B.R.I.X. stands for (B)ehaviorally (R)ealistic (I)nteractive e(X)perience and is a dog simulator app that provides anyone considering buying or adopting a dog for the first time, a glimpse into the care and attention a new dog requires.
B.R.I.X. is a simple app that can run alone on your iPhone or may be paired with a "dog simulator" provided by a shelter, animal welfare organization or breeder. Once the app is opened, the simulation can be started by tapping the "Start Button" - it is recommended that you run the simulation for 48 uninterrupted hours - the app will trigger a random "interaction" every 30 minutes to 3 hours. An interaction is a dog sound that may include: barking, whining, panting, growling, crying, howling, licking or playing with a squeak toy. When an interaction occurs, the app will display a "Paws Button" (this is a "Pause Button" in the shape of a paw!), which the human can tap in response to the interaction. This will silence the interaction and cause the timer to randomly reset for the countdown to the next interaction. Once you respond to an interaction by tapping the "Paws Button", you should log the interaction using the B.R.I.X. Log Sheet (download at http://brix.sell-on.com/BrixLogSheet.pdf). On the back of the log sheet is a guide to each interaction, what it means and a proper response by the pet owner. The B.R.I.X. app will record/count each interaction and human response. Typically you can expect about 50 interactions in a 48 hour simulation. If you miss responding to an interaction, no worries. Once the interaction sound plays, the app will continue on to the next timed interaction automatically.
You can suspend the simulation and check the total number of interactions and responses by tapping the B.R.I.X. logo in the upper left of the app screen. Tap the "Start Button" to continue the simulation.
The B.R.I.X. dog simulation app works on the "honor system" meaning that you can easily ignore the interactions, suspend the app or even shut it down. But if you have less then 25 interactions in 48 hours or if you have responded to less than 90% of those interactions, you should STRONGLY reconsider your readiness to adopt a dog.
Background: The B.R.I.X. app was conceived and created by The BrixChix First Lego League Team - comprised of 6 brilliant girl scouts located in Delafield, WI. The 2016 FLL theme was "Animal Allies" and the goal of each teams project was to improve Human-Animal interactions. The BrixChix built the B.R.I.X. simulator in an effort to reduce the number of failed first-time dog adoptions. 30% of all dog adoptions in the U.S. fail within 3 weeks because the owner didnt anticipate what it would be like to have a new dog. In 2015, that amounted to 1.2 million dogs being returned to shelters or breeders. Many of the shelter dogs are never re-adopted and must ultimately be euthanized.