The FitBark lets you know when your pooch is being active or just plain lazy

By Brandon Widder Published January 8, 2015

Things are looking pretty doggone good for the folks behind FitBark. Although it’s been some time since we last checked in with the development team behind dog-focused activity tracker, it appears as though its latest product is finally set to arrive next month.

Showcased at CES 2015, the company’s tracker works much like the latest fitness products from the likes of FitBit and Jawbone. The small device attaches to your dog’s collar and track his or her daily activity levels, allowing you to view the amount of rest, activity, and play time your pet has engaged in over the course of the week. Once paired with your iOS or Android device, the tracker feeds info to an accompanying app, providing you with quick review of you dog’s workout regime at a glance.

The tech housed inside the device’s plastic casing is nothing short of ordinary. It weighs a mere eight grams and touts a 3-axis accelerometer. A rechargeable lithium-ion battery is designed to last two weeks on a single charge. It also features a waterproof rating of IPX7, meaning it can be submerged for up to 30 minutes in less than one meter of water, so you need not worry if your furry pal opts for an unexpected dip.

The FitBark and bundled mobile app does more than just let you track if your dog has been lounging on the couch all day, though. It supports a unique component that lets you quickly compare your dog’s baseline fitness to others of the same breed, while touting a simple social function for sharing photos of your animal with those in your network. The daily summaries allow you to keep an eye on developing trends in case of an unwanted visit to the vet, while allowing you to keep an eye on your local pet sitter without implementing over-the-top surveillance measures that might make you appear crazy.

The FitBark is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website for a cool $99. Furthermore, FitBark also offers a Wi-Fi base station that connects to your home network and relays your pet’s data to your smartphone when you’re not present — you know, just in case you don’t trust that high school sitter you hired. Boyfriends can be distracting.

Former Senior Editor, Living Articles

Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…

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