Whether you’re human or a dog or something in between, there is definitely an app for you. While apps are often designed to grab your attention and sell you something, they’re not always as helpful as they claim to be. How do you decide what to download and which to bypass?
My nine (yes, nine) dogs and I have teamed up to compile a list of recommended apps for dogs, based on their actual usefulness for both species.
Cost: Free with advertising
This free iPhone app is a dog whistle in the phone and works for baristas too. Dog whistles have been around since 1876. Traditionally, they are standard looking whistles that emit a frequency high enough that only dogs can hear and respond to them. They are often used in training and combine the novel tone with a command such as “Come”. I sat in a cafe and tested this app version and tapped the cute dog whistle picture. Even though I couldn’t hear anything, the barista yelled, “Are you doing this?”
Image: Screenshot: Hundepfeifer
The point of a dog whistle, of course, is that it creates a sound frequency so high that only dogs – and other highly sensitive creatures – can hear it. I tried it on my ankle-headed dog, Rooney, when he fixated on a cat on the other side of the fence. Although he was not yet trained to give a specific response to the whistle, the unique frequency was enough to get his attention and call him inside. The app has settings for adjusting the tone frequency and length, as well as 14 whistle pattern options, so you can see exactly what is attracting your dog – and keep your coffee supply undisturbed.
Free
There are a number of apps that are designed to promote dog-friendly businesses and activities, but they are not particularly user-friendly in their own right. BringFido is an exception that offers an easy-to-navigate interface that allows you to search for places near and far to see what accommodations, restaurants, parks, and other places are available for you and your dog. (The more bones they rated, the better.)
Image: Screenshot: Bringfido
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: BRINGFIDO
It’s not entirely up-to-date, unfortunately, especially on post-pandemic closures, but the app offers many ways to investigate. Start by searching by city, then use the icons in the top left corner to filter by food, accommodation, etc. Then you can jump in the car with your luggage and avoid nasty looks when you get to your table for five and they only notice. One of you is human.
Free
Nothing is more frightening or dramatic for the dog and owner than an unexpected medical emergency, even if it is (hopefully) something as simple as an allergy or a cracked nail. Fortunately, the Red Cross, which has been teaching pets CPR for years – so they know what they’re doing – has a pet first aid app.
Image: Screenshot: First aid for pets
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
The app has solid information to help you check your dog’s vital signs, know what’s “normal”, treat wounds and of course when to go to your veterinary emergency room. In addition to step-by-step instructions for identifying health problems, the app also links to instructional videos, including CPR.
Cost: $ 29 per week (the first week is free)
One of the biggest challenges of having a new dog is training, and one of the biggest challenges in training is finding the time to stick to it consistently. This app is a possible solution. GoodPup provides guidance for your dog’s first 12 months, but costs $ 29 per week.
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
Designed specifically for dogs in their first year of life, the app starts by giving you some information about you and your dog, including the dog’s age and how long you’ve been together. It then outlines the curriculum you will follow, with tasks based on the information you shared in your recording: things like potty training, learning commands like lying down, preventing jumping, and so on. The overview will help you and your pup stay on track throughout the week, and a weekly video consultation with a real live trainer will help troubleshoot where you might be wrong. Good news: The first week is free, and GoodPup has also partnered with some animal shelters and rescues to offer free advice on new adopters to make sure the dogs that have finally found a home can keep them.
Cost: Free to $ 99
Puppr offers trick training with an in-app clicker and an introduction to clicker training for dogs and their owners. With clicker training, your dog’s good behavior is reinforced by an acoustic signal or with trick training when completing a task.
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
Many of the basics are free here, but if you and your companion want to move on to more advanced tricks, including a circus performance sequence, access costs as little as $ 1.99 for a package of six tricks, or as high as $ 12.99 per month or $ 99.99 per year if you’d like access to their Canine Good Citizen course, which can lead to official certification for your dog. Instructions for all levels are clear, straightforward, and include video referencing. Also worth mentioning: I tried the clicker on my barista and it didn’t mind the sound at all.
Cost: Free, with a premium add-on option of $ 2.99 monthly or $ 13.99 for life
Dog Scanner may be a ridiculous app, but it’s also ridiculously addicting. Using existing photos, or even a live active dog (including my Rooney in cat hunting mode!), The scanner tries to identify the dog’s breed based on its appearance. The problem with this app is that a dog’s appearance is often not a good indicator of the breed, and the dog’s breed is not always a good indicator of useful information like personality traits. Dogs are individuals, after all
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
PICTURED: SCREENSHOT: PET FIRST AID
Even so, I couldn’t stop myself from testing this app on a wide variety of dogs, including some in my own house (and some humans too). The results are fascinating for the most obvious dogs like my Rottweiler Paul and at least fascinating for my mysterious sisters Etta and Ani, whose mother was definitely a pit bull, but whose size and appearance suggest something completely different. The basic features are free, but for a premium of $ 2.99 per month or $ 13.99 for life, you can skip the ads and have access to new features as they are added.
