An LED collar fit for your best friend

My dogs are always ready for a walk and they don’t care if it’s well past sundown. That might be 6 o’clock on a winter evening or 10 p.m., after the heat lets up, on a summer night.

But after-dark excursions require some form of illumination. We have a couple of old collars with built-in lights but they don’t shine very brightly and the batteries need to be frequently replaced. I would feel much safer if they were wearing the HALOB collars from the Halo Lights Company.

Halo makes an LED dog collar that may well be the best LED dog collar on the market. It gives off a bright, colorful light from a rechargeable battery. The light is strong enough that I would let them go off lead in a controlled area because I would be able to keep them within view.

The HALOB collars come in a variety of lengths and can be cut to fit a variety of neck sizes. And when your dog isn’t using it, the collar can be a good safety measure for a sundown jog or bike ride.

There’s a full lineup of collars on the Halo Lights website where prices start at $24.49.

To see the collar in action, watch the video below and check @halo_lights on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 6/21/2016

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WonderWoof watches your pooch when you can't

What's your dog up to when you are away? WonderWoof can tell you.

The bowtie-shaped device attaches to your dog's collar where it monitors the dog's daily activity. Is he sleeping? Chewing a bone? Staring out the window looking for you? The device calculates the amount of the dog's exercise and, based on his breed and size, and let's you know if he needs a puppy play date.

The WonderWoof, pictured here with founder Betsy Fore, sells for about $95. There's more information on the WonderWoof website. The weimaraner in the background is a photo, not a monster dog.

By: Ric Manning On 1/08/2016

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CleverPet has electronic games for your dog

Remember Pavlov's Dog from your college psychology courses? Last night Fiona demonstrated another example of classical coditioning using CleverPet, a game console for dogs.

Fiona has learned that when she presses a set of lighted buttons in the proper sequence, a slot opens to deliver a small treat. "She's been well rewarded today," her handler said.

CleverPet is positioned as a brain exerciser for canines. It connects to Wi-Fi and can be programmed with games at different levels of difficulty. And, of course, there's an app to track the dog's progress.

Details are available at the CleverPet website where you can pre-order the device for $269.

By: Ric Manning On 1/07/2016

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TailTalk knows what a dog's tail is saying

My Weimaraners run to greet me when I walk through the front door and I’ve always assumed that their wagging tails mean they’re happy to see me. It turns out that while wags are a signal of happiness, there could be much more to their story.

The people at DogStar are working on a gadget that will record and decode the language behind the the wags, which they say is the social interface in the dog world. Today DogStar launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo where they hope to raise $100,000 to develop TailTalk, the world’s first dog emotion sensor.

TailTalk is a flexible band that fits around a dog’s tail. Like the fitness wristbands that humans wear, TailTalk uses  a gyroscope, accelerometer and Bluetooth technology to transmit motion data to a companion app on an iOS or Android device.

The app charts the dog’s emotional events and helps pet owners better understand what makes their dogs happy and what contributes to negative emotions like fear or anxiety.

“We feel that pet parents are wonderful,” DogStar co-founder Yannis Tsampalis told Yahoo News. “But if they had more data, they can probably make better decisions and create a stronger bond between them and their dog.”

Backers who contribute $99 to the Indiegogo campaign will be first in line to get the device when it ships in May of 2016.

You can get a closer look at TailTalk in the video below. More details are also available on the DogStar website and @DogStarLife on Twitter.

By: Ric Manning On 10/05/2015

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Pets rule at CES preview

There were two different collar cams on display at Digital Experience last night plus the Petcube monitor and a WiFi- controlled feeding dish.

By: Ric Manning On 1/06/2015

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A woofing good time with the Go-Go Dog Pal

My dog's especially happy when he's running through an open field. I do just fine sitting on the sidelines with a cold drink. Now I have something that keeps us both entertained. The Go-Go Dog Pal is designed to give a dog plenty of exercise while you take it easy.


The Dog Pal is a radio-controlled vehicle, like the four-wheel tricks and other remote-controlled toys. But this one has a larger frame than most RC cars. And it's encased in a sturdy plastic cover that conveniently looks like a grinning woodchuck .

My guy sniffed the robocritter, jumped back when he moved, then set off in hot pursuit when Chuck started to roll. It was pretty easy to keep the Dog Pal out ahead of the posse. On a smooth, flat surface, it can hit speeds up to 22 miles an hour.That's fast enough to outrun even an Australian Shepherd.


The Dog Pal survived a couple of flips and minor collision with a tree. But I learned that it's not indestructible and it works best on open ground, away from obstructions.

Go Go Dog Pal costs about $230 at amazon.com. That's certainly not cheap. But the rule in our house is, nothing's too good for the dogs.

Here's a YouTube video that shows the critter in action.

By: Ric Manning On 10/07/2013

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