FitBark a Fitness Tracker for Dogs
Luna has her own Fitness Tracker just like her humans except hers is called a FitBark.
We love the idea of helping our senior dog stay healthy, happy and fit for her age and abilities. She has some hip problems and arthritis so we have to be careful and thoughtful as when it comes to her fitness routine. That is one of many reasons I was thrilled to be a part of the Google Hangout to ask questions of Dr. Kurt Venator a veterinarian with Purina and to receive a FitBark for our dog Luna. The hangout was to discuss how pet owners can help their pets stay fit and healthy during summer and all year long, perfect. We learned a lot at the Google Hangout from what we were already doing right and some things we could incorporate that we hadn't yet thought about.
For example, we take our dogs and cat for regular check ups to our veterinarian but we had never thought to get their advice on an exercise routine for them, especially Luna who as mentioned has arthritis, hip problems (which we are helping her with those nutrition wise) and is going blind. We know it's important to keep them active for their physical well being but also their mental well being. We love that Purina aims to drive the health and well-being of pets and their owners so we can all live bigger, healthier and happier lives together. That is the utmost importance to us and we want to do what we can for our entire family.
It's a small unit that you attach to their collar. You download the FitBark app and it walks you through how to set it up. It took me about 10 minutes but it can be done quicker I just had some wifi issues at the time. You set the lifestyle suited to your dog and their abilities, select breed etc.. Although for Luna she is a Blue Heeler, you have to look up Australian Cattle Dog, not Blue Heeler, same breed and the official name.
There are lots of other options you can select as well from joining "packs" to having a support chat. It fits dogs of any size since it goes on their collar, you just need to make sure the collar is not too wide as you use an strong elastic type of band to attach it to the collar and it doesn't stretch that much. It's rugged, waterproof, obviously bluetooth since it syncs to your phone and the batter lasts up to 14 days.
This is when we first set up Luna's FitBark. You add a photo of your beloved dog and get going from there.
You can see Luna's grey FitBark on her collar in the photo below, it blends in with her fur. As you can see it's not big at all and doesn't have a display on it. When you first plug it in to sync it does blink lights to show you it's syncing.
Now that we've got Luna set up on her FitBark and have talked to our veterinarian about what types of exercise and how often we've been incorporating it all daily. It really does keep her healthy. I think we forget sometimes the importance of mental health for our dogs. If we keep their minds engaged it's just as important, especially for Luna's breed which is high in the intelligence level and they need lots of exercise. Now that she can't do as intense of physical activity that she used to we have to adjust for her to keep her happy. So we do lots of shorts spurts (as recommended by our vet) of playing fetch, her absolute favourite thing to do and very short walks in the evening when it's not hot. This keeps her busy throughout the day without physically overtaxing her arthritic joints.
Not only does this all help Luna, it also helps us, we get to have fun and physical activity together and since the FitBark can also be paired with a FitBit we're all keeping track of our activities together, what fun! Thanks Purina for helping us to learn more on how to keep our entire family happy and healthy.
Would be great for my dogs
This is really amazing I love that its so small enough for fit on the collar and yet it can carry so much information for your safety of your furry family member.
@tisonlyme143
I love this idea. I may have to invest in one of these for my Izzy.
Dogs are my favourite pet!! Yours is so cute! I never thought of getting one of these to help out my little boy, but will consider it.
I should get this for Monty, my senior dog. I exercise him, but I have to take careful note of what he is doing so he doesn't get too tired.
What a brilliant idea for dogs that need it.Really awesome to hear that they have made this 🙂
Luna looks so happy in your first photo, she wasn't expecting any exercise. Looks like she doesn't mind the FitBark on her collar. Good luck.
What a great idea! Our pets need to be healthy too. Anything to keep them in our lives longer ! 🙂
This sounds like a great idea for our dogs. I am so happy you got to attend this and was able to share all this great information. Thank you so much
This is a great idea! What a sweet puppy. Thank you for taking such good care of her. <3
I have 2 11.5 y.o. Lhasa Apso puppies, the loves of my life! As they are aging, I also keep them exercised, but try not to overdo it, as I know they both have arthritis.
I also take my girls to the vet for regular checkups, vaccs, etc., but have never thought to ask the dr. about an exercise regimen. We are due to go back next week, so I will do that.
awww thanks Brenna 🙂 yep we have to take care of our senior dogs right? Our Luna is a sweet girl she deserves all we can help her with. I know I was the same, never thought to ask our vet about an exercise regimen, glad we could share these tips.
I never thought of a fitness tracker for dogs, but it is a tremendous idea. I think sometimes people think their dog gets more exercise than they do, and for older dogs, that can make a big difference. It is so small, I doubt any dog would object! Great idea!
This is so cool. I'd love to know how active my dog really is.
This would be really helpful for me. I have one dog who is super active, but we also have a pomchi who doesn't really like exercise. he prefers naps and being cuddled. during the summer he was adamant he would not walk at all. We ended up having him start swimming which he will do, but isn't thrilled. I'm always worried he doesn't get enough activity
So cool that it works with a fitbit! That's really awesome! I may need to get one of these!