As the founder of DogBase, I designed our platform to serve real operational needs—because I live them. Echo, our Canine Ambassador, is not just my demo partner. He’s a certified Search and Rescue (SAR) dog, a trained service dog, and a key part of how we showcase K9 technology to the world.
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But I don’t just talk about DogBase. I use it every day—with Actions at the heart of how I log, analyze, and reflect on our work.
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This post is a real-world look at how I use DogBase Actions across very different contexts:
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• Search and rescue
• Public stage demos
• Startup pitch events
• Service dog engagements

And more importantly, it’s a call to action for how you can use Actions to build your own K9 data story, no matter your field.
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What Are DogBase Actions?

The Actions feature in DogBase is a flexible logging system designed for timestamped, outcome-focused entries. You can apply them to dogs, handlers, or equipment.
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Each action can include:
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• Event context (e.g., deployment, training, public demo)
• Performance details (e.g., behavior observed, equipment used, handler notes)
• Audience or stakeholder feedback
• Follow-ups or next steps
• Rember you can buld and cussomize your own actions using the Action Custom Type Builder

Use them to track:

• Deployment results
• Behavior corrections
• Certification progress
• Handler actions
• Gear failure or adjustments
• Demonstrations or PR events

👉 More on the system here: DogBase Teams V2.0 – Feature Launch
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From the Field: My Real Uses of Actions with Echo

Let’s walk through how I use Actions for real-world operational needs, starting with our most recent public demos.
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1. Startup Pitch Demo — STARTUp Day 2026, Estonia

🗓️ January 29, 2026
📍 Tartu, Estonia – Estonian National Museum
👥 Audience: 100+ (Investors, media, tech founders)
🐕 Dog Work Type: Stage Presence
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At STARTUp Day 2026, I brought Echo on stage not to perform tasks, but to anchor the pitch with real presence. Even in a business context, a working dog becomes a powerful visual and emotional cue.
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💬 Handler note from the Action:

“Echo was good, he was there for visual & physical presence—‘You become memorable, judges talk about you during breaks.’”
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Despite time pressure and a few pitch flaws, Echo helped turn our story into something judges remembered and commented on during the breaks.
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Logged as an Action because:

• It reflects a strategic use of K9 presence
• I wanted to track follow-up interest, timing, and audience engagement
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The Action  

2. DefenceTech Week Demo — Estonia, 2025

🗓️ September 22, 2025
📍 Tallinn, Estonia
👥 Audience: 300 (Government, Defence, Media)
🐕 Dog Work Type: Obedience Demo
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This was a hybrid between a product pitch and a K9 capabilities showcase. Echo ran an obedience demo live on stage while I presented DogBase to a security-focused audience.
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💬 Handler note:

“The dog on stage worked really well. You seemed so natural there.”
“Misconnection with the pitch deck—but we’ll fix it.”
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Logged as an Action because:

• I wanted to track audience reactions and direct quotes
• I use these entries to improve future presentations

The Action

3. MAFAT Annual K9 Conference — Israel, 2022

🗓️ December 27, 2022
📍 Tel Aviv, Israel
👥 Audience: 100 (Defense, Security, Researchers)
🐕 Dog Work Type: Obedience + Tech Demo
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This was our first major showcase of Echo and DogBase together. We ran a full SAR + tech logging demo to introduce the platform to government and R&D leaders.

💬 Handler note:

“First time showing the Echo demo and how to log a training.”
“Yes, it was a good demo—lots of follow-up meetings from it.”
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Logged as an Action because:

• It marked the beginning of Echo’s public work
• The demo showed real-time data entry, which generated immediate interest

Why Use Actions for Demos, Not Just Deployments?

Most K9 programs log training and missions. Few track:
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• Demos for potential partners
• Public visibility moments
• Events with indirect training or engagement goals

But these matter—especially for:

• SAR dogs that engage the public for funding or awareness
• Tech programs where dogs are part of product education
• Service dogs with exposure routines, access issues, or public interaction logs

Logging those events with Actions helps you:

• Improve your presentations
• Track feedback and quotes over time
• See where your dog or team is most effective
• Identify future leads, risks, or upgrades
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Building Your Own Actions - Custom Training Type Builder

One of the most powerful parts of the DogBase Actions system is that it’s not limited to predefined categories. You can create your own custom action types using the Training Type Builder—tailoring the platform to your team, mission profile, or operational goals.
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What Is the Training Type Builder?

The Training Type Builder is a backend interface in DogBase that lets you define:
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• The name of the action (e.g., “Public Access Check,” “Scent Box Drill,” “Drone Desensitization”)
• The data fields to include (checkboxes, dropdowns, text fields, duration, etc.)
• Whether it applies to dogs, handlers, or equipment
• Which roles in your team can log or view it

This allows you to:

• Log exactly the kind of data you care about
• Maintain consistency across your team
• Generate field-relevant analytics without workarounds

Real Example: Echo’s “K9 Stage Demo” Action

When I started logging Echo’s stage work, I realized I needed a structure that captured:
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• Audience type and size
• Handler notes (like my pitch flow)
• Feedback or follow-up interest
• Demo duration and task type
• Context (conference vs. training vs. investor event)

So I built a custom action type: “K9 Stage Demo.”
Now, every time I step on stage with Echo—whether for a SAR awareness event or a startup pitch—I use this structure to consistently capture what happened, what worked, and what we learned.
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5 Ways You Can Use Actions in Your Own Program

Here are five customizable ways to start using DogBase Actions in your own unit:
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1. Demo Logs

Just like mine—log every conference, school visit, or PR event with:

• Dog’s behavior notes
• Audience feedback
• Engagement outcomes

2. Service Dog Public Interaction Tracker

Track:

• Incidents (e.g., denial of entry)
• Public reactions
• Accessibility challenges
• Handler stress levels

3. Deployment AARs (After-Action Reviews)

Standardize your after-deployment debriefs:

• What was the task?
• What did the dog do?
• What worked or didn’t?
• What equipment failed?

4. Cert Milestone Progress

Use Actions to track steps toward certifications:

• Training checkpoints
• Test attempts
• Retest needs
• Examiner feedback

5. Equipment Issue Logs

Assign Actions to equipment (yes, it works!) to track:

• Failures during use
• Maintenance cycles
• Replacement dates

The Bigger Picture: Data You Can Act On

Whether you’re a SAR handler, service dog trainer, or startup founder pitching your K9 tech on stage—your data tells a story.
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Actions let you capture that story in the moment, with structured clarity:

• Timestamped
• Outcome-oriented
• Sharable
• Searchable
• Standardized across your team

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