BEST APPS FOR DOG LOVERS

Apps are everywhere! So it won’t come as any surprise that plenty of apps exist just for pet parents. With so many choices, which pet app should you get? We’re here to help. We’ve combed through the choices to tell you about our hands-down the best apps for dog lovers. From training to health tips, each app makes your life—and your dog’s—a little easier.

FitBark: Best App for Monitoring Your Dog’s Fitness

FitBark is the FitBit for dogs! By using the cute bone-shaped monitors that go around your dog’s collar, you can monitor and track health the same way you would yourself using a FitBit. FitBark is used by researchers from Cambridge to the Mayo Clinic and is clinically tested to be both safe and accurate. It’s one of the best apps for dog lovers who want to stay in shape with their pets. 

You can monitor your dog’s daily activity and compare it to other dogs of the same breed and age who use FitBark. FitBark also monitors your dog’s sleep – giving you breakdowns of sleep activity, stress, and anxiety, as well as any indications of skin conditions. If they are itching one area more than normal, for example, FitBark will alert you to this and give you the steps needed on knowing how to follow up.

FitBark even lets you workout alongside your pal by linking your Fitbit, Apple Watch, or other health monitoring device. Compare the steps to your dog? Sounds a little silly, but it makes working out easy when you have your health stats in the same app as your dog.

Chewy:  Best App for Ordering Pet Supplies

Chewy is a delivery app that lets pet parents easily order food and supplies from a choice of over 1000 brands. Chewy is your one-stop shop app for all the pet supplies you could need for your household.

With plenty of helpful features and benefits, including free 2-day shipping on any order of $50 or more, Chewy is a must-have app for dog owners. Just make a profile for your pet, and find the right food for their breed and check out recommended toys and supplies. Track your packages via the in-app tracker. Set up automated shipments for supplies like food and snacks that you need on a monthly or weekly basis. Even go to your local pet store and use the barcode scanner to order your favorite brand on Chewy.

BarkHappy: Best App for Finding Dog-Friendly Places

BarkHappy is a neat app for new dog owners to discover a community of fellow dog owners near them. It’s full of features that make finding dog friends easy, but mostly we like that BarkHappy provides a map showing local dog-friendly places to bring your pup. These range from dog parks to restaurants and hotels that have dog-friendly policies. Whether you are at home or looking for a dog-friendly place to stay on a road trip, BarkHappy is the best app to help you out.

Pet First Aid:  Best App for Pet Emergencies

Pet First Aid from American Red Cross is a must-have for all pet owners. This app is the easiest way to avoid emergencies and know exactly how to treat your pet at home versus when to visit the vet.

Pet First Aid, built by the American Red Cross, gives every option for checking on your pet’s health. From investigating wounds to figuring if your dog ate something that’s potentially hazardous, this app is the ultimate guide. Find nearby vets and hospitals with the built-in emergency tools.

PUPPR:  Best App for Teaching Your Dog Tricks

Time to teach your old dog some new tricks. Or teach your new dog some old tricks. Either way, Puppr is an app that includes step-by-step instructions to help teach your dog all sorts of tricks. From basic obedience training to more advanced moves, these tricks are guaranteed to make all your cat-owning friends jealous. Each trick comes with super easy step-by-step instructions accompanied by images.  Track your dog’s completed tricks and overall progress by earning badges and entering progress in the app upon each session.

The Puppr app includes over 50 tricks taught by America’s Got Talent finalist Sara Carson & The Super Collies. Premium subscribers get access to additional lesson packs and a live chat with Sara. Visit the in-app shop to buy treats, equipment, and other training accessories directly from the app.

Dog Monitor & Pet Cam by Annie: Best Pet Cam App

Dog Monitor & Pet Cam by Annie is one the best apps for dog lovers who don’t want to spend money on an expensive pet cam setup. Free to try, this app connects any two devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Android devices) and lets you listen to and talk to your dog from wherever you are — regardless of if you are on Wifi or not. This pet cam app keeps you informed by letting you see your dog’s noise level and informing you when the device at home is reaching low battery levels. Annie keeps your information safe, ensuring your pet audio stream is encrypted.

This pet cam monitoring app has pretty reasonable and flexible pricing plans. You can pay anywhere from $.99 for a week, to $9.99 for a year. 

iTrainer Dog Whistle & Clicker: Best Dog Whistle App

Do dog whistle apps work? The idea is that a high-frequency whistle can get dogs’ attention better than the human voice alone. These days, trainers consider whistles useful training aids alongside clickers. They both can be used as cues to reinforce good behavior, or to call dogs away from distractions.

Install iTrainer to find out for yourself how well your dog responds well to sound. In addition to the whistle and clicker, the app has squeaky toy sounds and 50 other sound effects to entertain and captivate your dog.

BringFido: Best App to Find Pet-Friendly Places

If your dog is joining you on vacation, there’s a lot of research to do ahead of time. Where are the dog-friendly hotels? How about dog-friendly restaurants? BringFido can tell you. Search by location, and use the built-in filters for price, dog size, and more to find the best dog-friendly accommodations for your canine companion.

BringFido is also worth exploring if you’re about to move and want to find the best dog-friendly places in your new neighborhood. You can even sign up to receive alerts for upcoming dog-friendly events!

Human-to-Dog Translator: Best Dog Barking App

Do you ever wish you could translate your dog’s bark? Well, there’s an app for that. This “dog sound translator” claims to be able to tell you exactly what you’re thinking. We’ll be honest: actual translation seems a bit unlikely. But the app is a whole lot of fun! It also has a library of bark sounds you can play to “tease” your dog and record their reaction.

 

These are the best apps for dog lovers that we’ve found.  We’d love to hear from you if there are others you love.  As always, if you need pet sitting or dog walking in the Elk Grove area please contact Karla’s Pet Care.  We are always available to help take care of your pets.