[Courtesy of LG Uplus]
The platform called "For Dong" provides Dog Behavior Type Indicator (DBTI), a psychology test that classifies dogs' personalities into 16 different types. The test with 60 questions was created based on some 10,000 big data sets provided by famous dog trainer Lee Chan-jong and LG Uplus (LGU+). After taking the test, dog owners can receive advice and educational programs from professional dog trainers. Experts visit dog owners' homes and provide 90-minute training such as going for walks.
LGU+ said the number of registered dogs exceeded 100,000 since its launch in July 2022. Among 65,000 pet owners that took DBTI, some 1,200 people received advice and coaching from experts. One of the main concerns shared by owners was barking. "We will expand the service so that more pet owners can get to know DBTI and experience customized training programs," LGU+ pet platform division head Lee Ji-hoon said in a statement on November 24. Training programs are currently provided in 18 districts in Seoul and its surrounding cities.
A survey conducted by South Korea's rural affairs ministry showed that about 6.3 million households are keeping at least one kind of pet as of December 2020. However, a 2021 survey showed that about 26 percent of pet owners have considered giving up raising their pets mainly because of behavior issues such as barking. According to data released by market research firm Statista, the domestic pet market, which stood at 900 billion won ($678 million) in 2012, is expected to reach six trillion won by 2027. Dogs were the most owned pet type in South Korea.
When the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic swept across South Korea in 2020, many remote-working single households spent more time at home with their pets. As of August 2021, single households accounted for 34.9 percent of total households in Seoul.
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