In recent years, advancements in technology have propelled the field of pet training into new and exciting territory. Gone are the days of relying solely on traditional methods like verbal commands and physical cues. Today, pet owners have access to a wide array of cutting-edge tools and technologies that are revolutionizing the way we train and interact with our furry companions.
Technology will help to shape pet training through online and offline means such as wearable pet gadgets, digital learning, interactive applications and platforms, AR and VR, automatic feeders, smart doors, pet cameras, and more. Let’s learn more in this blog!
Wearable Pet Gadgets
Wearable pet gadgets have surfaced on the market, doubling the joy of pet owners as these electronic devices will help them condition their pets for multiple purposes. The gadgets are as follows:
GPS Collar
The recent collars are manufactured with GPS and train your pets with the necessary obedient skills. The GPS allows the owner to know the current location through a notification if they have crossed home boundaries and in turn, the owners can send a beep on their collar to remind them to return to their happy place, before they end up getting lost in the neighborhood.
Did you know that there are several kinds of electronic collars as well? Like anti-barking, remote training, walking training, and shock collars. A pet owner will not feel confined in this way and can buy any that suits the training. However, experts recommend using the remote training collar for pet training. Why? It is a wireless remote with a receiver attached to the device that a dog will carry and you, the owner will have the transmitter. You can transmit a beep, shock, or vibration depending on the type of collar. The collars have different features to aid your pet’s training.
Importance of GPS Collar
- The GPS collar plays a pivotal role in providing the owners with precise data on the spot, allowing you to search the whereabouts of your pet on the map.
- The majority of the GPS collars appear to accommodate the owners with geo-fencing potential, this helps you to set boundaries that you can control virtually.
- The advanced versions of GPS collars not only monitor but recharge battery life for longer usage and tracking without barriers.
- The dog’s movements can be tracked, giving a deeper insight into the pet’s health, exercise patterns, and how they behave.
- A pet owner will want their pet to be safe during disasters as well, therefore GPS collar will send signals to evacuate your dog in similar unforeseen situations and tragedies.
- The collars are designed in a way that is compatible with smartphone applications to send you alerts.
Examples
If you are planning to buy an effective dog training collar. Then you can try out a few companies such as:
The company is popular for its accurate GPS collar. Their GPS collar helps grab the attention of pet lovers as the device gives detailed information on the furry member’s sleeping habits, location of the pet, and physical activity. So the owners can relax or take the relevant precautions if their pet is having issues in sleep or during their playtime.
Whistle is another pet wearable technology company that has received immense appreciation through its Whistle Go Explorer collar. The Whistle Go Explorer collar leaves buyers amazed as the next-level device provides health information and notifies the owner if the pet is suffering from any illness. Therefore, the collar helps the owner know about the pet’s health conditions like skin issues and arthritis making it an irresistible device for any pet lover.
SportDOG Field Training e-Collar
SportDog has also emerged with its field training e-collar and you know what’s the best part about this collar? It is waterproof, can be used with at least three dogs, and has seven levels of adjustable corrections.
The gadgets are no doubt helpful, but it is necessary to bear in mind that these have to be used as assistance while you are training your pet and can’t be used as a solo means of training.
Cyber-Enhanced Working Dog Harness
You must be wondering what is a cyber-enhanced working dog harness. Let us clear your doubts. The technology used in the harness makes the most out of the sensors and computers to provide you with necessary information regarding what your pet is looking at, feeling, and what are they understanding, regardless of the location they are in.
If the owner uses the dog harness then the emotional and physical data will be sent to the computer and through voice commands the harness will treat the pet. The harness further helps in letting the owner know about risky terrain or that it found something suspicious.
All through sending the information to the computer or the connected device.
The harness training will be fruitful in training service dogs, who are usually involved in searching and rescuing other pets.
Doggy Fitness Tracker
As the name gives you the hint, the doggy fitness tracker is another pet wearable device that allows the owner to keep a vigilant check on the pet’s activity like sleeping, exercising, and well-being in general. A fitness tracker ensures that your pet’s health is in perfect condition and prevents them from getting obese.
Other than that the fitness tracker facilitates identifying abnormal behavior, encourages a healthy lifestyle, and strengthens the bond between the owners and the pet.
Importance of Doggy Fitness Tracker
- Fitness tracker helps pet owners show the health metrics of their pet including heart rate and body temperature, opening doors for early detection of illness.
- You can even customize the settings of the fitness tracker depending on your dog’s breed, age, and health status.
- The data from the tracker facilitates the vets to provide an accurate health assessment when you take your pet for routine follow-ups.
- If your dog has undergone critical surgery, then the tracker will update you regarding the progress of the recovery.
- Whatever nutrition your dog consumes impacts their health too, hence the fitness tracker monitors consumption and enhances lifestyle.
The FIDO Vest
What can you figure out from the Fido Vest? FIDO stands for Facilitating Interactions for Dogs with Occupation. You must be familiar with smart collars, pet trackers, and UV protective shades for dogs too, but the concept behind FIDO and the product itself will take the market by storm. Once the dog is wearing the vest, the technology will allow dogs to call 911 through their owner’s mobile in case of emergencies. How will the dog dial the number?
The dog can trigger the wireless device without much effort by just chewing, or pulling a rope that would lead the vest to reach the owner’s phone and contact the emergency helpline.
The mastermind behind the FIDO vest’s invention, Dr. Melody Moore Jackson, wants to prepare rescue and medical alert dogs with this feature to save the lives of people.
The vest is not limited to service dogs as owners can purchase the vest for their normal dogs as well.
Digital Learning
People generally use the internet to switch between social media platforms, but you can use the online channel for your pet’s training. There are thousands of E-learning resources that don’t ask for a single penny in the form of tutorials and webinars that open the platform for learning about dog behavior and several training approaches. This type of learning encourages pet owners to enhance their knowledge and adapt strategies when training their own pets. The materials are available in the following ways:
Source: Image by Josh Sorenson on Pexels
Tutorials On Training
Aside from cooking and make-up tutorials, pet owners can access tutorials on dog and cat training too. The training videos consist of obedience, potty training, and tricks. If the wide variety of options has over-whelmed you in thinking about where to start, then begin by typing the dog or cat training tutorial videos as a go-ahead. In addition to videos, there are E-books on training too. Read them and take down notes on the techniques that you can adapt with your pet. Select ways that tell you about positive reinforcement as your pet will quickly grab that.
Online Communities and Support
The digital web is full of online communities and like-minded pet owners, who have the same aim as yours: to train their pets. Join pet training groups, and social media groups, where members exchange their ideas on pet training helping other owners who might be new to the field, and correct others if they missed out on major steps. This is an excellent opportunity for pet trainers to give their expert input nurturing relationships with clients, who can be approached privately as well.
Source: Image by Blue Bird on Pexels
Hire A Trainer Online
Is it becoming increasingly difficult to teach your pet how to sit, stand, and shake your hand? Or maybe you have an aggressive breed and are having a hard time training these animals. You can always hire a trainer online. The trainer will teach you tricks and strategies to cope well with your pet. Other than that, they can shower professionalism by helping your pet socialize with other animals in the neighborhood, if they have behavioral issues. Where can you find professional trainers? They are available physically in pet stores or online. Before finalizing the deal with anyone, be sure to read their reviews as to what previous clients have to say about them and how good are they at training aggressive pets too.
Participate In Seminars
Have you ever participated in virtual seminars or a webinar? Then attend one for your pet’s training. The events are carried out by experts in the domain, who can provide you with an A-Z comprehensive guide on pet training. Where to find these events? These are typically advertised on leading pet websites or in stores. Once you get a hold of them, make sure you register yourself in the one where a reputable speaker is sharing reliable and authentic information on pet training which covers the major aspects of the problems you have been dealing with as a pet owner. The plus point is that many seminars often provide the participants with a certificate of completion. You can add that to your professional space and let people know that you have the skills to train the pet and might as well secure a good job in the pet care industry.
Interactive Platforms and Applications
The Play Store is filled with numerous applications for all purposes. There is even a dog training application to help owners train their furry friends. Mobile applications assist you in providing engaging, interactive lessons to train your pet and set it as an example for other pets, track the progress the fellow has been making while conditioning, and provide the owners with feedback about their pet’s behavior.
Examples
Pawscout and Tractive are some mobile applications that support tracking the pet’s location, giving rise to pet communities, and turning on options for lost alerts and social mapping.
There are well-being applications like Pet First Aid, which is an initiative of the American Red Cross. Their prominent aim is to provide pet owners with valuable materials surrounding pet health emergencies so that even if no vet is available, the owner can take care of the pet without professional help.
Automatic Feeders
Pet lovers will love to purchase automatic feeders, especially the ones who are usually occupied with work and miss the time to feed their furry babies. Hence the automatic feeders are no less than a blessing. The technology comes ahead with the feature of dispensing food and water at scheduled times without manual efforts.
The automatic devices eradicate the pet’s prolonged hunger when the owner is not around, reduce the risk of gastrointestinal issues and the good thing is that some of them even have the voice command option that enables at the time of feeding making your pet feel that their owner is around.
Smart Doors
Smart doors or electronic pet doors are small doors fixed in the wall, door, or window. They allow the pets to roam freely in and out of the house. With these doors, both owners and pets enjoy the comfort of entering and moving out of the rooms without the need to open the door. Because these devices detect the movement of the pet to play, exercise, and go for potty breaks. They are ideal for elderly and busy owners if their pet prefers staying outside.
Conclusion
The future of pet training is undoubtedly being shaped by advancements in technology. From smart training devices to interactive apps and virtual reality simulations, technology is revolutionizing the way we teach and bond with our furry companions. By embracing these innovations, pet owners have access to a wealth of tools and resources that can help them train their pets more effectively and strengthen their bond in the process.
Whether you’re teaching basic commands or addressing behavioral issues, the possibilities offered by technology are endless!
