Dog technology has come a long way in the last few years, and the market doesn't seem to be slowing down. We've seen huge advancements in everything from food to chew toys and leashes to pooper scoopers, so what future dog technology is on its way that every pet owner will want? Don’t worry, there’s plenty in the works for our canine friends, and frankly, the future looks pretty exciting!
Dog's have always been referred to as man's best friend, but the bond is stronger now than ever before. Many dog owners are viewing their pets as members of the family, and they treat their dogs more like children than animals.
This behavior has led to an enormous boom in the dog product industry and countless innovations in dog technology.
In fact…
According to the AMERICAN PET PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION, consumers will spend an estimated $60.59 billion on their pets in 2015.
Companies are constantly working to capitalize on the ever-growing needs of pet parents. By looking at the current trends in dog products and the recent advancements in dog technology, it is plain to see where these products may be headed in the future.
What Future Pet Technology Every Dog Owner Will Want?
Having your dog microchipped with a GPS tracker is already popular with pet owners; however, in Northern Ireland (and soon England will follow) microchipping dogs is not only popular – it’s mandatory. The procedure makes it simple to find your dog if he somehow manages to escape the yard or becomes lost while you're taking a walk.
Recently, there’s also been talk of bringing mandates like this to cities in America where the dog population is extremely high. So why does this count as future technology if the process is already around in the present?
Mandated microchipping will bring with it a lot of possibilities in smartphone and computer technology which will greatly improve the lives of dogs and dog owners alike.
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Think of the possibilities of having every dog in a neighborhood microchipped. It could lead to technology that allows you to track not only your dog, but other dogs as well, so you can know how many dogs, and which particular canines, are walking in your favorite area or playing in your favorite dog park. If there’s a dog who's notoriously unfriendly to other dogs, you can easily avoid him if you know where he is.
Likewise, improvements could be made to cities with a high concentration of dogs. If city officials knows where dog owners live, they can put dog wash stations and dog parks in areas closer to where the most dogs reside.
Enhancements like these would make life far more convenient for dog owners living in the area, and anyone moving into a city could use the dog tracking technology as well. Before moving to a new area, you would be able to see where other dog owners live. Not to mention, technology like this would help build a sense of community among the neighborhood dog lovers.
Future dog technology will bring luxury amenities to dog kennels
If you're a pet parent that enjoys spoiling their dog, Samsung has an over the top dog product that you'll love! They've developed a new dog kennel that will let your canine companion have all the same luxuries as you, from a dog-sized tablet that acts as a television screen to a paw-operated snack dispenser.
This kennel also features a built-in treadmill with fake grass to allow your dog the feeling of running outside. It also provides Fido with a hot tub spa for him to relax in after strenuous exercise or an invigorating game of fetch. The kennel is designed to be completely dog-operated and is decorated with canine-friendly paw print décor and photographs of dogs playing.
The idea for the kennel came from a survey which showed that a growing number of dog owners believe their dogs will benefit from more gadgets and technology geared toward dogs. The “Samsung Dog Dreamhouse” is not on the market yet, but was on display at Crufts, the United Kingdom’s largest dog competition and trade show.
“With the Samsung Dream Doghouse, we wanted to reflect the nation’s growing trend for using technology. From dogs who have social media profiles to owners who use video calling to check on their pet while away, technology is fast becoming an integral part of everyday life. The Samsung Dream Doghouse looks sleek and modern, featuring the kind of tech the discerning dog of the future will need.” – Andy Griffiths, Samsung Electronics UK president
The dream dog house took six weeks to build and cost over $20,000, but it could lead to great innovations in the standard kennel. They may not have all the same perks as the “Dog Dreamhouse,” but in the future, many kennels could see dog-operated tablets, treat machines, and other amenities pioneered by the Samsung product.
Could technology bring us an easier way to communicate with our dogs?
I’m sure you've heard of those phony gadgets that claim to tell you what your dog is trying to say when he barks, but a new product hitting the market in the future may actually do just that. No More Woof is a headset that is currently still in the works from a company called the Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery, and it is supposed to be able to pick up certain signals from your dog’s brain and translate them into English.
The company has gotten very positive results so far, but the product is still far from being put on retail store shelves. The Nordic Society for Invention and Discovery is still in the process of searching for patterns in the brainwaves of dogs as they bark to try to communicate things such as hunger, tiredness, and playfulness.
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Their IndieGoGo campaign ended last year with twice the funding they had asked for, and pre-orders have been pouring in for prototypes offering different functions. No More Woof is possibly the most talked about and highly anticipated future dog technology at the moment, and for very good reason.
Imagine being able to know exactly what your dog wants instead of having to guess. Is your dog sad, tired, or sick? Is it begging for something or just happy and wants to play? Through the use of a dog-friendly headset, the No More Woof device aims to distinguish these brainwave signals from your dog and convey them in English for you to hear.
Not only would this add to the convenience of life for dog owners, but the scientific implications could be used for service dogs and rescue dogs as well, improving their ability to help people. This technology could also possibly be put to use with other popular animals such as cats, birds, and small animals as well.
Will future pet technology increase the health and wellness of our dogs?
Answering this question is a little tricky. Unfortunately not even science can make our dogs' lives longer. However, pet technology is changing how we care for our pets, which in turn makes them healthier and happier for the short time they are here with us. Lots of research is currently being done about the nutrition that dogs require and how we can provide them with the healthiest diets and supplements possible.
The food that we choose to feed our dogs is a crucial factor in their overall health. Many commercial dog foods are full of additives, preservatives, fillers, and other ingredients that are harmful to our pet's digestive systems. Lately, all-natural and organic dog foods are becoming very popular, and a lot of large commercial dog food manufacturers have changed the ingredients of their foods to make them healthier for the animals they feed.
Believe it or not, technology is taking the dog food market by storm as well. Over he last few months we've covered many stories about new pet startups coming in the dog food market with innovative ideas:
- New Supplement Makes Homemade Dog Food Meet AAFCO Requirements
- New Store Is Transforming the Way You Shop For Dog Food
- The U.S. is About to Get Its First Certified Humane Labeled Dry Dog Food
- 10 Choices of Best Cheap Dog Food Brands
- New Dog Food Company Releases Biscuit That Cleans Dog Teeth
Customized dog food is becoming more popular with dog owners because it provides your pet with the exact nutrition that their body needs. Technology is allowing dog food makers to better understand the nutritional requirements of specific breeds, sizes, and ages of dogs.
For example, a puppy needs a higher concentration of protein in his food to help his body grow and develop. Senior dogs need supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin added to their food to help maintain joint health. There are multiple companies that are customizing dog food for individual dogs and shipping it directly to the owner's home.
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In most cases, pet owners simply log on to the companies website and input information about their dog including breed, weight, age, and any special dietary requirements. The company then uses the information to formulate a customized food for the dog. These foods are typically all-natural and sometimes even organic.
You can find information on personalized dog food from these manufacturers:
There aren't a lot of options on the market right now, but as this technology grows many more manufacturers will begin to use it.
Who knows? In the future commercial dog food may be obsolete and personalized dog food may be the norm.
Another trend in health and overall wellness is the aspect of going green and becoming more eco-friendly. Dog products have been becoming more and more environmentally safe in recent years, and that is great news for your dog's health. Eco-friendly wipes, cleaners, and shampoos are made with natural, organic ingredients and none of those toxic chemicals found in similar pet products.
The future will definitely bring with it some technological advancements in the products that we use to groom our pets, and will also provide pet owners with better options for waste disposal. Many cities are realizing just how detrimental dog waste can be to their water supply, and developments are in the works right now to try and curb this issue.
According to poopbags.com…
“20-30% of all pollutants in waterways are attributed to dog waste.”
Similarly, non-renewable plastics are one of the highest generated waste products in the United States. Hopefully, with the help of technology, we can drastically reduce these issues.
Enter doggy septic tanks. Most compost facilities won't take dog waste, so what better way to dispose of it than flushing it down the toilet — the doggy toilet that is!
Doggy Dooley is an in ground septic tank for dog waste that converts it from a solid to a liquid without contaminating the soil or hurting the grass. Dog owners simply place the poo in the container and add a natural-acting bacteria/enzyme and close the lid. It's that simple!
With plastic poop bag bans on the rise, this may be the dog doo disposal system of the future.
From improvements in your neighborhood as a whole, right down to your dog’s ease of life and ability to communicate, canines will not be forgotten about in the coming wave of technology. With growing numbers of dogs all over the world, more and more research is being conducted to the benefit of dogs and their owners. The future of dog technology is not far away; soon we’ll be able to reap the rewards of these advancements!
