Wearable tech for pets

Fitness for the entire family

The glut of standardized pet products has left little room for imagination over the past few years. However, the anthropomorphism inherent in the pet industry has led to exciting expansions in wearable technology. The desire for fitness and exercise tracking, accessible by humans in the form of fitness watches, has extended to the animal family.

Fitness trackers

Pet obesity is a serious and growing health issue, just as it is in humans. The fitness and exercise boom has expanded to include pets, particularly dogs, as owners can now monitor their pet’s movement. Additionally, they can log the pet’s sleep patterns. Owners can make suitable decisions for the pet’s health. In our quest for a more welfare-friendly society, this has to be an important leap forward in the animal care market.

The data is described as ‘actionable’, in other words, health professionals can access the data to assess suitability of exercise, for example during recuperation after surgery. It even goes so far as to suggest the pet’s life expectancy may be increased. After all, who would not want their pet to live longer?

From a behaviour perspective, data is all important. A tracker can measure sudden bursts of activity throughout the day. A dog exhibiting signs of separation distress could show higher activity as the owner first departs, settling later on. If the condition is being treated, one would hope to see the distress activity reduce.

Given the huge increase in demand for dog walkers and day care, these devices monitor whether or not adequate exercise is being provided and guides owners as to what they themselves need to ‘top up’ after a day in doggy day care.

The size of wearable devices has reduced and is even available for cats, since some are now as small as a collar tag. A huge selling point to owners is their versatility, serving a variety of data purposes.

Lost and found

According to Sainsbury’s Bank pet survey, around sixty dogs and cats go missing each hour in the UK Microchipping, now a legal requirement in the UK, is still a ‘report and wait’ system. Not ideal when an owner desperately wants to know where their lost pet is.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) (2012, Animals Journal) conducted a five-year study on lost pets in 1,015 households. 14% reported lost dogs and 15% lost cats. Only 93% of dogs and 75% of cats reported missing by their owners were returned. But even one lost pet will leave a family distraught, and it could be avoidable with a tracker.

Variety of trackers

Radio Trackers as used by hunting dogs, cover walkie talkie range, and are substantial in size. GPS Trackers (GSM cellular) are significantly more interesting to the pet retailer. These allow pinpointing of a pet’s location in real time and are small enough to attach to a collar.

Battery life ranges from six hours when actively tracking, to up to twenty days in devices that monitor and switch off when the pet is inactive. Some devices are rechargeable.

Range of tracking varies, from 30 metres to well over 100 metres. The range boundary known as ‘geo-fencing’, alerts an owner when the pet strays beyond a pre-set region.

Some devices utilise mobile SIM cards, allowing an owner to send a text message to the device on the pet’s collar. A text is then sent back with a link to a Google map coordinate. Subscriptions keep you linked to their finder service, and pets can also be tracked via an iOS or Android device app.

Tracking the future

The future is filled with data about pet’s whereabouts, the amount and type of exercise they receive, and apps on your mobile device keeping you updated with the extensive data they collect. Retailers, both online and in custom-facing roles, should focus on this exceptional demand.