While it’s true that your dog can’t necessarily actively use gadgets the same way we do, that doesn’t mean tech can’t be useful. Most dog gadgets are aimed at making life easier for the dog owner, which in turn makes life more pleasant (and hopefully a lot longer!) for the dog. Below you’ll find our picks for the best dog gadgets for feeding, cleaning, playtime, and safety.
Just like our favorite pet cameras, this automatic pet feeder is app-enabled, which allows you to ensure your dog or cat is fed both in the event that you’re out of the house when you don’t mean to be and even if you haven’t set up the feeding program yet.
The hopper on this feeder holds 24 cups of food, which will last around a month, depending on the feeding cycle you select. Your options range between 1/8 of cup to 4 cups at a frequency of up to 12 times per day, but you can also initiate a feeding any time you need it. A slow feed option meters out each feeding slowly to act as a slow feeder bowl and reduce gulping.
The stainless bowl is removable and dishwasher safe, as are the lid, hopper, and bowl holder. It uses a PetSafe’s power adapter, but you can install four D cell batteries as a backup in the event that power goes out or your wifi drops to allow it to continue with the last program.
Smart dog collars – much like Fitbits and Apple Watches for people – track activity and sleep patterns, feeding data back to your smartphone. This will enable you to spot health problems before they grow and optimize your dog’s health. Like the human versions, your dog’s performance is compared to other dogs so you can determine how active (or not) your pup is for their breed and size. The Fitbark is now in its second incarnation, is water resistant, fits to your dog’s normal collar, and works with a number of freely-available apps.
If you’re having trouble with your dog barking too much at inappropriate times, this is the collar for you.
PetSafe furnished me with a sample of this collar, which is rechargable via the included USB cable, for use with my extremely loud blue nose pitbull. I was reluctant to use static correction collars because he has an extremely thin coat and it just felt like overkill. I didn’t expect much of this, which uses tiny cartridges of either citronella-scented liquid or unscented liquid to gently redirect his barking efforts.
However, I was more than impressed. It takes, at most, two sprays for him to quiet down. Over the course of a week, just wearing it meant he thought twice about barking, which in turn led to an overall calmer demeanor, which was a bit of a surprise for me. In general, I think of these types of collars as anxiety-inducing, but that just wasn’t the case with this. Give this a try with your incessant barker.
Be warned, however, to make the collar as compact as it is, especially compared to earlier attempts at this, the cartridges are quite small and run out relatively quickly. You can get refills here.
A water fountain will encourage pets to drink more often, as the flow simulates a fresh water source. Some dogs don’t like drinking from a still bowl, so providing them a fountain can increase their hydration. Additionally, virtually all pet water fountains filter the water through at least one stage and usually more. This model offers two levels of drinking with the upper level better for older pets who can’t bend down as far any more. The large 100 ounce capacity should give them a few days worth of water easily.
PetSafe’s Drinkwell line features prominently in our best cat water fountain post, which features models that could be used for dogs, as well.
This handy dog gadget can work in two ways. First, with a little training, you can use it to have your dog signal you from the door when they need to go outside. The activator button can be up to 1,000 feet away from the receiver, which itself has four volume levels and 38 different ringtones. Alternatively, since it’s water resistant, you can put this outside and have your dog signal you when they’re ready to come back in. Avoid having a dog like my husky who jumps two or three feet in the air when he needs to go out and digs at the door when he’s ready to come back in.
Although there are a wealth of cool dog toys out there, few of them qualify as true dog gadgets. This one does. There are two primary play modes: 1. Auto Play Mode, wherein the Wickedbone responds to your dog’s inputs and moves in interesting ways in response. 2. Drive Mode, which allows you to control the movements of the Wickedbone with an app. After a one hour charge, you’ll get 40 minutes of Drive Mode or four hours in Auto Play Mode. The “tires” on the ends of the bone are replaceable and washable.
If you have an anxious pet (or if you’re an anxious owner), a pet cam is almost certainly worth the money. This option from Petcube allows for two way audio, full HD video and, of course, treat-tossing. I have one of these, as well as the smaller model, the Petcube Play. Between the two of them, I have my house pretty much covered so I can keep an eye on all three of my dogs when I’m not there. The ability to toss treats while I’m gone quickly acclimated them to understanding that an empty house was no need to panic.
If your dog is anything like my younger boys, their ability and willingness to play far outlasts your ability to toss a ball. Especially with my young husky mix, if I threw the ball enough for him, my arm would fall off. Enter the automatic ball launcher. Not only can your dog eventually learn how to return the ball to the launcher themslves, in the meantime, the ease of dropping it in will probably ease your workload enough, anyway. This is the smaller model, which uses smaller balls. We put the iFetch Too on our list of the best interactive dog toys, which handles standard sized tennis balls.
All three of my dogs are over 55 pounds, so bathtime is a feat of endurance for me. If this sounds like you, Bissel has a solution for you. Working on the same principle as their floor-cleaning units, this is a fully portable dog washing solution which can wash an 80 pound dog using only 48 ounces of water. This particular version is quieter than the first for dogs who are sensitive to vacuum noise.
You don’t have to go quite this high-tech to make bath time easier, though. The Waterpik Pet Wand Pro is a handy implement that will make your bathtub-bound cleaning adventures a little bit easier.
If you don’t opt for the Barkbath elsewhere on this list and bathe your dog as normal in the tub, you’ll want to make sure they’re very dry when you’re done. A wet dog, even one washed with the strongest-smelling shampoo, just smells like wet dog. And they’ll proceed to share that moisture with the rest of your house if you don’t dry them when you’re done. In my experience, a human hair dryer isn’t up to the job unless you have a lot of time to kill. This dog dryer is similar to ones you’d find at the groomer. It’s high velocity and will also help de-shed your dog while you dry them. You’ll have to get them used to the noise first, but it will be worth it.
Whether your dog spend a lot of time outside when it’s cool or is just short-haired and often cold, a heated dog bed could be a good dog gadget to have around. Using the same energy as a single incandescent light bulb, this bed comes with a 5.5 foot cord and heats to 102 degrees. There are three sizes to choose from: small (14 by 18 inches), medium (19 by 24 inches) and large (25 by 36 inches). My blue nose pit loves these things and gravitates to them even in warmer months.
While a traditional dog door allows your dog to freely move in and out, they also tend not to be the best choice in areas with very cold seasons. There are insulated versions like we put on our best dog doors post, but you might want to consider this high-tech option, too. The door itself is operated with D-cell batteries and responds to a SmartKey which is attached to your dog’s collar.
When in Automatic mode, it will let your dog out when it approaches with the SmartKey. You can also set it to Locked mode, which doesn’t open for any reason, and Unlocked mode, which allows animals to move freely through it without a SmartKey. This way, you can decide which of your creatures can go in and out.
If you’re in the habit of trimming your dog’s nails at home, it’s hard to beat an otherwise already great gadget in this Dremel aimed specifically at pet owners. This tool allows you to quickly trim nails safely with the addition of the nail guard in the top. It sets the correct angle and depth without guessing on your part. Otherwise, it’s just a small Dremel, which is pretty useful on the whole, anyway.
Perfect for a training puppy or perhaps a senior dog, this handy dog gadget is a UV flashlight that makes it easy to find the hidden pee stains after they’ve dried. This will work on carpet, hardwoods, you name it. Keep your home clean and sanitary with this simple device and don’t forget to combine it with the portable carpet cleaner we also put on this list.
Once you use the UV light on this list to find the stains, you’ll need to clean it. Bissell has long made excellent carpet cleaners like this one, but this smaller, dustbuster-style c leaner is even more portable. It has an eight ounce clean tank capacity and a three-inch wide cleaning path. Super easy to use and a bit cheaper than most other products in this category.
While most electric dog fences require a lengthy installation process generally involving burying wires, this portable solution for PetSafe only requires placing the base and boundary flags. From that central location, you’ll get a containment circle of up to 3/4 of an acre, expandible to an unlimited number of pets with additional collars. Those collars are waterproof and rechargable. This is a good solution for cookouts, yards without fences, and RVing.
As the owner of three dogs and a married person, I strongly recommend a Roomba to help maintain household sanity. I have the comparatively dumb version of a Roomba, which lacks both the wi-fi connectivity so I can use the app and the ability to integrate it with an Alexa device. This model has both of those things, making it a perfect compliment for a multi-dog home.
Dog training requires a lot of patience in addition to a lot of treats. When doling out their rewards, one possible drawback is that they must return to you to be rewarded. Sometimes you want this, of course, but when working on distance training or trying to get your dog to remain in place, it would be ideal if something else dispensed the treat. That’s exactly what this dog gadget is designed to do. By placing the Treat & Train somewhere, you can reward your dog while they perform the action away from you and gradually increase the duration of each action. They’ve also included a target stick for multi-part trainings or to teach your dog to touch something before receiving their treat. Also handy to keep them from rushing the door and jumping on guests.
The difficulty in training your dog to stay off of furniture comes when you’re not home. You could use the Petcube pet cam elsewhere on this post to make sure they’re staying off, but that still requires your attention. This dog gadget combines a soft, pressure-sensitive mat with a noisemaker to effortlessly remind your dog to stay off. When pressure is applied to the mat, a 95 decibel alarm sounds, which should be enough to startle your pup (without any shock!) and remind them to stay down. It runs on one 9V battery and can be used on other surfaces, as well.
