Whistle has launched for dog owners keen to track and understand their dogs’ habits. Available for $99 pre-order, Whistle attaches to the pup’s collar, collecting relevant data on “walks, play and rest,” that can be synchronized with an iPhone.
If this sounds familiar, it should: Whistle performs similar functions to the human-centric Fitbit Flex and Jawbone UP, keeping tabs on when and for how long your mutt sleeps, walks, runs, plays and runs amok. With the free companion app, Whistle can attempt to make dogs — or, more importantly, dog owners — more active by setting daily activity goals. And because it also monitors sleep, Whistle can provide insight into problem behaviours if activity levels change from day to day.
Perhaps more valuable, Whistle can export daily, weekly and monthly activity/sleep logs to send to a veterinarian or animal hospital. It will be interesting to see whether the format will remain siloed to Whistle itself or if the company will allow a more universal approach to data export. Whistle also keeps a database of breeds and can compare a particular dog’s activity and sleep levels to the wider demographic.
Whistle synchronizes with the company’s servers via WiFi and Bluetooth, so it’s possible to check on a dog’s current status remotely — as long as the module is in view of a signal, of course. With 10-day battery life and Bluetooth 4.0 support, along with shock- and waterproof certification, Whistle should also withstand the elements.
Whistle is available for pre-order for $99 now, and the company promises Android support soon.
