: works full-time as a software developer, recently adopted a 3 month-old Golden Retriever named Lilly.
Pain points:
– struggles to house-train her dog, she finds it hard to keep track of the times her dog has to go with her busy schedule.
– finds it hard to predict when her dog needs to go outside.
Goals:
– wants an efficient way to track her dog’s potty breaks
– wants to get notified a few minutes before her dog might need to go on a walk
Motivations:
– Loves seeing progress in her puppy’s training.
-Would enjoy earning rewards for consistently logging data.
Frustrations:
Can’t find a way to track potty and training progress and relies on memory, which doesn’t go well with a busy routine
Evan Reid – busy parent and an experienced dog owner.
Age: 37 years old.
Background: a father of two, works full-time as a project manager, recently adopted a 5 month old mixed dog named Buddy. Buddy was never properly house-trained and got used to going inside the house which causes a lot of frustration.
Pain points:
– Since Buddy never lived in a home before it is hard to break his habit of going inside the house and he finds it hard to decide when to take him out for a walk.
– Juggling family life, work, and puppy training makes it hard to stay consistent. Without proper tracking, it is hard to keep everybody up-to-date.
Goals:
– Needs a shared system where he and his wife and kids can log Buddy’s potty breaks and training progress so they can track and coordinate potty breaks.
– Wants reminders to help his family stay on track.
Motivations:
– Wants his kids to be involved in the training process and learn about responsibility.
– Needs to take the training progress seriously to prevent accidents at home.
Frustrations:
– Tried a similar app but couldn’t add family members.
– Messages get lost in the family group chat.
Information Architecture
Based on the user’s pain points, goals, motivations, and frustrations, I used Miro to organize and categorize them into relevant groups.
I first wrote down the pain points, goals and ways to overcome frustrations. I grouped them by their subject and gave each a color to create some visual differentiation.
Then I separated them into two groups- Screens/app flow and notifications, as one of the main focuses of this app is notifying users about upcoming potty walks.
With this information in mind, I created an app map with all the screens that shows the information that will be displayed on them and connections between the screens while making sure to provide solutions for the users.
Wireframing
I created wireframes based on the app flow that I created to define the layout and functionality before moving into high-fidelity designs.
I wrote down text placeholders to define areas, this way I could focus on both structure and visual style at the same time, ensuring an intuitive and visually appealing experience.
Onboarding Process
I started with the onboarding screens as they are the first screens the users will see.
I wanted to have a flow of signing up/ joining as a puppy parent to an existing user/ logging in, and display a sort of tutorial/information card
for first-time users.
First-time users-
First-time users fill in their own details like name, phone number, email and birthday, and then proceed to add their dog's information. The input from the dog's age will be used to claculate potty walk times, calculate maximum coins per day and determine the amount of coins for each logged in activity:
Potty walk – 50 coins for dogs aged 2-4 months with 12 max rewarding walks per day, 60 coins for dogs aged 5-7 months with 8 max reqarding walks per day, 70 coins for dogs aged 8 months and above with 6 max rewarding walks per day.
(rewarding walks = walks that users get rewarded for.
Users can still log and get predictions beyond the rewarded walks but they won't get coins for them).
Training sessions – 30 coins for dogs aged 2-4 months with 3 max rewarding session per day, 40 coins for dogs aged 5-7 months with 3 max rewarding session per day, 50 coins for dogs aged 8 months and above with 3 max rewarding sessions per day.
(rewarding sessions = sessions that users get rewarded for.
Users can still log training sessions beyond the rewarded sessions but they won't get coins for them).
Notes – 20 coins for all dogs per day.
Users joining as Puppy Parents-
Existing users who want to add a Puppy Parent will do so through their profile. When they request to add a puppy parent they will input the other owner's phone number or email.
When the joining puppy parents will enter the app for the first time they will see an option to join as puppy parents and will be requested to insert the verification code.
Users logging in-
Users who had previously signed up will be able to log in with a verification code sent to their phone/email.
Home Screen
I wanted the home screen to be a sort of a dashboard with quick access to actions and screens.
The first section shows information regarding potty training, with the prediction for the next break, an option to add a potty break, quick actions and a summary of the most recent break at the top. This layout puts the most critical information at the top- when to expect the next potty break. This way users can know when to pay extra attention to their dog’s body language, which is a key component for house training, or initiate a potty break.
Clicking on “Overview” will lead to the “Potty” screen.
The second section shows quick actions for command training, it shows the recent commands and progress and has the option to log a new training session.
Clicking on “add potty walk” will lead to the potty log screen.
Clicking on “log playtime/drinking/eating” will shorten the expected time by 30 minutes.
Clicking on “Overview” will lead to the “Training” screen.
The third section shows quick actions for notes, it invites the users to add a new note and shows the first lines of the notes from the two previous notes.
Clicking on “Overview” will lead to the “Notes” screen.
The fourth and final section shows deals and offers. It has a carousel with featured offers, there are buttons that lead to specific categories.
Potty screen
Main Screen-
The main screen shows the quick actions at the top, like in the home page.
Under it the users can see trends regarding their progress- a daily/weekly/monthly graph that shows accidents at home and successful potty walks and a graph that shows the house training progress.
Users can also see previous logs.
Potty Log Screen-
Users can log information about a potty walk/accident at home.
It starts with marking the location, then what the dog did, and then if it was normal.
Training Screen
Main Screen-
The main screen shows the recent commands and the learning process in percentage, with an option to log a new training session/progress.
Under it the users can see commands that have reached 100%
Training Log Screen-
Users can log a training session/progress and rate the session on a scale of 1-5, which will determine the progress percentage that is displayed for the user.
Notes Screen
Users can add a note/edit the note throughout the day and view recent notes next to it. The thought behind showing recent notes next to the current day’s note is that they might make users recall things they need to mention or want to track and recognize behavioural patterns. From my experience, I think that if I had this option I would be able to recognize if my dog might start to feel unwell/ need extra sleep/ need extra play time etc.
There is an option to filter by subjects that are recognized through AI.
Profile Screen
This screen holds settings such as notifications, adding dog parents, information about the dog, order history and an option to contact support.
Order history- this screen shows all the orders that were placed and shows the voucher codes that users can display in the stores that accept them.
Rewards Screen
Users can see new and featured rewards and go to specific categories to redeem rewards.
The top section has a carousel with the most recent/popular/featured offers, the bottom half of the screen shows the available categories and clicking on them leads to the category screen.
Category screen- shows all the available offers for a selected category.
The offers are displayed as cards and feature a picture of the product, a short description, the price and the shop or business where the voucher can be used.
Item screen- shows the item and an option to purchase the voucher. Clicking on the button leads to the payment screen.
Payment screen- where the user can view the order summary and pay using their credits. After completing the purchase the user will see a “thank you” pop up message saying the transaction was successful and the code can be viewed in profile > order history, or a pop up message saying there was a problem if the transaction wasn’t successful.
Wireframing
My primary goal was to create an intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing interface that would cater to puppy parents’ needs.
The main design goals were:
- Simplicity- a clear design and and easy-to-navigate elements
- Accessibility- ensuring all the elements are accessible while maintaining spacing rules and hierarchy.
- Consistency- Maintaining a consistent visual style throughout the app to create a seamless user experience.
Typography
I chose to use the font “Lato” as the primary typeface. It is clean, modern, and highly readable. It strikes a balance between friendliness and professionalism which fits for an app that needs to feel both approachable and trustworthy.
I also used the font “Fredoka”, which is a more playful font, in a few places
(like the dog’s name, the signing up process) to make the design a bit more playful and young.
Headers: 16px, bold
Body text: 14px, regular
Smaller body text (used for notes): 12px, regular
Disclaimer text: 10px, regular
Buttons and labels: 14px, semi-bold
Color Palette
The color palette was chosen to create a calming and approachable feel.
Primary colors- Shades of turquoise, chosen for their calming, natural connotations and ease on the eyes. These colors are used across backgrounds, buttons, and icons to create visual harmony.
Secondary colors- Shades of yellow, chosen for the warmth and energy that they give, in order to make the app a bit more “lively”.
I used a shade of dark grey for the text to make it readable and easy on the eyes.
App Logo
I created a simple and straight-forward logo of a paw print, that fits the app’s name and purpose. The paw is tilted slightly to the side to hint at the puppy’s playfulness.
Final UI Screens
Final Thoughts
This project was an opportunity to design a solution that simplifies house-training for dog owners while ensuring an intuitive and engaging experience.
By researcching and defining user needs, I created a structured system that helps track progress, recognize patterns, and encourage consistency with a reward system.
Looking ahead, I would explore further usability testing and potential feature improvements based on real user feedback.
Possible features –
- Adding an option for the user to choose whether they are experienced dog owners or new owners, choose whether to focus on potty training or command training.
- Adding an option to have multiple dogs per profile.
Overall, this case study showcases my approach to user-centered design, problem-solving, and creating a seamless UI experience while using various tools for research, ideation and design.