The science behind Joipaw
Joipaw is a daily stimulation and tracking system built around behavioural science and canine cognitive research.
The problem, in numbers
These aren't behaviour problems. They're health signals.
of most dog's time is spent indoors
(Kinsman et al., 2022)of dogs show signs of poor mental health from understimulation
(Guide Dogs, 2022)of dogs over eight show signs of cognitive dysfunction, which is common and underdiagnosed
(Corradi et al., 2026)There is still a lot of research to do, but we do find first results
Consistent findings across enrichment, cognition, and canine ageing research.
Cognitive decline in dogs is measurable and common
Older dogs show reduced memory, learning speed, and reasoning ability. Decline can begin before obvious symptoms appear, making early and consistent intervention relevant.
(Wallis et al., 2016)Lifelong mental activity may protect brain health
Research on cognitive reserve suggests that regular mental challenge may help brains tolerate age-related changes, in both humans and dogs. In the Dog Aging Project, dogs with low levels of activity were around 6.5 times more likely to develop cognitive dysfunction.
(Milgram et al., 2006; Yarborough et al., 2022)Enrichment reduces stress behaviours
Environmental enrichment reduced stress vocalisations by ~31% in kennel dogs during a daily stressor. Calming, cognitively engaging activities produced the strongest effect, not food enrichment or random toys.
(Dare & Strasser, 2023)Not all enrichment is equal
The type of stimulation matters. Cognitive engagement produces different outcomes than physical or scent-based enrichment alone. Effective enrichment should be structured, varied and cognitively demanding.
(Hunt et al., 2022)The science behind the games
Joipaw's origin is in Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) research, where touch-based systems were used to study and measure cognitive evolution in dogs as they age. Researchers noticed that dogs genuinely engaged with the process, and even kept playing by themselves if the lab device jammed or if they were left alone with it.
The games are designed around findings in canine cognition: what dogs can perceive, how to increase the challenge step by step, and how positive reinforcement drives engagement. All activities use reward-based mechanics only, no aversive stimuli.
The result is a game library that exercises the same cognitive systems studied in enrichment and ageing research: memory, attention, discrimination, reasoning, pattern recognition, and more new mechanics as our research progresses.
Our scientific advisors
Eloïse Déaux
Scientific advisor, Canine behaviour & training
Researcher in canine cognition and professional dog trainer, turning peer-reviewed science into practical tools for dogs and humans.
Clara Mancini
Scientific advisor, Animal-Computer Interaction
Full Professor and Head of the Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) Lab at The Open University. A leading authority in technology designed for and with animals.
What we don't claim
Joipaw is not a medical device. It is a daily enrichment tool built around behavioural science. The research supports the category, daily cognitive activity as a meaningful health habit. We do not claim Joipaw prevents or treats any specific condition.
We are, however, running a feasibility study with the University of Geneva in Switzerland to measure how regular use of our device can help dogs with troubles like anxiety or hyperactivity. We will share the results as soon as they are available.
When we use language like "may support", "research suggests", or "designed around findings from", that's intentional. We take the science seriously enough not to overstate it.