'Shark Tank's iCPooch Lets You Chat With Your Pet

Fans of Shark Tank know that the show's signature high-stakes situations, make-it-or-break-it drama, and bickering between billionaire panelists is only second only to one thing: The inventions themselves. From empowering (and seriously fun) dollhouses to smiley-faced sponges worth $18 million (hello, Scrub Daddy), there's a lot of great innovation coming out of the reality TV program. This week, one of Shark Tank 's new products is the iCPooch. But what does it do? And — perhaps more importantly — will the Sharks like it?

Turns out, the iCPooch is a device that lets you interact with your pet remotely — via video chat and a treat dispenser. Using a smartphone or tablet (and a password protected server), you can enjoy a two-way chat with your dog or cat, and reward them with treats with the mere push of a button. Pretty cool, right? It seems like an especially good option for people who spend long hours in the office and aren't able to spend as much time with their pets as they would like. Now, jury's still out on whether or not one of the Sharks will decide to invest — but in the meantime, here's everything I could find about it, so we can make an educated guess about which (if any) of the Sharks will back the project.

The Entrepreneur Behind It Is Only 15

Can you say "wunderkind?" Yup, Brooke Martin is 15 years old, and she came up with the idea when she was only 12. I have a feeling the Sharks are going to dig that...

It Scored Over $20,000 on Kickstarter

They raised $29,706 over Kickstarter — and the ability to draw that kind of public support definitely speaks well to the iCPooch team's entrepreneurial spirit and grit.

It's Already A Winner

It won second place for the Microsoft Small Business Contest — another fact that's sure to bode well.

It's Available Online

It's pretty accessible already. You can buy it on the iCPooch website, Amazon, Wag.com, and at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's great that it's so easy find, but there's one potential drawback re: online shopping (and no, I'm not talking about shipping).

...The Reviews Are Only OK

Now, even with its positive attributes, the reviews might be the most important aspect of all. Now, they're not terrible — they're just middle of the pack. As of Thursday evening, on Amazon, the product has 3.5 stars, with 28 reviews. Most of the negative reviews stem from the fact that the iCPooch can be slightly unreliable at times, while others point out the fact that you need not one, but two smart devices to operate it — which isn't something everyone realizes at first. Others observed that their pet didn't find the video chat all that engaging, which I can speak to: I don't have an iCPooch, but I do know that my dog doesn't really care for Skype... though I'm sure it depends on your pet.

What do you think? Rocky reviews aside, I think the iCPooch really has a chance to snare the Sharks' interest!

Images: Michael Desmond/ABC; Giphy (5)