DogNation Kaizen Approach: Empowering Dogs for Optimal Wellness and Enrichment

1. Can you share the inspiration behind starting DogNation.pet? What motivated you to create this platform?

Ankit Sahay: Aparajita, raised in a household steeped in her father's fervor for canine training and behavior consulting, co-founded DogNation alongside me. Our motivation stemmed from witnessing the dearth of standardized, professional, and transparent dog services in India when we sought care for our beloved first fur baby, Zahra. Aparajita's profound passion for dogs, coupled with her comprehensive comprehension of their holistic needs encompassing mental and physical enrichment, impelled her to seize control of the situation. Thus, DogNation emerged as an enrichment-centric brand dedicated to dog wellness and recreation, driven by the vision of empowering every dog to live its optimal life.

Ankit Sahay, Co-Founder and MD, DogNation, & Aparajita Baruah, Founder & CEO, DogNation

2. What sets DogNation apart from other pet-related websites or communities?

Ankit Sahay: DogNation is different from other providers because of its standardized, professional, and transparent dog services being offered at its wellness & recreation daycare center, rather than just being an online aggregator lacking quality control or an online pet shop cum community platform like most of its competitors. Dog services are similar to human child care, with many SLAs to be met, and thus can be hard for companies to execute compared to just being an online platform with very limited execution or service delivery capabilities. DogNation's mission is to make dog parenting fun, easy, and understandable through an omnichannel experience, similar to 'Cult.fit' for humans in India.

3. How does DogNation cater to the diverse needs of pet owners and pet parents?

Ankit Sahay: DogNation wellness & recreation center with its suite of offerings like Clinic, Boarding, Daycare, Swimming & activities, Grooming & Spa, and Training aims to handhold dog parents who often find the entire experience very overwhelming, especially first-time parents. DogNation has something for all dogs at all life stages, be it utility-based services like boarding/daycare or aspirational lifestyle offerings like swimming & enrichment activities.

5. In what ways does DogNation foster a sense of community among pet owners and enthusiasts?

Aparajita Baruah: Social media presence focused on awareness and expert talk AMAs help parents access important information about raising a healthy, happy dog. Our DogNation ambassadors and canine coaches help parents find the best-suited services for their Dog's breed, temperament, and life stage.

6. Can you discuss any success stories or memorable experiences that have emerged from the DogNation community?

Aparajita Baruah: Some that come to mind are weight management through swimming or hydrotherapy programs for dogs diagnosed with Hip dysplasia. 

Quite a few dogs have benefitted from leash-free socialization and also minor behaviour modifications like resource guarding, desensitization, etc. We have had many dogs that lacked confidence before coming to us but a healthy, well-rounded enrichment-focused routine at DogNation Center has helped them lead more social and confident lives making parenting easy and fun for their parents.

7. How does DogNation stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in pet care and ownership?

Ankit Sahay: Apart from Aparajita, we have subject matter experts as advisors to help keep DogNation programs and offerings up to date with best practices. We believe in 'Kaizen', or continuous improvement through daily team training & sensitisation towards our furry friends' needs.

Also, being a team of dog parents ourselves helps a lot!

8. What are your plans or goals for DogNation? Are there any upcoming features or expansions in the pipeline?

Aparajita Baruah: We aim to launch our App soon and expand our physical footprint through more wellness & recreation centers, thereby providing subscription mobility and a Dog-centric ecosystem for parents in India.

9. How does DogNation prioritizes the well-being and health of pets within its community? Are there any educational resources or initiatives in place?

Aparajita Baruah: We believe in 'Kaizen', or continuous improvement through daily team training & sensitisation towards our furry friends' needs. Also, being a team of dog parents ourselves helps a lot! We have training modules designed for all roles at DogNation centers.

Aparajita Baruah , Ankit Sahay along with Shashank Sinha, CEO, Drools.

10. Can you elaborate on any partnerships or collaborations that DogNation has formed with pet-related businesses or organizations to enhance its offerings?

Aparajita Baruah: We have partnered with Mypetz to operate DogNation Clinic at our Center giving a seamless and safe experience to Dog parents.

 We also Partnered with Drools to raise awareness about wholesome nutrition for dogs through Goody Bags.

11. In what ways does DogNation support pet adoption and rescue efforts? Are there specific initiatives aimed at helping pets find forever homes?

Ankit Sahay: Currently, we don't have a dedicated page for pet adoption on our website due to revamp efforts and our impending App launch that will have this feature. We do however use our social media reach to showcase adoption options from time to time.

12. The advantages of subscribing to DogNation seem quite enticing, offering discounts, cashback, and complimentary services. Could you elaborate on how these benefits enhance the overall experience for pet parents and their furry companions?

Ankit Sahay: For dog parents, it's a way to get discounts and free services, while choosing a healthy lifestyle for their dogs. It also makes parenting easy because of a well-rounded, enrichment-focused approach to raising their dogs. Socially adjusted, happier & healthier dogs are every parent's dream.

In the long run, our network of canine wellness & recreation centers accessed by our App will give them subscription mobility and access to a dog-centric ecosystem.

13. Considering the premium services and amenities provided by DogNation, could you give us some insight into the price point of subscription packages and how they compare to similar offerings in the market?

Aparajita Baruah: There aren't like-to-like offerings in the Indian market right now but our subscriptions are customizable as per the dogs' and their parent's requirements. So the price varies based on the services selected in the package but our subscription AOV is roughly Rs.15,000/- to Rs. 20,000/- per month.