Dog lover develops innovative canine gadget

A devoted pet owner from San Francisco has developed a piece of wearable equipment which tracks the behaviour patterns of dogs.

Ben Jacobs faced heartbreak when his German shepherd had to be put to sleep at the age of five. The dog, who was called Bear, had an intestinal issue that threatened his life. This unfortunate experience plagued Ben’s mind for years and gave him the motivation to create ‘Whistle’. This innovative device tracks the movement of dogs and alerts the owner if there are any signs of illness.

Speaking about his inspiration for Whistle, Ben said:

“My goal was to help people with dogs like Bear try to understand their day-to-day patterns of health, and maybe some long-term trends as well.”

The invention is designed with a small activity tracker and accelerometer, which is fixed to the dog’s collar. Data is gathered throughout the day and broadcast to the company server via a Wi-Fi connection. This information is then compared against normal animal behaviour and should there be any irregularities, a local vet will receive a full activity report.

The app is perfect for people who work on a regular basis, because the pet owner can monitor the animal’s movements throughout the day.

Whistle isn’t the only innovative pet device to be introduced recently; ‘Petcube’ is an application created by Alex Neskin of Ukraine. This application connects with a low-light laser and the dog can chase the light, while the owner watches them on camera.

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