Bark Off
Calm Your Dog's Barking with Positive Reinforcement
Privacy-first mobile app that automatically detects dog barks and plays custom calming sounds, with on-device analytics to track behavior over time.
About this project
Bark Off is a positive-reinforcement training companion for dog owners. It uses the device microphone to detect barks in real time, automatically plays custom calming sounds matched to the bark's intensity, and tracks every session so owners can identify triggers and measure progress. All audio processing happens on device - nothing is uploaded or stored on a server. No shock, no ultrasonic punishment, just data and gentle redirection.
- Dog owners with anxious or vocal pets
- Owners who leave dogs alone during the work day
- Professional dog trainers tracking client progress
- Pet sitters monitoring unfamiliar animals
- Multi-dog households needing per-pet behavioral insight
The challenge
Dog owners struggle with excessive barking when they're away or busy. Existing solutions either rely on punishment-based devices (shock or ultrasonic collars), require constant manual intervention, or provide no insight into when and how often the dog barks - making it impossible to identify triggers or measure progress over time.
Our solution
Bark Off combines on-device audio metering with a positive-reinforcement playback engine. The microphone listens continuously (even with the screen off), classifies barks by intensity, and plays a custom calming sound the owner has recorded. Every event is logged locally so owners and trainers can see exactly when barks happen and whether interventions are working - all without sending a single audio sample off the device.
Key features
- Smart bark detection with adjustable sensitivity
- Custom calming sounds per bark intensity level
- Privacy-first - all processing stays on device
- Behavior analytics with session reports and charts
- Positive-reinforcement approach, never punitive
- Background listening when the screen is off
- Customizable thresholds and cooldown timing
- Per-pet profiles for multi-dog households
Technology stack
Where Bark Off shines
Work-from-home distractions
Let Bark Off listen during meetings and play a recorded reassurance clip the moment your dog starts barking.
Separation anxiety training
Run timed sessions while you step out, then review which moments triggered barks to build a desensitisation plan.
Trainer-led programs
Trainers configure thresholds and sound libraries per client, then review session charts to measure progress between visits.
Multi-dog homes
Switch profiles per pet so each dog gets the calming sounds and sensitivity that work for them.
The journey, end to end
- 1Phase 1DiscoveryTalked to dog owners and trainers about why shock and ultrasonic collars fail and what insight they actually want.
- 2Phase 2PrototypeBuilt an Expo prototype using on-device dBFS metering to validate bark detection without cloud audio.
- 3Phase 3BuildAdded per-level sound recording, session logging, analytics charts, and background audio support.
- 4Phase 4BetaCurrently in private beta with dog owners and trainers refining sensitivity defaults and sound libraries.
Core functionalities
Results & impact
Common questions
No. All bark detection runs locally on your device using audio metering, not recordings. Nothing is uploaded, and no audio is stored on a server.
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