The wearables industry has been primarily focused on building devices for humans, but that could change in the next few years, if the excitement over dog wearables with the Link AKC is any indicator.
The smart collar, designed in collaboration with the American Kennel Club (AKC), comes packed with features you would find on a normal human wearable, including a fitness tracker and step count.
Seee Also: World’s second biggest wearables maker debuts new smartwatch
The fitness tracker offers analysis on the dog’s activity level and length. It also breaks down the activity by breed, so there will be varied amounts of daily exercise, depending on the needs of your dog.
Link AKC also comes with a few features built specifically for dogs, like a temperature tracker that warns you when the dog is too hot or too cold. Owners can also create a ‘virtual fence’, and will notify you when the dog’s collar leaves the zone.
Owners can also share “Adventures” they have been on with their dog, similar to Facebook’s check-in feature. Photos can be added to the post, and we suspect users will be able to add the route walked.
For dog owners that want their pooch to be fit, healthy, and safe, this could be a good investment. However, it doesn’t come cheap, starting at $199 with a two-year $6.95 monthly contract.
That’s a big commitment, even for the most pampered pooches.
Design-conscious folks should be happy with the Link AKC. It looks similar to most dog collars, the buttons are well hidden, and the leather exterior is quite premium compared to plastic and metal collars that a lot of dogs wear.
Could this be the future of wearables? There’s enough overindulgent pet owners that it could become a trend, but we’ll have to wait and see as more pet wearables hit the market.
