Here's How Wearable Technology Has Gone to the Dogs

It wasn't that long ago when your best option for keeping track of your dog was to affix an ID tag to his collar and hope for the best. Today, not only do we have microchips for dogs, we also have wearable technology—including new "smart collars." And these gadgets can do much more than help us track our wayward pets.

What the Heck Do They Do?

Smart collars work in much the same way as the various "smart" devices that people have become accustomed to recently, in that they can connect to Wi-Fi and our devices so we can keep better track of our furry companions. Some of the cooler models even allow for Near Field Communication (NFC) to be used so that dogs can essentially communicate with other devices that use the technology. If you can imagine your dog walking up to the door and having it open for them because of their smart collar, you're on the right track.

The benefit comes with how this allows owners to keep tabs on the furry friends. Some of the best devices are equipped with GPS and even speakers that allow the owner to communicate directly to the dog. Imagine how much easier it would be to track an animal that's escaped by using GPS, or how much better you may be able to make them feel just by enabling them to hear your voice if they have gotten lost. These are all features that the new generation of smart collars claim to offer.

Of course, all of the data that these collars generate needs to go somewhere and the solution, as it often is these days, is a mobile app. At least that's the case for many companies that are moving into the world of smart collars, with the majority offering an app that will allow you to use GPS and operate all of the features that the collar comes with. You can even spy on your dog by pulling up data— haven't you always wondered what your mutt does when you're out of the house?

The use of mobile apps also offers plenty of opportunity for storage, allowing users to make use of the phone's physical memory to keep data. We imagine that a lot of these apps will also eventually allow for connection to cloud storage, allowing the owner to keep as much data as they want about their dog.

Pet-related technology is still a relatively new frontier, and we're continuing to see some pretty cool—and downright wacky—gadgets coming out. We're just waiting for that gadget that takes the dog on a walk for us.