The Tech Gear Your Dog Would Tell You to Buy (If They Could Talk)

Tech tools make your life more convenient and more interesting, but who says humans should have all the fun? After all, what does your dog get for entertainment, just a few bones to chew on and a stuffed animal or two? It’s time to upgrade your tech tools and toys for your pup. As a bonus, a few of these will help ease your guilt when your workplace or the world in general isn’t as dog-friendly as you’d like.

Sure, you and your pup both need plenty of exercise, but let’s face it: your throwing arm likely doesn’t need as much of a workout as your dog would like it to have. If you have a fetch-loving pup the iFetch can save your arm. It can be used indoors or outdoors, runs on battery power, and you can adjust the launch distance. Once your pup figures out how to put the ball in the opening on top all you have to do is sit back and relax.

Every dog owner is familiar with that pang of guilt that comes with going to work or a fun night out and leaving their furry best friend home alone. PetChatz can help relieve some of that guilt. It lets you see your pet, talk to them, and even dispense a tasty treat.

Thanks to this SmartFeeder and associated app, your pup will never go hungry when you’re stuck in traffic again. You can set feeding times and decide how much food your pup needs per feeding. One potential drawback is that this only works with dry food, so if your dog turns up her nose at kibble, it won’t work for you.

Have you ever wondered what your dog sees? Sure, it’s pretty much what you see—but from a very different view point. The GoPro Fetch dog harness lets you attach a GoPro camera to your pup for a real dog’s eye view of the world. The adjustable harness has two camera mounting locations, so you can choose whether you want to see what goes on from their back or their chest.

Dogs that are into lasers will love the PetCube. Not only does it let you keep an eye on your dog while you’re out, it also lets you activate a laser so your pup can get a little exercise. If you choose to make your camera public your pup can get even more exercise thanks to strangers who download the PetCube app. Don’t worry—your camera doesn’t have to be public if you’re not jumping for joy at the thought of strangers practically peering into your house.

This advice attaches simply to your pup’s collar, and it can give you peace of mind, especially if your pup’s an escape artist. In addition to GPS tracking, the system can alert you if your dog is outside of the boundaries you’ve set for them, meaning you could know that your pup took the liberty of jumping the fence moments after it happens instead of hours later. OK, so maybe your dog won’t appreciate this particular tool as much as you, but it will help keep them safe.