Hi guys! Thanks so much for your interest in Barking Mat! We're excited to bring dog training into the mobile/IoT era with our new product!
Basically, we are leveraging the fact that dogs are creatures of habit and often go to the same location to be let out to "go". However, many dogs don't make a noise, and just sit there until they have an accident. We tried hanging bells on the door, and that didn't work. (I couldn't train our dog to bark, let along swat at bells!). We also didn't want to install a doggie door as they're unsafe. (In Canada we had biting winters, and in Phoenix we have coyotes!)
That's when my wife came up with the idea of a simple mat that the dog sits or steps on near their door of choice. When they sit or step on it, the mat itself makes a noise (a bark, a chime, or a reaffirming "good dog" sound.) Even better, we have a WiFi version that sends push notifications, which is great for skittish dogs that would get alarmed by the sound, or if you have a big house and wouldn't hear the mat (or dog) otherwise.
We will be making Barking Mat IFTTT compatible, and excited to see all the different ways people use the product.
Please check out our Indiegogo page, and let use know what you think!
Handwrytten