Having a dog is one of life’s great joys — though it can also come with messes, destroyed furniture and those ever-dreaded health issues. Fortunately, just like with us humans, there are plenty of gadgets out there that will allow your furry best friend to live a happier, healthier and more treat-filled life.
We sniffed out some of the most well-regarded pet tech products on the web, from automatic feeders and stimulating toys to trackers and cameras that make it easy to keep tabs on your pet when you’re away from home. We picked the following items for your pooch based on a combination of overall popularity and high ratings from expert reviews around the web, as well as from our own experience with our fluffy best friends.
On top of making your dog happy, many of these gadgets will afford you some much-needed peace of mind. Read on for the doggy-down low.
Pooch Selfie Stick ($9.99; amazon.com)
Getting a good photo of your dog can be hard enough (although the payoff is always worth it), but selfies can be even harder. This $9.99 phone attachment lets you clip in a toy right above your front-facing camera. A tennis ball is included, and it has a squeaker in it to really get Rover’s attention.
OurPets IQ Treat Ball ($12.45, $14.99; amazon.com)
If your dog gets bored quickly by toys and has an insatiable appetite for snacks (who doesn’t?), the OurPets IQ Treat Ball is for them. This clever toy will make your pet work for their snacktime, as you can easily open it up, stuff some treats or kibble inside, and watch as they try to get their munchies out of the small hole at the top. And once your dog starts to master the art of treat extraction, you can adjust the ball’s difficulty level thanks to the movable disc on the inside.
Wyze Cam v2 ($25.98; amazon.com)
One of the hardest things about being a dog owner is worrying about how your pup is doing whenever you have to leave them at home alone. Fortunately, the Wyze Cam v2 will give you peace of mind without making you spend a fortune. This hugely popular and well-reviewed $25 camera makes it easy to monitor your furry friend from afar, with crisp 1080p video recording that you can view right from your smartphone.
The Wyze Cam can automatically record clips whenever it detects motion and can even see in the dark, which is ideal for keeping tabs on your pet as they scamper around day and night. It also works with Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant, meaning you can pull up a video feed on a compatible device with a quick voice command. And thanks to its compact design and variety of mounting options, you shouldn’t have any trouble placing your Wyze Cam v2 wherever your dog likes to hang out most.
Veken Automatic Pet Water Fountain ($27.99; amazon.com)
Just like us, our dogs need a good amount of water to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This advanced automatic fountain will make sure your pup always has fresh water at the ready, using a triple-filter system to get your pet the cleanest H20 possible. Vekken’s water fountain packs a handy LED water level indicator that lets you monitor exactly how much your pup has drunk, and is designed to be easy to clean complete with three included replacement filters.
PetSafe 5 Meal Automatic Feeder ($44.95, originally $64.99; amazon.com)
Between our busy schedules and pets that never really stop wanting food, feeding our dogs healthy portions on a consistent basis can be trickier than it seems. PetSafe’s 5 Meal Automatic Pet Feeder makes that process a whole lot easier, with five meal compartments that you can program to rotate in at specific times of day.
Each feeding tray holds up to one cup of dry or semi-moist food — just fill the whole thing up once per day, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your dog will have small, steady meals for the whole day without overeating. And if there’s ever a change of schedule, you can use the Feed Now button to dispense food at any time, or suspend feeding whenever you and your furry friend are away from home.
Whistle Go Explore ($129.95; amazon.com)
There’s nothing a dog owner fears more than having their best friend run away, which is why we recommend considering a pet tracker for added piece of mind. The Whistle Go Explore is one of the most popular trackers out there, using GPS tracking to let you monitor your dog’s location anywhere in North America. The Go Explore’s benefits go well beyond tracking, as this gadget can also keep tabs on how frequently your dog scratches, licks and drinks water while alerting you to any strange behaviors. It can even connect you right to a vet if something’s wrong.
Whistle’s tracker offers up to 20 hours of battery on a charge, and also lets you track your pet’s fitness activity and set goals to keep your furry friend in the best shape possible. The Go Explore does require a subscription — starting at $6.95 per month — but that may be a small price
Furbo Dog Camera ($164.95; amazon.com)
Leaving your dogs behind can be tough, but what if you could see them, talk to them, and even fire off treats for them? Well, the Furbo Dog Camera lets you do all of that. This smart treat-tossing cam can sit on the floor or on a shorter table. It has a 1080p HD wide-angle camera that also has night vision built in. And while you can’t physically move the camera, you can zoom in and out via the companion app for iOS or Android. With a swipe in the app, you can fire off a treat to your canine pal. Plus you can communicate via a two-way microphone.
