Health

Fitness Trackers Already Don’t Work for People, So Maybe Leave Dogs Alone

The Animo fitness tracker for dogs counts calories and activity, but… why?
animo, sure petcare, tech, ces 2020, dogs, pets, fitness trackers, fitbi, wearables, gadgets,
Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

British pet tech company Sure Petcare featured their Animo dog activity and behavior monitor at CES 2020, the annual consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas that kicked off on Tuesday and wraps this coming Friday.

Animo is a fitness tracker that records your dog’s weekly activity so you can review any changes in their behavior and set daily goals for them to complete. For about $90, it promises to tell you that your dog probably wants to go for a walk, or how much you, yourself, are feeding them.

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Look, I get it: Dogs can be lazy, and it pisses me off, too. While you’re off at work making enough money to put a roof over that pile of fur’s goofy-looking head, your dog gets to stay home and sleep, kicking their legs and faintly barking because they’re dreaming about hunting small prey or some other stupid thing.

But let me save you $89.60: Think about how many times you take your dog for a walk every day. Is it three times? Four? You’re probably good! Is it less? Walk them more. Is your dog acting like they’ve got to pee or poop? You should probably take them outside!

A dubiously effective fitness tracker to count your dog’s calories will help a person and their pet far less than just taking them to the doctor. There’s no need to spend close to $100 on a gadget (on top of regular checkups and the cost of good food) to figure out how to feed the beloved, freeloading dog you already take care of every day.

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Follow Harron Walker on Twitter .