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ABC15 checks out fitness tracking device for dogs

Posted at 8:14 PM, Nov 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-06 22:14:42-05

There's a new gadget out there for pet owners trying to keep their little buddies healthy. It even sends a detailed, instantaneous report right to the owner's smartphones daily. 

FitBark, a tiny device that hooks right to your pet's collar, tracks things like distance walked, calories burned, and even scores our pets on sleep. Then, it compiles the data and sends it to your smartphone. 

ABC15 decided to put it to test! For our recruits, we looked no farther than Amber Sullins, Steve Irvin, and Nick Ciletti. Together, they put Willis, Ellie, and Larry to the test!

Willis is Amber's 13-year-old daschund. FitBark told us he burned 119 calories and walked half a mile in one day! 

As for Larry, he burned more than 400 calories and really knocked it out of the park when it came to his sleep score. 

But Steve's dog Ellie was nothing to snore at! Thanks to frequent trips to the bark park, she earned about 3,200 Bark Points, the metric FitBark uses to measure your dog's progress. 

"Anything that puts the focus on being active, and anything that gets the whole family out there and moving is wonderful," explains Dr. Stephanie Shaver, a doctor of veterinary medicine at Midwestern University in Glendale. 

But Dr. Shaver reminds us there are other, cheaper ways to make sure our pets are staying on the fitness bandwagon. 

"Whether it's getting them to go on a walk everyday, cutting back on food, cutting back on those treats more than anything," said Dr. Shaver.

As always, it's a good idea to check with your vet before trying something new. 

As far as privacy concerns, there is no GPS on the FitBark, so someone wouldn't be able to determine your location. Also, you can adjust your privacy settings to control who sees your dog. 

For more information, head to https://www.fitbark.com