Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Dog Nav

send Fido on errands
  (+14, -2)(+14, -2)
(+14, -2)
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If your dog has been properly trained for commands, such as "gee", "haw", "mush", &c., it should be easily possible to equip the dog's collar with a turn-by-turn GPS navigation device, on which the recordings have been replaced by the appropriate commands in your voice.

With a set of pannier bags, the pooch might even be able to run useful errands.

lurch, Mar 24 2009

No training needed http://news.nationa...20501_roborats.html
remote controlled pets [loonquawl, Mar 24 2009]

[link]






       I had a horse I used to send to the store for beer. But he couldn't count very well and they would always short-change him.
normzone, Mar 24 2009
  

       The dog doesn't have to use the credit card. I sent him, and I can call ahead and make arrangements. Return Mrs. Anderson's baking dish, pick up a couple Whoppers at the drive-up window, check whether Stevens' cow has busted the south fence again...
lurch, Mar 24 2009
  

       An interesting idea although you might need changes in the laws to allow dogs to wander about unmolested (or uncaptured) whilst under the influence of this device. A cat would have a far easier time but they can carry less.   

       Have you considered that dogs can't enter places where food is sold?
Aristotle, Mar 24 2009
  

       //A dog can't use an ATM//
So send your butler, or at the very worst, tell him to send his valet.
coprocephalous, Mar 24 2009
  

       Uh...what happens when your pit bull stops to take a chunk outta Mrs. Anderson's leg first and *then* hand her over her baking dish?
blissmiss, Mar 24 2009
  

       with the noise of traffic and people your pup is bound to miss a command or two in the process, think you not? rather than being reasonably sure my dog would return with a basket of fresh produce and a baguette, i'd be fearful for his safe return the entire trip. also, doggies have no way to tell you that they (and the gps) have been dognapped and are not likely to return very soon. i like the idea for the idea's sake, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.
k_sra, Mar 24 2009
  

       This sounds like fun. More trouble than it's worth, probably, but enough fun to want to try it anyway.   

       Certainly a dog could return some item someone left at your house--like, say, a scarf or a cell phone. I don't think picking up burgers would go as planned, however.
colorclocks, Mar 24 2009
  

       This would be pretty cool within a certain supermarket.
skinflaps, Mar 24 2009
  

       // Uh...what happens when your pit bull stops to take a chunk outta Mrs. Anderson's leg first and *then* hand her over her baking dish? //   

       As a lover of the much-maligned breed, I'll spare you the standard speech about how they're naturally sweet and freindly dogs who get a bad rap in the media, but instead I'll point out that training a dog to perform such a complex task cannot be accomplished without trust, and there is no trust between a dog and an owner who has trained it only to be vicious and aggressive.   

       // Who picks up after the dog when he shits on the sidewalk? //   

       Dogs can be trained to eliminate on command--two of mine are. They also tend to have fairly predictable digestive systems, so if the dog is out and about during the time of day when it normally feels the urge, the DogNav will simply alter course to an appropriate area, issue the relevant command, and wait until the dog begins to move around again, at which point it will resume the mission.
Alterother, Nov 28 2012
  

       // how to protect a delivery dog //   

       Proximity-fuzed Claymore mines and a doggy flak jacket.
Alterother, Nov 28 2012
  

       Why was this most excellent idea not brought to my attention sooner? It opens up unlimitless possibilities, and someone should bake this. It shouldn't even need any special hardware - I understand that many battery-powered GPSs already allow you to record your own voice commands to replace the default.   

       One comment: I suspect the dog would have to be retrained to the GPS voice, even if it was its usual master's voice. Dogs (and most non- humans) have a very literal and context-specific perception. So your dog isn't just responding to your voice; it's responding to the whole "voice plus master is present plus x plus y plus z" package, and a disembodied voice might not trigger the same response without special training.   

       But absolutely total bunnage.
MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 29 2012
  

       //special training// - yes, quite.   

       Actually, one of the triggers for this idea was my pa's stories about the two sheep-dogs he "inherited" for his first job. He said you could give them directions "from as far away as they could see you wave a blanket"; he just had to be careful where he sent them because the dogs didn't understand "our sheep" vs "their sheep" - they felt very strongly that all the sheep they found should be in a single flock.
lurch, Nov 29 2012
  

       [21], thanks, I know about the backblast. I was very most sincerly kidding. Also, nobody's mentioned Claymores in a few weeks and it seemed like an appropriate time.
Alterother, Nov 29 2012
  
      
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