Smartwatches and augmented reality glasses may be great for people but they are also buying pet fitness trackers.
Among the largest tech trends at the moment – and one which may soon be entirely reshaped by the recent unveiling of the Apple Watch – is wearable technology, and these gadgets are not only being worn by people, but they are also finding their way to the collars of our furry friends.
These fitness and wellness trackers are appealing to owners who want to be sure that their dogs will be healthy.
There are growing number of devices making their way into this wearable technology category for dogs, which have been designed to collect data with regards to the activity level of the animal, so that it can be transmitted through the internet and viewed by the owner. This can help owners to decide whether or not a dog is receiving enough exercise throughout the day to justify the amount of food that he or she is eating, and to make sure that the pooch will have the best opportunity for being happy and healthy.
Some of this wearable technology also helps to monitor other patterns such as sleeping and scratching.
Through this information, an owner may be able to make better choices and bring his or her pet to the veterinarian if there might be a problem, present. It could encourage earlier detection of health issues so that they can be managed while they are still minor and before they become something more serious.
As dogs cannot actually tell their owners when something is wrong, it is up to the human to spot when there has been a change in behavior. Not all of the signs of behavioral changes are all that obvious. Through careful regular observation and the added feedback provided by these wearables, many pet owners feel that they are better equipped to provide their animals with the best possible care.
According to an expert in the pet industry, Kristen Levine, “Pet owners really want to do right by their pets in terms of their health; they want the best diet; they want the best care. And the wearable technology kind of layers into that mindset.” This opens up a considerable market for this type of mobile device and companies are responding.
42% of survey respondents showed interest in becoming likely adopters of smartwatches. In addition, after evaluating product reviews, ON World learned that there are eight times more smartwatches on the market now compared to two years previous, and that there are four times as many other wearable devices. According to data found in a study the firm released in May, ON World predicted that 19% of Americans will own a wearable device by 2015.