Know the exact moment your dog has a calm, full grip — and reward it.
A refundable $25 deposit holds your spot in the Competitors Run — the first 100 units will go for $85 + shipping (over 35% off retail).
AJ Peper, PhD has worked national-championship trials as a decoy (WDSAA · AWDF · DVG) and competed with his own dogs. Smart Hold™ puts a helper's and competitor's trained eye for the hold in your hands.
The dumbbell reads the hold; your thresholds decide what counts. The light tells you the moment to reward.
The dumbbell reads and measures the hold — bite, jaw, and head motion.
Set your desired movement range and hold duration.
The LED glows green the instant your criteria are met. Reward teachable moments. Repeat.
Renderings shown — actual product may vary.
Designed around standard IGP dimensions and applicable across obedience sports.
Patent pending. Specifications, dimensions, materials, electronics, features, and connectivity options are subject to change during product development.
It marks the moment your dog has a calm hold — a Smart Hold™, every rep.
Use our pre-set movement thresholds or set your own — adjustable per dog, per session — right from the app.
The dumbbell qualifies the hold in real time. The light fires when it matches your criteria — you reward when you know the hold is perfect.
Sealed hardwood. No chemicals. Build quality you can trust.
Configure and review each session, and set custom profiles for each dog.
Our early-launch run. Reserve with a $25 refundable deposit today — the balance is only charged when your unit ships.
I've been in Schutzhund since 2008 — training, titling, and working national-level trials as a helper. That experience on the field is where my passion started: building more meaningful connections with the animals that share our lives.
It began with Command Sight, where we built the world's first canine-worn augmented-reality system for SOCOM, and continued at Fluffy Pet Technologies, using AI to track the health and wellness of dogs in care facilities. Now I'm bringing those capabilities directly to the handlers, trainers, and owners who want better ways to communicate with and teach their dogs.
Smart Hold™ is where engineering meets the training field — the world's first smart dumbbell that gives you direct insight into your dog's behavior, and the tools to know exactly when to reward the right one. As a training helper, I always wished I had a better way to show people what to look for and when to mark it. Smart Hold delivers on that.
It's all about one thing: creating teachable moments, and strengthening the bond between dog and handler.
Butch von den Wichtelhäusern † & Holland Beer van le Dobry.
Quick answers on the deposit, the measurement, and the build.
Yes — fully refundable, any time before shipping. Payments run through Stripe; refunds can take up to 30 days to appear on your statement.
The calmness of the hold. Our sensor system detects chewing, mouthing, and head movement — the tells that separate a clean hold from a busy one.
Yes — that's the whole point. Set what counts as a calm hold in the companion app, per dog and per session. Train your way; the dumbbell adapts to how you want to train.
Hardwood — beech or hard maple, the woods approved for Schutzhund / IGP. No rubber inserts, no plastic skin on the bite surface.
The Competitors Run ships in a single size: 650g, matching the approved Schutzhund 1 dumbbell (257mm long, 76mm tall, with a 38mm diameter grip bar, and 105mm grip bar length between blocks). More sizes follow based on demand.
No — the LED sits on the end cap, out of the dog's view during the hold.
The Competitors Run ships across North America — the US, Canada, and Mexico. Shipping is calculated at live carrier rates and added to your $60 balance when your unit ships — never charged on the deposit. Outside North America? Join the interest list and we'll notify you as we open your region; Europe is our next planned batch.
The Competitors Run is estimated to ship by the end of 2026, ahead of our full launch in Q2 2027. These dates are estimates and may shift as we finalize the build — reserving puts you first in line to receive a Smart Hold™ dumbbell.
Smart Hold is built for training and evaluation. Federation rules vary, and electronic feedback generally isn't permitted during competition — so you train with the Smart Hold and trial with your standard dumbbell. We're in conversation with judges and clubs about a future scoring-mode for events.
Wipe it down with a damp cloth and let it air-dry — don't soak or submerge it. It's natural hardwood, so an occasional light re-oil keeps the grain protected, the same care you'd give a quality wooden dumbbell.
The Smart Hold is rechargeable — no disposable batteries. Exact battery life and charging details will be confirmed as we finalize the electronics, and shared with reservation holders ahead of ship.
Not ready to perfect your hold? That's ok — sign up for updates below to stay informed.
We're shipping the Competitors Run to North America first. Leave your details and you'll be first to know when we open your region — Europe is our next planned batch.