At Zigzag, our mission is simple: to create a world free from the unnecessary abandonment or euthanasia of dogs due to behavioural issues.
Our latest Impact Report reveals how we’re helping puppy owners build stronger relationships with their dogs through behavioural science, personalised coaching, and technology that delivers support exactly when it’s needed.
Key impact highlights from 2025
How many puppies has Zigzag supported?
In 2025, Zigzag supported more than 1 million puppies and their owners, bringing the total number of puppies guided through the platform to 1.4 million across 57 countries.
What impact does Zigzag have?
Our data shows that early support leads to better outcomes for both puppies and their owners.
In 2025:
- 1.4 million puppies supported globally
- 300,000+ coaching and AI support interactions
- 95%+ Puppy Coach satisfaction rating
- 467,000+ training actions completed in owners’ first week alone
- 300+ free subscriptions gifted to owners in need
- 75+ employee volunteer hours contributed
Why early puppy support matters
Behavioural challenges are one of the leading causes of dogs being relinquished to shelters.
Our work focuses on helping owners navigate the critical first months of puppyhood, providing expert guidance before small challenges become bigger problems.
Research conducted with the University of Lincoln found that owners who receive structured support:
- Feel more confident raising their puppy
- Develop more positive relationships with their dog
- Feel their puppy integrates better into family life
- Report fewer negative feelings associated with dog ownership
Most importantly, we found that when owners are supported early, everything else improves.
Science-backed puppy training at scale
Everything inside Zigzag is built on behavioural science.
In 2025, we expanded our research beyond puppy behaviour to explore the relationship between dogs and their owners. The findings reinforced something we have long believed:
Strong relationships create better long-term outcomes.
Owners who engaged more deeply with the Zigzag programme reported:
- Greater confidence coping with puppy challenges
- More positive feelings about living with their puppy
- Stronger emotional bonds
- Reduced perceptions that dog ownership is difficult or overwhelming
Making puppy training more accessible
In 2025 Zigzag moved to a freemium model, making science-backed puppy training available to more owners than ever before.
The change has helped hundreds of thousands of new puppy owners access structured guidance regardless of budget, increasing engagement and helping more families build positive habits from day one.
New puppy owners are now engaging with the app three times more during their first week compared to previous years.
The questions puppy owners ask most
One of the most interesting findings from 2025 is that puppy ownership challenges are remarkably predictable.
In fact, 58% of all support conversations revolve around just 10 common puppy challenges, including:
- Puppy biting
- Toilet training
- Crate training
- Sleep routines
- Separation concerns
- Barking
- Loose lead walking
- Feeding questions
- New owner confidence
- Non-urgent health queries
This insight allows us to deliver more timely, relevant support when owners need it most.
Support beyond training
Raising a puppy is about more than teaching cues and commands.
That’s why Zigzag now supports owners across:
- Behaviour and training
- Nutrition
- Wellbeing
- Daily routines
- Development milestones
- Owner confidence
Our Puppy Coaches and AI support systems answered more than 300,000 questions in 2025, helping owners navigate the realities of life with a puppy and reducing the anxiety that can often accompany the early months.
Looking ahead
In 2026, Zigzag is aiming to launch in five new languages, bringing locally relevant, science-backed puppy support to even more owners around the world.
As we continue to grow, our focus remains the same:
Helping puppies thrive, supporting owners with confidence, and creating stronger lifelong relationships between dogs and the people who love them.
Download the full Zigzag Impact Report
Want to explore the research, data, and stories behind our impact?
Download the full Zigzag Impact Report 2025 to discover how science-backed puppy support is creating happier dogs, more confident owners, and better outcomes worldwide.
FAQs
Zigzag is a science-backed puppy training and coaching app designed to help owners navigate puppyhood with expert guidance, personalised training plans and 24/7 support.
Since launch, Zigzag has supported more than 1.4 million puppies across 57 countries, including over 1 million puppies and owners during 2025 alone.
Research conducted with the University of Lincoln found that structured early support helps owners feel more confident, strengthens the owner-dog relationship and can reduce common behavioural challenges.
The most common challenges include biting, toilet training, crate training, sleep routines, separation concerns, barking and loose lead walking.
By providing early behavioural support, expert coaching and personalised guidance, Zigzag helps owners overcome common puppyhood challenges before they become reasons for relinquishment.
