When tackling the issue of a chewing dog by observing its behavior in the trainer's home, what stage of the Design Thinking process is the trainer employing?

The trainer is utilizing the Empathize stage of the Design Thinking process by observing the dog's behavior in their home environment. In this phase, the objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the problem and the needs of those impacted by it, in this case, the dog and potentially its owner. By observing the dog's chewing behavior and the context in which it occurs, the trainer is gathering insights about the underlying causes of the behavior, such as anxiety, boredom, or lack of appropriate toys. This empathetic observation is crucial for framing the problem accurately before moving on to defining it, brainstorming solutions, or testing interventions. Hence, the trainer's focus on understanding the dog's behavior fits perfectly within the Empathize phase of Design Thinking.