Innovative Kickstarter project entertains and educates dogs while you’re away from home

Remember when you were a kid and all your dog had to play with was a stick and an old tennis ball? And ol’ Fido had to walk 10 miles (through the snow, I might add) to get to obedience school? Dogs these days have it good, I tell you. I mean look at all the awesome toys they have for dogs to play with. One of the latest dog toys that’s blowing my mind is the CleverPet Wi-Fi-Connected Dog Game Console.

Yep, you read that right – it’s a game console for dogs. And yep, it’s just as awesomely cool as it sounds! CleverPet is a learning game console that engages, entertains, and feeds dogs all day – perfect for pet parents who are at work and want to keep their dogs busy. Conceived by PhD-level neuroscientists and cognitive scientists from UC San Diego, the CleverPet uses cutting-edge algorithms based on behavioral science to reward dogs for learning something new. Dogs win food for interacting with the device’s three sensitive touch pads designed for a dog’s paw or nose, allowing them to engage with the pads to solve puzzles. It reminds me of the Simon memory game, only with treats for a job well done instead of annoying sounds.

CleverPet adapts constantly to individual dogs’ needs, and owners can always see how their pets are doing in real time using the CleverPet website and mobile app. This Wi-Fi-Connected Dog Game Console offers hours of engaging, challenging fun that will keep your pooch out of trouble while you’re out of the house.

Breaking it down (and you can watch the video below to see the CleverPet in action), here’s how it works:

The CleverPet has a variety of interactive games and adjusts levels in real time, based on your pet’s performance to ensure the game is never too easy or too hard. And the app lets you keep track of your dog’s interactions, create new ones and control the console.

This is a Kickstarter project, and although they’ve already reached their funding goal (woo hoo!), you can still contribute to the project until June 2, 2014. There are some spots left for a pledge of $199 – the regular price of the unit is $279, so you’re saving $80. The CleverPet is due to be delivered in February 2015, so you’ll have to find another way to entertain your dog until then. You can also visit the CleverPet website to learn more about the company.