Tindog pretty much sets up a few jokes for you to use from the off. Puppy love? Check. Looking for bitches online? Check. In heat? Check and indeed mate!
Tindog – the Tinder for dogs – was always bound to happen. The biggest surprise is that given the internet’s predilection for cats, a feline-friendly version didn’t hit the market first. But it hasn’t and so here we are. Tindog found its way onto the Android app store a few days ago and gives our loveable canine friends a chance to match up and sniff each other’s asses before doing it doggy-style, presumably.
Ahh but don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that dogs have become infinitely more intelligent than they ever were before – or acquired opposable thumbs for that matter – and can now use apps in a terrifying hound-based version of Planet Of The Apes. No, it’s more of an opportunity for owners to give their faithful friends an opportunity to make pals with other dogs. Even BaDoink’s resident hell-hound wanted a piece of the action too…
BaDoink caught up with Julian – founder of Tindog – to see just what all this fuss was about and if the app has got fur flying.
What inspired the creation of Tindog?
I’ve had dogs my entire life and my dogs are extremely important to me. As such, what I found was missing was a technology that facilitates meeting other like minded people. A technology that gives me the opportunity to introduce my own dogs to new buddies. Dogs are man’s best friend yet they were kept outside this social media revolution that happened over the last decade or so.
With Tindog I wanted to change this, I wanted to give dogs a real say in who the owners meet.
What other apps – if any – have you worked on prior to Tindog?
I’m the founder and CEO of Holidog; Europe’s largest marketplace for petsitting services. We help pet owners find pet sitters for their holidays, nannies and walkers and even dog trainers. All on the same platform. Most recently, we have launched the HappyBox by Holidog which is a box full of surprises for dogs or cats that is delivered to your doorstep every month.
Do you not fear people using it for standard dating app purposes under the pretense of simply owning a dog?
Of course, we can’t completely prevent that from happening. But Tindog is not just a dating app, it’s a social app for both dog owners and the dogs themselves.
One might use it to simply find other dog owners in the neighbourhood or to search for the love of their life. Either way, the dog is always at the centre of it, it’s a common interest, a common passion, a common friend. If for some users owning a dog is just a ‘pretense’ – why then be on Tindog? They’d probably stick with Tinder.
Have Tinder or anybody else been in touch regarding the name and look of the app?
No, we haven’t heard from them. I’m sure they’ll love our app once they start using it.
Are there any features you’ll be adding to the site in the future?
That’s the plan! The current version is just the beginning. There will be features added to keep users engaged beyond the meeting up/ dating aspect only.
For example – we’ll have a ‘live’ function that shows dog owners in your area who are walking their dogs at that very moment. Why not just meet up and exchange some thoughts about best spots to walk them?
…and so there you have it. It’s a ruff world out there, let Tindog make sure you don’t go barking up the wrong tree.
