Yes, Your Dog May Need A Wearable Activity Tracker, Too

Some people may scoff at the idea of a Fitbit for dogs, but that's exactly what FitBark is.

And in fact, they're one of a small number of startups working to maintain and even improve the health of dogs.

To fuel its mission of fun and responsible dog parenting, Fitbark just raised $80,000 on Kickstarter from 697 backers — more than double the amount it was seeking.

“We looked around and realized there’s a black hole in the way we track the health and activity of our dogs throughout time,” Fitbark co-founder Davide Rossi tells Business Insider. “If you cannot measure it, you can’t improve it.”

FitBark recommends daily goals for your dog based on weight, size, and age. From there, a dog owner can tweak those recommendations.

FitBark aims to provide rich information with actionable insights for dog owners. That way, owners can quickly gauge what kind of day their dog is having, even if they’re away from him or her. They can also use that data to share with the veterinarian at their dog's next check up.

FitBark’s “Bark charts” let owners know if their dog is moving less than normal, which could mean the dog is sick. Owners can also gain better insight into how their dog acts around different people. Maybe their dog is more active with one pet sitter than the other. Or maybe one boarding home makes their dog exercise more than the other.

If FitBark notices that a dog is nowhere close to hitting his or her daily goal, the owner may get a notification suggesting to take their dog on a walk. But if the dog is with a pet sitter, the owner could call and check in.

Down the road, Fitbark envisions trainers or even veterinarians tapping into its API to help implement a custom exercise plan.

“Trainers will complain that they prescribe or recommend a program for dogs and owners, but there’s no way to monitor compliance,” Rossi says.

Another application could be for lifestyle recommendations. So a developer could make an app to suggest certain types of pet foods, sync that up with Fitbark, and see if there are any noticeable changes in activity.

Fitbark expects to officially launch by the end of this year and will retail for $99.