A new gadget will let you know if your dog had a ruff day.
If you’re a dog owner, you’ve likely wished your four-legged friend could talk and tell you what’s wrong.
Pet-tech company Tractive launched its next-generation, advanced Dog GPS and Health Tracker at CES 2025 in Las Vegas — and it is touted to help pet owners monitor their dogs’ health and happiness.
“These new features help speak for them, by alerting pet owners when a concerning pattern is emerging, often long before it may be visible to the naked eye,” Michael Hurnaus, CEO at Tractive, said in a statement, noting that canines “can’t speak and are often very good at hiding pain or discomfort.”
A standout feature of the new device is the debut of Bark Monitoring, which will provide insights into the dog’s barking patterns while the owner is away from home.
Barking patterns can recognize conditions such as separation anxiety and other behavioral issues, letting the owner know that there is something that needs to be managed.
The Dog GPS & Health Tracker — which includes existing features such as real-time GPS tracking, virtual fences, escape alerts, and activity and sleep monitoring — now has an enhanced design featuring two bright LED strips for night visibility.
It will also introduce Resting Heart and Respiratory Rate Alerts through a free software update in March, helping pet parents catch health conditions early on or monitor existing conditions.
Tractive’s new tech can not only track a pooch’s vitals against their own baseline but also compare them to thousands of other dogs of the same breed and age range.
That provides insight into what’s “normal” for your specific dog, according to the company.
“The device will not diagnose the condition, but will serve as an early-warning system that may warrant a visit to a veterinarian,” Hurnaus explained.
The tracker retails for $69.99 and requires a subscription for cellular data connectivity, starting at $5 per month, according to a Tractive press release.
“Resting heart rate and respiratory rate are fundamental vitals that veterinarians use for everything from helping detect the onset of new conditions to managing recovery from care and response to treatment,” Dr. Emily Crawford, owner and veterinarian at Vermont’s Waterbury Veterinary Hospital, said.
“Providing a non-invasive, simple way to track these vitals consistently at home could be a game-changer.”
