Just in time for Mother’s Day, Pet360.com is giving away a Heyrex dog activity tracker to a follower of its Instagram account.
To enter, follow @Pet360 on Instagram, post a photo of your dog(s) and answer the question “What would you like to better monitor in your dog’s life?” Tag the photo and answer with the #PetMOMitor hashtag. That’s it. You’re entered to win the random drawing.
Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST, on Sunday, May 11 (that would Mother’s Day, in case any of you have forgotten…).
The Heyrex is a wireless system (valued at $200) that includes a receiver and clip-to-collar, waterproof transmitter. It measures activity levels, mobility, scratching, resting patterns and sleep disturbances, and then gives you the information in infographics and charts over a rolling period of days, weeks and months – all of which can be accessed by desktop computer or mobile tablets and smartphones. Essentially, you can have near real-time info on your dog’s activity and can then track behavior changes or other issues over time.
The system has grabbed my attention for two reasons. First, the monitoring of sleep patterns is interesting to me because of my arthritic English bulldog, Hoss. He’ll be 14 years old next month (ancient for a bully) and he’s up and down all night long (perhaps one reason I’m so tired in the morning). It’s a typical side effect of aging – dogs, much like humans, begin to sleep more during the day and tend to wake more throughout the night. It would be interesting to monitor the trends – time, duration, frequency – and see if it’s a stable pattern or one that’s changing/increasing as days and weeks weigh on him.
The second reason it grab my attention is for my Labrador retriever, Kona. He’s getting up there in age at 10 years old, but is still active and playful – he wants to go. The problem is, I don’t always have the time to train like we used to when he was younger. Getting him in shape for the hunting season is always a chore (yes, I know: best not to let them get out of shape to begin with). I can see how the Heyrex could help you monitor and maintain an exercise program that helped get and keep your dog in shape, without overdoing it before they’re ready. Like humans, a slow, steady climb to aerobic and anaerobic fitness is better, and leaves both less prone to injury, than a sudden onslaught of physical demands.
Stay tuned, I might just Instagram a #PetMOMitor image of the Fat Boy and Black Bullet!