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High Tech Pet Gear You Didn’t Know You Needed

High Tech Pet Gear & Gadgets

One of the best times to own a pet is right now. Today’s innovation makes way for modern pet gadgets that can make your dog’s life better, and your life easier. High tech pet gear first started taking off in 2009 when the category first became popular on Amazon. Since then, inventors and pet enthusiasts have collaborated on some really cutting-edge pet products.

Ranging from the practical to the strange, tons of high tech pet gear is available for you and your doggo. Even those who can’t own a pet due to allergies or living-facility restrictions may have options soon. Robotics researcher, Steve Yohana, developed what he calls the Haptic Creature—a robot designed to re-create touch based communication. The robot looks like a rabbit, with short fur on its belly and two ears. The Haptic Creature simulates purring, breathing, and ear twitching. Peculiar, yes, but Yohana says he’s had enough requests to make him interested marketing the product after his research is completed.

The availability of the quirkier gadgets makes sense as the pet industry continues to swell. More people own pets in the U.S. now more than ever. Meaning, more dogs to care for with high tech pet gear. In 2016, pet owners spent $66.75 billion. As the Millennials replace the older generations as the primary pet owners, many want their dog to have the best care available. This means going outside of the traditional toy box to find some updates on old classics and new gadgets to teach an old dog new tricks.

High Tech Novelty Items

Market experts say that high-tech novelty items are the most widely sought after products from pet parents. Items like gear that translates your cat’s meows into human languages. Or, treat feeders that give you the power to launch treats across the room like a T-shirt cannon at a baseball game are filling up aisles at pet stores.

  1. The Woofer

Putting clothes on dogs is cute, but it’s old news. Most pet boutiques have all the stylish clothing your dog needs, but few have clothes that are also speakers. The Woofer is a dog jacket that plays music! Now you can play music as you run with your dog or even turn the dog park into a dance party.

Yes, we’re thinking what you’re thinking. Veterinarian specialists have approved The Woofer as safe for your dog’s acute sense of hearing. The speaker is located on the backside of your dog, away from their ears, and volume levels are in the safe zone. The jacket comes in four sizes to fit breeds from a Jack Russell to a German Shepherd.

  1. Pet Snack Launcher

There are few companies making these hand held pet treat launchers that make giving your dog a treat make you feel like you’re in Kubrick’s “2001 Space Odyssey.” Most treat launchers are pretty cheap, but not all function the same, so ask your pet groomer or read reviews to get the highest-quality launcher.

Simply load up your dog’s favorite treats into the top cartridge and push the button. This interactive toy makes treat-time more of a game. You can master launching the treats into the eager jaws of your doggo for a seamless chomp.

  1. The CATTERBOX

There are a bunch of apps available on smartphones to help you decipher your dog’s bark, or your cat’s meow, into human languages. The most popular of all these devices is a collar called CATTERBOX. The collar translates your cat’s meows and generates a human voice deciphering the point your cat’s trying to get across. Usually, feed me. The collar works with the developer’s app and gives you various options for your cat’s new reproduced voice.

Cats aren’t the only ones having fun. There are dog translator apps available on the smartphones and the What’s Yapp dog collar is in beta version. These items combine hard science, imagination, and a fun ability to suspend your skepticism.

Functional Items & Practical Gadgets

Novelty products aren’t the only things you might consider getting for your dog. A variety of new high tech pet gear designed to make tedious parts of owning a dog less effortful are entering the marketplace too. For therapy dogs working with owners that have limited mobility, there are products that perform the physical parts of fetch for you.

  1. GoDogGo

This is automatic ball launcher is the world’s first fetch machine. The launcher has been around since 1999 and is now in its fourth generation of development. The way it works is simple. Train your dog to place the ball into the upper bucket part of the toy. The ball is then launched into the air for Fido to catch. Different weighted balls determine how high the ball will fly. A tennis ball will launch 6 feet high and be propelled about 11 feet from the device. A weighted GoDogGo ball will launch up to 15 feet away at the same vertical height.

This piece of high tech pet gear is perfect for dogs that are obsessed with fetch and demand that ball is thrown every minute of every second of the day.

  1. MagneClip

This is a low tech innovation with high tech functionality. This is one of those products that’s so simple you’re hitting yourself in the head for not thinking of it yourself. The MagneClip is a clip that attaches your dog’s collar to their leash. It uses a magnet instead of a spring loaded latch. Simple, but very handy!

Many dog owners know the struggle of holding waste bags in one hand, a water bottle in the other while trying to finagle the leash clip onto their dog’s collar. With spring loaded latches, the process becomes painstaking. Spring loaded clips jam and are meticulous. The MagneClip makes attaching a leash to a collar one fluid motion.

  1. Litter Robot II

This litter box looks more like a part of a space shuttle than high tech pet gear. But trust us, if you get one for your house, you’ll never go back to the low-tech life.  The Litter-Robot is a litter chamber that that has an upward-facing entryway where your cat can enter to do his business. The litter is sifted after every use and is automatically deposited into a drawer for reduced spilling and easy disposal which conserves litter.  A self-adjusting weight sensor detects a cat’s’ weight so every cat you own can use the Litter Robot. 

Pet Safety Items

Having a pet is almost the same amount of responsibility as having a child. Fortunately, there are awesome products out there to help pet owners mitigate that responsibility. As the future becomes the present, pet owners can care for their pets even when they’re not home.

  1. Petcube

This company is pioneering the ability for pet owners to interact with their pets remotely. Both the Petcube play and Petcube bite feature 2-way audio that lets your pet hear you and vice versa. Each also streams 1080p HD video equipped to rotate on a 138°  wide angle view with 3x zoom capability.

These features make it so that you can see your pet wherever he is in the room. Motion detection helps the family keep in touch and alerts you when your pet wakes up or if there are any disturbances in your home. The Petcube play comes with a built-in laser toy while the Petcube bites allow you to give your dog a treat from your phone.

  1. Komfort Pets Climate-Controlled Pet Carrier

For pet owners who find themselves frequently traveling with their animals, this climate-controlled pet carrier will keep their dogs cool even in scorching temperatures. The carrier can hold dogs up to 150 lbs and will cool and heat as needed with an LED monitor used to control the temperature.

  1. Voyce Dog Collar

The Voyce dog collar is a non-invasive and autonomous data health metric tracker. The collar uses IoT technology to give owners analytics on their dog’s health in real-time. It’s like a Fitbit for your dog!

Voyce Measures the following:

  • Heart Rate Variability
  • Blood Pressure
  • Quality of Rest
  • Resting Respiratory Rate
  • Resting Heart Rate
  • Distance Traveled
  • Calories Burned
  • Activity & Intensity
  • Light
  • Core Body Temperature

The data Voyce collects is seamlessly delivered in adaptable integration options with easy-to-navigate viewing dashboards. Voyce can also be integrated into other sensor technologies. Now pet owners have access to clinical data at all times which is backed up on the cloud.

The Future of High Tech Pet Gear

Every day engineers and inventors are dreaming up even cooler high tech pet gear every day. Stay posted to Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique for even more updates and reviews!

 

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Pet News I Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day With 5 Irish Dog Breeds

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Hope you’re wearing green, and remember, if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough! Today we thought we would include some shamrock style pet news for you and your dog’s paw-liday.

 

St. Patrick’s day is all about the stealth of the leprechaun and pots full of gold at the end of each rainbow. From the pet news side of this Irish holiday comes five dog breeds all from the Emerald Isle!

 

The Irish Setter

The Irish Setter was first acknowledged by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1878! Two years previous, the first Irish Setter made pet news by winning a championship in the U.S. dog show. His name was Elcho. The champion sired 197 puppies establishing the breed for good.

 

The setter is known for its elegant mahogany coat and their swift hunting skills used in ancient Ireland. Irish setters are very high energy. The dogs haven’t forgotten their rich history as Ireland’s sporting group dogs. Also known for their sweet-natured disposition, and happy outlook, many believe Irish Setters make great companions.

The Irish Wolfhound

Wolf is a word that makes pet news often as the ancestors of the Canis Lupus Familiaris. Like a wolf, the Irish Wolfhound is a massive dog with a minimum height of 132 inches and weighing at least 120 pounds! Good thing they were so big, back in Ireland they were used to help hunt wolves!

 

The Irish Wolfhound is considered a galloping hound and its body matches the description. Wolfhounds have a long coat with a muscular build. The temperament of the Wolfhound is described by the AKC as “calm, courageous, and dignified.” No surprise when considering this dog breed was an integral part of Irish Mythology as one of the Celtic hounds.

The Glen of Immal

The Glen of Immal dog breed is a direct product of the Irish Rebellion. During the British Rule in 1570, Queen Elizabeth sent Fleming and lowland soldiers to stop the rebellion. These soldiers brought their dogs with them to become what we now recognize as the Glens—named for the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland.

 

The breed first appeared on the pet news scene as recently as 2004, when they were recognized by the AKC. Glens were originally used to hunt underground vermin like badgers and are great at burrowing. The Glen of Immal is still classified as a working dog for its physical attributes. Glens have a medium coat and very muscular appearance. The dogs are strong enough to pull Badgers from their hole and cute enough to pull at your heartstrings. (Sorry, we couldn’t help it).

The Irish Water Spaniel

Irish Water Spaniels, also known as Rat-Tail Spaniels, Whip-Tail Spaniels, and Shannon Spaniels. The hunting dogs retrieved waterfowl along the shores of Shannon River, West of Ireland.

 

King James I of England gifted an Irish Water Spaniel—the finest of hunting dogs—to the King of France. This was the first Water Spaniel in France and the breed has come a long way in pet news since. These dogs epitomize hunting dogs being brave, hardworking, and playful.

 

Irish Water Spaniel coats are a dense curly top knot with the dog’s face being ‘naked,’ and smooth ‘rat’ tail at the end. Must be the luck of the Irish!

 

The Irish Terrier

Remember “Lady and the Tramp?” Remember Jock from “Lady and the Tramp?” Well, if you do, you’re remembering a significant part of this breed’s pet news forever immortalized in Disney cinema. The animated character Jock was illustrated to resemble an Irish Terrier.

 

The Irish Terrier is hugely popular in Europe but is gaining steam in America too! The roots of these dogs trace back to 1879 in Dublin, Ireland when the dog’s first started appearing in pet news.

 

Six years later, the AKC acknowledged the Irish Terrier and many speculate the Irish Terrier as a possible origin of the first Terrier breeds. The Irish Terrier is most distinguishable from it’s unmistakable ‘beard.’ The dogs are said to be “bold, dashing, and tenderhearted” by the AKC.

 

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique loves dogs of all breeds, of all origins, but raises green Guinness pints in celebration of the Irish ones today!

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Pet Groomers Give Dog a Second Chance for Adoption

Pet Groomers Give A Dog A Blessed Gift

 

This video introduces Charlie to the world. At the time Charlie was rescued two years ago, he was thought to be around three-years-old and a Terrier Mix of some kind. Unfortunately, because of the millions of animals entering shelters year-round, Charlie was placed at a high-kill facility. Statistically speaking, most animals don’t last a week. Many find good homes. Others are not as lucky. Charlie was one of the lucky ones thanks to pet groomers.

 

When Charlie was first found on the streets he was covered in matting—when hairs interlock into knots that damage skin and coat growth. The dog’s hair was so long many couldn’t see the lovable little face underneath his overgrown homeless coat. Some pet groomers rolled into the rescue organization Charlie was in and gave the poor dog a complete makeover.

 

Watching a time lapse of pet groomers attending to this dog is truly inspiring. What is even better pet news is that the dog was adopted only two days after pet groomers came and cleaned him up. Charlie’s second chance really came from a haircut and the loving groomers were able to give.

 

Not every animal is as lucky as Charlie.

 

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique hopes by doing our part as pet groomers within the rescue community we can change the statistics for homeless animals in this country.

 

We hope you enjoyed this heartwarming video!

 

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The Four-Legged Guardians of the President: The Dogs of the Secret Service

One of the most integral aspects of the Presidential Secret Service are the unspoken canine heroes that are devoted to keeping the president safe. These canines have no concern for political party—they don’t see in terms of democrat or republican—they only have one mission: to keep the president, vice president, their families, and visiting heads of state safe. The stories of these dogs’ pet news rarely make headlines.

 

This keeps their missions secret, but recently unprecedented accounts from journalists have open the public’s eyes to the dogs of the Secret Service. The sworn duty of these dogs accompanying Secret Service operatives everywhere the president goes is astonishing pet news.

 

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique offers this glimpse into some of America’s greatest four-legged furry heroes.

Secret Service Dogs

 

October 15th of last year, veteran journalist and New York Times bestseller Maria Goodavage published, “Secret Service Dogs: The Heroes who protect the United States.” This is Goodavage’s second book on dog heroism.

 

Secret Service Dogs is a nonfiction account that covers the tactical training, positions, stories, and bond between the Secret Service agents and their tactically trained dogs. Before the president visits, canines do a full nose sweep of the premises. K9 units constantly monitor the White House Lawn and Pennsylvania Avenue, sniffing for explosives. The book is poignant journalistic storytelling of every aspect of the lives of these dogs.  

 

Goodavage also wrote, “Soldier Dogs: The Untold Story of America’s Canine Heroes” which made the New York Times bestselling list.

 

Awards for Valor

 

During President Obama’s second term two canines played an indispensable role in taking down a man who jumped over the White House fence and landed on the north lawn. The story broke on major media networks making national pet news.

 

Hurricane, a Black Belgian Malinois, and Jardan, a German Shepherd, took down the intruder as soon as he touched down. Within four seconds the first dog was already tackling the trespasser—Dominic Adesanya to the ground. Two seconds later, the second dog came in to assist. Nine seconds later and Secret Service agents subdued Adesanya.

 

“He didn’t even make it ten feet,” said a local witness.

 

Adesanya posted anti-presidential messages online and was arrested for trying to enter the White House. The heroic efforts of the dogs were recognized by the media and even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

 

Both dogs were given an Award for Valor for their efforts that night making amazing pet news.

Recognizing The Heroes

 

The bond between dog and human companion is an age old dynamic that extends into military service, police force teams, firefighters and more. One of the biggest pet news dog hero platforms is the American Dog Hero Award.

 

The American Humane Hero Dog Award annual campaign nominations are opening soon. Every year the competition opens to recognize dogs for their valiant efforts. Eight finalist and their human companions attend a Gala in Hollywood and are presented with the Emerging Hero Award. One nobel winner will receive the American Hero Dog title.

 

One of Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique’s favorite Emerging Hero winners is Harley. Harley was recognized in 2015 for his bravery in being the inspiration behind Harley to the Rescue—a rescue mission organization that frees abused dogs from puppy mills.

 

Harley himself was at one point in his life incarcerated in a puppy mill. The dog now goes along on every rescue and makes public appearances at events and schools to raise awareness. The poor guy is missing an eye from the abuse he suffered at a puppy mill when his cage was power washed with him inside.

 

If you or someone you know has a dog that deserves recognition this could be an opportunity to help credit a doggie who deserves it.

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique salutes heroes on both sides of the leash, the ones to make pet news, and the ones that become our everyday heroes just by being there.

 

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Dog Saves Beached Dolphin By Spotting Him at Beach

Pet News: Dog Saves Baby Dolphin that Beached Itself

The evidence of the unspoken respect and love animals share for each other is pretty debatable, but we here at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique see the love every day. Not only do we see videos from the pet news world of dogs kissing lions, or boxing with a kangaroo, but working with dogs for as long as we have, one knows what a dog is saying without them ever having to say it. But we were still shocked to watch this video of a dog named Leia saving a baby dolphin.

The video is being handled by Newsflare and was uploaded by the YouTube channel Criccieth Life–a home video of the whole rescue and encounter. A man is walking along Criccieth, a beach town that hugs the coast of Cardigan Bay in Wales. Apparently, the man was attempting to go Bass fishing and while walking along the beach taking photos of the scenery  his dog, Leia, ran off toward the shallows. A dog running off? Not the first time in pet news. But when the man filming video got there he saw a beached juvenile harbor porpoise.

He stated that he would have never noticed if his dog hadn’t started barking–bringing him to the scene. With a few attempts the man is able to save the dolphin, by giving him a gentle push out back into the sea. If you watch the video you can see the harbor porpoise swimming back out to safe water all thanks to this man and his dog. Brilliant pet news!

Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique hopes you enjoyed the video!

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Santa Loving Dog Gets to Meet St. Nick

Pet News: Shiba Inu Puppy Meets Her Idol

Pet lovers everywhere do it. You start seeing the signs posted in the mall before Thanksgiving is even over. Pet News: Pose with Santa! You get the family, and of course the dog altogether, ugly Christmas sweaters and all, and wait to get your chance to tell Uncle Nick what you want for Christmas. It is the cornerstone of the many precursors all leading to December 25th, just as traditional as egg nog and lazing around watching football and re-runs of “The Christmas Story.”

 

However this pet news Inside Edition brings a special story to the countless magical stories of the season. A 1-year-old Shiba Inu named Kya absolutely loves Santa Claus. It all started when her owners—siblings John Montaldo (16), and Angelina (19)—bought her a Santa chew toy for Christmas. Kya absolutely loved the doll and pretty soon the two were inseparable. This is not for the first time for pet news—a dog finding the real live version of their chew toy, and, well, freaking out. In a good way!

 

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique love reporting on happy pet news, and from the look on this little girl’s face, you can tell it is good news. The video was uploaded by Inside Edition, and is titled “Dog Obsessed With Santa Claus Can’t Stop Smiling When Meeting Her Idol at Mall.”

 

Please enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

 

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People Stuck Their Head In Box Full of Puppies

Remarkable Pet News: BuzzFeed Built a Portal to Puppy Dimension

Yes, you read the headline correctly.

BuzzFeed out-cutified themselves, again.

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique love BuzzFeed pet news videos because they take the most outlandishly cute ideas concerning pets and make them come to life. Today’s viral video shows what happens when you make a box, put some puppies into said box, then put people’s heads in said box via a hole.

Adorable events will ensue. It definitely challenges other headlines in pet news.

Today’s viral video is appropriately titled, “People Stick Their Head Through A Hole And Are Surprised With Puppies.” The video is a journey through the realm of pet news. A special place of dogs recently born with no sense of decency and a brimming curiosity for the talking heads coming up from the hole in their puppy-house.

Click and watch as BuzzFeed staff all put their head through the portal to enter the new domain of puppies and revolutionize the pet news world.

We at Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique think the facial expressions captured in this video are close to artistic. We hope you watch and enjoy!

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Poor Dog Gets New Legs After Being Attacked

Pet News: Dog Gets New Legs and New Home

Warning:This video contains graphic dog rescue footage and may not be appropriate for young ages.

For every story of bravery and beauty in the world of pet news, you read stories about how horrible some people treat animals. Today’s viral video has both. The video tells us the story of Cola, a 9-month-old dog living in Thailand. The dog was brutally attacked by a neighbor who was seeking revenge for the dog chewing his shoes. Cola’s owner tried to pay for the shoes, but the neighbor couldn’t be reasoned with and “punished” the dog.

Cola lost her two front legs during the attack. Animal advocates partnering with the Soi Dog foundation were able to rescue Cola and get him to a veterinary clinic. Cola was treated for her injury and was able to get prosthetic legs that she is learning to walk and run with. What is even more heartwarming pet news is that Cola was adopted, and his new mommy has prosthetic legs too.

Reporters from Inside Edition state that the two enjoy long walks down the beach where Cola’s new home is. This is an amazing story that had a happy ending, but not all pet news shares the same ending as Cola’s. Splash and Dash Groomerie & Boutique shares videos like this to help bring awareness to suffering of animals worldwide and encourages those interested to get involved in their local rescues.

YouTube Channel Inside Edition uploaded this video titled “Dog Gets Prosthetics After Neighbor Horrifically Slashed His Legs With A Sword.”

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DOT Ruled to Make Dog Relief Areas Easier for Pets

Pet News: The Days of Taking a Dog Outside in the Airport and Getting Back in Line are Over With New Department of Transportation Ruling for Post-Security Relief

Pet News

If you have ever taken your dog with you to travel you are not alone. In the past few years airports have seen a huge boost in people bringing their dogs for the ride. Therapy dogs, service animals, emotional support pups, K-9 teams, and pets are getting their wings along with their human comrades. Pet news puppies will be soaring.

Dog traffic in airports was so high that the Department of Transportation had to respond and enforce airports building pet relief stations after the security line with a summer deadline.

Before the ruling, if your pet had to “go,” you would need to take your dog outside to an animal relief area, then get back through the security line to make your flight. This will be a thing of the past.

Good Pet News for Dogs Traveling for the Holidays

The official ruling is that airports that serve over 10,000 passengers annually must now offer at least one relief area in the sterile, or post-security area of each terminal. The deadline for construction is set this summer 2017.

With John F. Kennedy having over 128 terminals, and Los Angeles Airport having 156 terminals, this means that there will be over 800 post-security animal relief areas nationwide. This is great pet news.

The cost of these new changes will be about $88 million over the next 20 years.

Trends Say It’s About Time

Many major city airports were already experiencing issues with the amount of dogs that come through the airport daily, and needing to make “business” accommodations.  

Airports in San Diego, Washington-Dulles, Seattle, Minneapolis-St. Paul all had at least one relief station in their terminals before the ruling.

Already in pet news was August 5 which was “National Work Like A Dog Day,” the Los Angeles

International Airport added 7 indoor pet relief stations to the one it already had.

Aim at Convenience

Not only is the aim to convenience passengers, but also help with airport personnel who work alongside dogs.

K-9 teams–part of the airport police, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, United States Department of Agriculture, and the United States Department of Drug Enforcement Agency all regularly bring dogs through the airport.    

The new ruling will make it easier on professional dogs as well as passenger’s dogs to “go.”

Example of What Stations Might Look Like

Pet news earlier this month showed Denver airport unveiling post-security pet relief stations in the center of concourses A, B, and C. The stations had artificial turf flooring, a drainage system, an artificial rock, and baggies & containers for disposal.

Also fun, each station had a pet friendly mural featuring a dog enjoying the outdoors in Colorado, so everyone has something nice to look at while their dog squats.

Stations like the Denver airports’ post-security pet relief areas might look like the ones featured in Colorado.

This is exciting pet news for passengers and our canine children.

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