An increasing number of systems are emerging that allow animal owners to remotely video-call their companion animals when left home alone for long periods. Yet animals in our homes have no control over these systems, which are not being designed or built for them as users.

We designed, iteratively prototyped, and evaluated DogPhone, a video call device that facilitates a dog video calling their human when and wherever they choose. Our process gives insight into how to develop systems with dogs by integrating them in the early stages of the design process through prototyping, and looks at how to facilitate dogs controlling technology themselves.