Will We Have to Limit Our Dog’s Screentime?

By Amy Fernandez

The economy may be crashing around us, but Americans continue to spend like proverbial drunken sailors when it comes to their pets. The annual stats of the American Pet Products Association offer the hard-line truth of this statement. Even though it does seem incredible, APPA reports that Americans continue to outpace predictions every year in this market sector. The idea of $ 137 billion seemed amazing back in ‘22 but that looked like pocket change when the numbers came out for 2023. And that shocking total of $147 billion was eclipsed last year when we shelled out a hefty $150 billion.

So, the big question is, “What is everyone buying?” Some of the newest pet friendly technology might explain where some of this $ 150 billion is going. The CES Tractive is a wearable device that promises to measure several aspects of canine health like sleep patterns, heart rate and activity levels. In addition to those mundane bits of physiology, it also promises to offer insights into a dog’s mental state by deciphering canine barking patterns, emphasizing its value in predicting canine separation anxiety. This gadget retails for a mere $99.

To offset canine anxiety, owners can now sign up for Dogsplay TV, sort of a low-stationed, smart TV and streaming service tailored to canine interests. To entertain and/or soothe frantic pets, it offers viewing options such as Dogflix, Dogfilter,  Dogmusic and a video calling feature to remotely visit with those home alone canines. The TV runs about $695 with additional fees for various streaming options. Yes, just like us, dogs can now while away their time staring at a screen.

Luckily, there is also new technology to track the mental health impact of all that screen time. The Shazam Band is basically a canine Fitbit which purports to utilize AI technology to analyze and interpret a dog’s mental state and emotional well-being. The unique selling point of this device is the promise of interactive human-canine communication. This apparently justifies the $495 cost of the device plus subscription fees. It promises to interpret and translate a dog’s moods and thoughts via a choice of 27 different voices and accents. Like any good tech device, it’s got a ton of settings and options for owners to program their personal preferences. Admittedly, many of these don’t immediately come to mind when pondering the machinations of the canine brain. In my experience, canine interests have always seemed confined to a predictable loop of food, sleep walks, car rides, sex, and personal comforts. But the Shazam Band is changing all that. Now, your dog can rant about politics and religion just like the crazy co-workers you go home to forget.

Short URL: http://caninechronicle.com/?p=324541

Posted by Liz on Apr 23 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.