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Did you know that over 50% of dogs in the UK are overweight !
Dog activity monitors are a great option for helping you keep your best friend in tip-top condition.
You could think of them as a Fitbit for dogs, mounted on their collar, sensors monitor your dog’s movement and rest giving you a picture of their activity levels. It’s a fun way to encourage you and your dog to be active.
These doggie wearables act as pedometers which let you see what your pet is doing every minute of the day.
If left on your dog's collar overnight, these activity trackers record your dogs sleep pattern which can be incredibly useful when you want to keep a close eye on their general health.
Pet fitness trackers are proving to be a massive hit with dog lovers especially those who already love their hugely popular human smart bands (Fitbit, Apple Watch).
Freddie and his friends Henry and Otis tested three of the best dog activity trackers available in the UK - PitPat, PoochPlay and FitBark 2.
You can judge for yourself whether you like the look and we'll fill you in as best we can on how good they are at monitoring your dog, how easy the app is to use, the accuracy of the data, and basically if we liked them.
If you're looking for a GPS Tracker to help locate your dog, why not take a look at our full test and review of the best GPS Trackers for Dogs on the market for 2024. |
All three GPS Trackers we test offer some form of activity monitoring in addition to GPS location, but the downside is that you will need to pay a small subscription. |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Buying Guide to Dog Activity Trackers
The first thing to say is that activity trackers are not GPS Trackers, so they can't find a lost dog. However, they can help you discover just how many steps your dog takes and how well they sleep - you might be surprised.
If your pooch is overweight, these devices can help get them back to peak fitness.
They use smart technology to monitor and access your dog's movements throughout the day (and night if you wish). Not to mention with no GPS, there are no ongoing monthly costs so they are great value little devices.
Admittedly they can't replace more traditional pet care but they are a useful tool you can use to help assess your dog's health.
Features to Consider
Before you rush out and buy a dog fitness tracker, let's take a quick look at some of the some options you might want to consider -
Waterproof
If your dog loves water than opt for a waterproof monitor or it may have a very short life !
Fitness Tracking Capabilities
Consider what health and fitness tracking elements you value. Is it simply a record of daily steps or would you like more in-depth statistics with sleep patterns, calorie guidelines etc.
Size & Attachment
Check the size and weight especially if you have a small breed dog. Considerable thought has gone into the design of all three monitors we test to ensure that the trackers are extremely lightweight. None of our testers seemed to notice that they were there.
Battery Life
Do you want to charge the internal battery or replace it ? How often will the battery need charging or replacing? We provide details on each tracker tested.
Apps
Most trackers require the you to download a mobile app in order for you to track fitness data. Some offer simple graphs and data whilst others have options to view every possible detail.
Extra Features
Some devices offer additional features e.g. food guidance or the option to enter vaccination schedules plus the option to share information with other family members or friends
So, let’s take a look at the Top 3 activity trackers available in the UK today and see what features they have to offer both you and your dog. |
Best Dog Activity Trackers
(In Order of Preference)
1. PitPat
Best Activity Tracker Overall
At the end of our testing process we would recommend the PitPat activity tracker. Designed by a UK company, the dog activity monitor is not only super compact but great value and amazingly easy to use. During testing, we felt the data was the most accurate of the three devices. |
How does PITPAT work ?
Once the PitPat device is attached to your dog's collar, every minute spent walking, running and playing counts towards their daily exercise goal.
Amazingly, the technology analyses movements every 10 minutes to decide what activity your dog is doing during that period.
PitPat uses their tech to distinguish between walking and running – by sensing the natural “gait” motion of your dog. Clever stuff ...
What does the app offer ?
The PitPat tracker stores up to 10 days activity. So you don't need to upload the data daily.
Simply press the orange “paw” button on your device and your data is automatically sent via bluetooth to the PitPat app on your phone. We can report that the data was sent consistently during our tests.
The app asks you to input some basic information on your dog then it recommends a daily exercise goal.
For a 3 year old healthy cockapoo like Henry or Freddie our testers, PitPat suggested 40 minutes a day. If you would like to set a different goal, simply adjust it to suit.
As well as a suggested exercise goal, PitPat enables you to record your dog's weight and set an ideal weight goal, assess body condition & earn badges.
We loved that the app can be downloaded on several devices letting the whole family view your dog's activity and progress. We were quickly hooked on checking how many badges our dogs earned every week and it definitely encouraged us to walk more.
Is the tracker robust ?
PitPat weighs in at just 16g, it's waterproof and attaches to the collar with parachute grade velcro. Trust us, it's not coming off your dog's collar.
How much does it cost?
PitPat offers two purchase options - a one-off payment or alternatively a monthly subscription which includes a few extras. We felt that a straight one-off purchase with no ongoing costs offered the best value.
Plus, if you have more than one dog, PitPat offer a multibuy discount.
We can recommend PitPat as a great value device for monitoring your dog's activity levels.
Weight - 16g
Reasons to Buy
+ Easy to use
+ Intuitive app
+ Secure on the collar
+ One-off payment option
+ Designed in the UK
Reasons to Avoid
- Low initial daily exercise goal
Buying Options
One final thought ....PitPat also offer a GPS Tracker. Whereas lots of GPS rivals come with a monthly subscription for the SIM, the PitPat tracker takes the design a step further and offers a one-off payment but has no ongoing subscription to pay. This GPS Tracker does include some activity monitoring too. |
or read our in depth review of the PitPat GPS tracker and others in - Best GPS Trackers for Dogs 2024
2. PoochPlay
Lightest Activity Monitor
PoochPlay are a company set up by a UK electronics engineer with more than ten years experience developing web and mobile platforms, his love of dogs eventually led him to found PoochPlay.
How does PoochPlay work?
The PoochPlay activity tracker uses the same technology as PitPat and FitBark to tell you just how active your dog is.
It categorises your dog's movement into three types- Very Active, Active & Rest.
🐾 Very Active - your dog has more than 30 moves in one minute.
🐾 Active - your dog moves 1-29 moves per minute.
🐾 Rest - your dog doesn’t move.
The app and tracker upload the data when you select 'Update'. We found that the PoochPlay Tracker recorded walks slightly differently from PitPat or Fitbark.
What does the app offer?
PoochPlay is the only tracker to provide guidance on your dog's diet.
By selecting your dog's brand of food, the app can advise on food base activity levels.
PoochPlay suggests a daily activity goal, based on breed, age etc, which in our testers case was 60 minutes (Otis is a 5yr old Labrador)
It's also worth mentioning that PoochPlay is the only activity tracker which offers a Personal Assistant option to keep track of your vaccinations and grooming schedule.
The battery which should last 6 months, is the same type of battery found in many watches so should be straightforward to replace.
Is the tracker robust?
The tracker is very light at only 6g and waterproof. It sits in a silicone holder attached to the collar.
It's the collar attachment that appears to be an issue with some customers.
Some reviews complained that the fixing was not robust and dog lovers had lost their monitor whilst out walking.
It did seem the least secure of the devices we tested so we opted to use the extreme band which was provided free of charge when we bought the tracker. We didn't experience any issues with it falling off the collar.
How much is it ?
The cheapest of the trackers, it's a simple one-off payment and there are no ongoing subscription payments.
Weight - 6g
Reasons to Buy
+ Cheapest monitor tested
+ Easy to use app
+ Food intake advice
+ Designed in the UK
Reasons to Avoid
- Difference in measurements
- Potentially less secure
Currently unavailable on Amazon
3. FitBark
Best Monitor for Data Lovers
How does FitBark work?
FitBark 2 monitors your dog’s activity just like PitPat with a tracker on the collar.
Where the FitBark is slightly different is they've developed their own point system - Bark Points.
The more the sensor moves the more Bark Points it collects. To gauge distance travelled, FitBark analysed a variety of dogs. You do however, have the opportunity to alter the Bark Points to accurately reflect the distance your dog travels.
What does the app offer ?
If you love statistics then this is definitely the activity tracker for you.
The FitBark app has a wealth of information beautifully displayed in a series of graphs.
You can track your dog by hour, the calories burnt, distance covered and bark points.
The data is displayed in a variety of colourful charts with hourly, daily, weekly and monthly views.
We found it initially quite complicated but after a few days it became more familiar but still not particularly intuitive.
You can invite contacts to download the app and then use it as a mini social media tool, with photos and updates for friends and family.
We loved this, as the family could comment on Freddie's antics when they were away.
How much does it cost?
There is a one-off payment for the FitBark with no ongoing subscription payments and it's worth pointing out that it's the most expensive of the Activity Monitors we reviewed.
Is the tracker robust ?
The FitBark weighs only 10g and is attached to the collar with a very low tech solution - a couple of cable ties!
Whilst the cable ties appeared to do a decent job and the tracker felt secure, we couldn't help thinking that it was a cheap attachment option.
Additional soft, colourful covers are available if you want a change from black.
Weight - 10g
Reasons to Buy
+ If you love data
+ Use as mini social media tool
+ Option to add photos, notes etc.
Reasons to Avoid
- Most expensive monitor tested
- Complicated app
- Cheap attachment with cable tie
OUR VERDICT
Overall, we found all three were impressive little devices using new technology to enhance not replace traditional pet care.
Because they don't use GPS, all three activity trackers have an amazing battery life, which is a big tick for us, frankly we have enough tech to charge every night we certainly don’t want anymore!
Plus there are no subscription payments (unless you choose this additional option available with PitPat), so no ongoing costs to incur.
We considered the PitPat device was the easiest app to understand with key statistics displayed in simple graphics. It also appeared the most accurate device initially (FitBark 2 improved once the bark points were calibrated).
If you prefer to buy British then PitPat and PoochPlay are great options and certainly give the US designed FitBark a run for it's money.
In all three cases whilst the results may not be exact, few activity trackers are, fitbits for dogs do provide you with far more insight than no tracker whatsoever.
We hope you enjoyed reading our review as much as Freddie, Otis and Henry enjoyed testing the trackers !
Thank you for stopping by and reading our review of the Best Activity Trackers in the UK for 2024.
