11 Must-Have Apps for Pet Parents in 2020
If you’ve opened your heart and your home to a new family member, then you know that owning a pet is special and rewarding. However, that little bundle of fur or feathers didn’t come with an owner’s manual. The good news is that modern technology has provided us with a little help on the way… Curious what I mean? Check out this list of must-have apps for pet parents and pet lovers!
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I’ve got an app for that!
You’ve likely heard that phrase at least once or twice in the last week. There is no arguing the fact that our society is more tech-dependent than ever before.
Our cellphones, once just designed for phone calls, are now a mini computer.
They function as our alarm clocks, calendars, portable GPS units, cameras and virtual assistants.
There really IS an app for everything!
It shouldn’t shock you that there are plenty of apps created specifically with your pets in mind.
Check Out These Must-Have Apps for Pet Parents and Pet Lovers:
#1 – Pet First Aid App
Created by the American Red Cross, the Pet First Aid App is an invaluable tool for pet owners everywhere!
There are some INCREDIBLE books available for those who prefer a paper copy of this information at their fingertips, such as ‘The First-Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats’, however, this app provides an additional level of convenience.
What are the odds that your cellphone won’t be close at hand during an emergency?
Pet First Aid will walk you through the steps necessary to investigate and perform first aid in the event of an injury as well as locate nearby veterinarians and veterinary hospitals.
Does your pet have a habit of getting into things that it shouldn’t?
It also has a database of known toxins including human foods, plants and household products that could potentially make your pet really sick.
#2 – ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Similar to the database included in the Pet First Aid app mentioned above, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center app provides you with a guide to the different toxins that your pet may encounter.
However, specializing in poison control, this app goes a little more in-depth.
Using a colour-coded risk assessment, the app classifies each toxin from Mild to Severe.
Each toxin provides you with a list of symptoms that you can watch for, poison calculators, and suggested next steps.
In the event of a serious emergency, the app provides a one-touch dial to the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline for immediate assistance.
iOS (No longer available on Android)
Related: ‘6 Phone Numbers Every Pet Owner Should Have On Hand‘
#3 – 11Pets
What list of must-have apps for pet parents would be complete without an easy to navigate pet records app?
There is A LOT of information to track as a pet owner, ranging from vaccinations and medications to important appointments and daily needs.
11Pets will allow you to keep everything you need to know in one spot.
In addition to your dog’s veterinary records, you can track weight, create schedules for ear cleaning, nail trims, bath time and more.
Set reminders to make sure that you never forget again!
#4 – Dog Monitor by Annie
Have you ever wondered what your pets are up to when you’re not home?
Do you want to monitor that your pets are safe and sound without having to invest in an expensive pet camera system?
The Dog Monitor app allows you to give new life to an older device. Pull out your old smart phone, download the app on both the old device and your current device and you have a fully functional pet camera!
Not only can you watch your pet while you’re away from the house (on a securely encrypted connection), but you can also talk to your pet with the press of a button.
It couldn’t be easier to use!
#5 – Puppr Dog Training
Whether you’re just bringing home your first puppy, researching basic obedience skills or looking for more advanced tricks to challenge your dog, Puppr Dog Training has everything you need and more.
The app provides step by step instructions with easy to follow pictures for over 50 different tricks and skills.
Find yourself stuck? The live chat feature allows you to ask for assistance on the spot.
Finally, if you are choosing to employ clicker training techniques as part of your training efforts, the app includes a built-in clicker.
#6 – Tractive Dog Walk
Interested in tracking your dog walks and connecting with other dog lovers in real-time? The Tractive Dog Walk is the perfect solution!
Using GPS technology, the app is able to track and record your walks onto your account including the route itself, distance and time.
You can even add photos and notes to help track which routes you prefer.
Add friends, family and neighbours to your app in order to enable to community aspect. This will allow you to share your walk information with one another.
Find a great walking trail? Let your loved ones know so that they can check it out!
You can also track where/if your dog goes to the bathroom along your walk. This is great for dog walkers or pet sitters as well as those who may be tracking this information for health-related reasons.
Related: ‘Keep Your Kitty Happy with These 11 Entertainment Videos for Cats!‘
#7 – AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run
If you’re anything like me, you LOVE taking your dog out for a hike on your local trails. However, good trails are not always easy to find when you’re out and about.
Sound familiar? If so, you need to download the AllTrails app.
The app uses it’s large outdoor-loving community to bring you the latest information about trails in your area.
This includes not the location of local trails, but also the length, difficulty, expected traffic levels, reviews and local trail conditions.
The app currently includes over 100,000 trails and more are being added by users every day!
#8 – ResQWalk
This is an app I have discovered previously here on Shed Happens, including it in my post ’14 Ways to Help Your Local Shelter or Rescue Organization Without Adopting’.
This amazing app will allow you to earn donations by walking your dog, and it couldn’t be easier!
Simply download the app, select your favourite organization from the list of ResQWalk partners and then start walking. The more miles users log for a specific organization, the larger their share of the donations will be.
You’re already out walking, why not use this opportunity to make a difference for animals in need?
Inspire others to join in and use the app by sharing your walks on social media.
Update: As of September 2023 the ResQWalk app has been discontinued. However, I have found an alternative for those that enjoyed using ResQWalk to make a difference – WoofTrax!
It works very similarly to how ResQWalk used to, sharing funding among rescue partners based on the activity levels of the apps users.
You can download WoofTrax here:
#9 – FitBark: Activity Tracker for Dogs
We all want the best for our pets. When trying to improve our own health and well-being, we use step trackers and smartwatches.
Why not do the same for your furry friend?
The FitBark app uses a tracker that is placed on your dog’s collar. This monitors a number of key factors, reporting the data back to your phone.
This data includes:
- Sleep Activity
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Skin Conditions
- Daily Activity
Not only can you see what your dog is doing, you can compare it to dogs of the same age and breed that are also using the FitBark app.
To get started, you will need to purchase a FitBark Activity Tracker.
Them simply download the app and sync everything up!
#10 – BarkHappy
Are you looking to connect with more dog lovers in your area? If so, this app is a must-try!
BarkHappy is a social media style app that allows you to create a profile of your dog(s) as well as browse the profiles of dogs in your area.
Meet new friends, schedule play dates, find a new dog walk buddy or attend a local dog-friendly event.
The app is also a great way to find dog-friendly business in your area including dog parks, hotels, shops and more.
Each business listed will provide you with an explanation of the pet police as well as a description of the amenities available, allowing you to easily plan to bring your furry friend along on your adventures!
Finally, and arguably one of the most important features, BarkHappy features a ‘Lost Dog Alert’ system that will send out a report with a photo and all the important information in the event that your dog goes missing.
#11 – BringFido
Another great app for finding pet-friendly locations, BringFido is a dog travel directory.
Planning a trip? Use this app to find hotels, vacation rentals, hiking trails, pet-friendly restaurants and more.
Do you live in Canada? Often apps like BringFido fail to provide us Canucks with the options that we see for our neighbours to the south – but don’t worry!
With a full ‘Dog Friendly Canada’ section on the app, they’ve got you covered!
The best part? There are no additional booking fees when using their services and you’re back by the ‘Pet-Friendly Guarantee’. Pet-friendly travel without the headache!
Do you have any must-have apps for pet parents that I failed to mention? Feel free to share them in the comments below
So there really IS an app for everything! Love the one for making an old cell phone a camera to check on the stay-at-home pet!
Isn’t that one great? I love that it repurposes something that many of us have laying around our house.
I love the idea of using my old cell phones for something! Now if only it would record so I could see what my cats are doing while I sleep. That would be so fun to watch!
I am always a fan of repurposing something that would otherwise either collect dust or make it’s way to the landfill!
Wow these Apps are such great tools to track our pets. I love this Bring Fido dog travel directory to find hotels, vacation rentals, hiking trails, pet-friendly restaurants and more.So very handy for pet lovers who can prepare before their travel with them.
Yes, we always reference Bring Fido before we head out somewhere. Our pups mean the world to us and we want to make sure that they have a good time too!
Oh my goodness! I had never heard of any of these before. I will totally be checking out a few of these apps now.
Isn’t it amazing how there is really an app for anything you need?? I am OBSESSED with 11pets – it keeps everything so organized.
This is great! I hadn’t heard of most of these! I love that there is an app to donate to rescues while you walk your dog 🙂
Isn’t it great? Super easy to use and it benefits a great cause!
Love it!! Will definitely share with my pet loving friends. Great post.
Thank you!
It’s so funny, because even though I know there’s an app for everything, I never really looked into apps for my pets? I’m really interested in the 11pets and the puppr dog training app! While the dog I have now is really well trained, I’m thinking of getting another dog when I move out, and want to train my dog properly. Great post! xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
I am IN LOVE with the 11pets app. It really does let you track everything and anything that you may need to know about your pet all in one place.
I had no idea these apps existed. I’m definitely going to share this post with my brother. It’s really helpful and insightful. Thanks for sharing!
I love that app developers are making everything so much easier for pet parents. Especially the first aid and poison control apps – when seconds may count, the ability to access information quickly is key!
This is a great round up of apps for dog owners. I immediately downloaded AllTrails and ResQWalk per your suggestions. I know I’ll get plenty of use out of both of them. Thank you for sharing.
I love that the ResQWalk allows you to raise money for shelters doing something you’re doing anyway – the only change is a couple of clicks on your phone before heading out!
I have never heard of these before ! Such great ideas for pet lovers out there!
Aren’t they fun? Everything you need at your fingertips!
Wow! Great apps! Poison control and first aid are a must, especially when you need an answer quickly. I’m intrigued at the pet cam app too–Penny is always into something when I’m not home (this is why she’s banished to her “bedroom” and doesn’t have the run of the rest of the house like her sister).
Both of ours get closed into their bedroom when we’re gone. we literally chose a house with an extra room for that reason lol While Daviana is incredible if we were to leave her out loose, Indiana is a bit of a brat when he knows he’s been left alone lol
With 2 lil pups of my own I will definitely be checking these out! I wouldn’t of even thought to look for apps like these but they sound like they’d be such a big help! Thanks for sharing x
Thank you! They are great to have on hand – especially the poison control app and the pet first aid app. You never know when something is going to happen and this alleviates the stress of trying to find that information in a hurry when you’re in the middle of the situation.
Never even knew half of these existed! Really excited about the vet records tracking app. There is so much paperwork nowadays – that will make it so easy to keep track of.
Yes! I am IN LOVE with 11pets. You can also set reminders for things like when it’s time to give your pet their tick medication, etc.
Nice compilation! I will pass it on to a friend, she really needs it 🙂
Thank you!
Some of these sound SO cool! Definitely going to look into a few of them. Thanks!
The best part? Most of them are free! Makes for the perfect opportunity to check them out.
Great apps for any pet parent. I have two pups so I totally need it too. I need this app for first aid and try the hiking app too. very useful!
The first aid app is an INCREDIBLE resource! I love knowing that I have that much information on hand at all times.
These apps sound great for having a pet! I love that you could set up a tracker or find hikes/walk places on them. One of the nurses at work has a similar pet cam app on her phone, very useful if she is on longer shifts and needs to check in on her dogs.
Thanks for sharing!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
I LOVE the AllTrails app. Anytime that we’re taking a long road trip with the pups, we use it to find hiking trails in areas that we’re unfamiliar with. It gives all of us the opportunity to stretch our legs and enjoy some more time outdoors.
These are all so cute! I had no idea apps like these existed. I will definitely be trying some with my dog.
They really do help BIG time! Especially the first aid and poison control apps in the event that something happens – when seconds can really make a difference!
These are such helpful apps! I have never even heard of most of them!
Amber – The Unpredicted Page
They really are! I would be LOST without 11pets to keep everything in order as far as the documentation having 4 pets. That’s A LOT of information to track lol
I don’t have a dog but if I did, I’d definitely use some of these apps!
They definitely make things A LOT easier by putting valuable information right at your fingertips!
I don’t know why it never crossed my mind that there would be a lot of pet apps out there, but somehow it never did. A great list of apps that many people could benefit from
When I first started looking into them, I was shocked by how many options there were! I’m not sure why, the world of pets is constantly growing – it only makes sense!
These all sound so amazing! I’m especially intrigued by Dog Monitor. What a great way to use an old device! Can’t wait to watch my cat sleep all day LOL
We had an old phone just hanging out in the ‘junk drawer’ at home. I was so excited to have a reason to repurpose it!
I’ll have to search for a UK equivalent walk tracker app. There are loads for humans but I do not know of any for dogs so this would be fun! The first aid app is such a good idea. I did a pet first aid course a couple of years ago after one of my dogs lost her eye.
Helen
I’m sure there’s something equivalent in the UK. The whole dog industry is constantly growing and it only makes sense that the world of apps would follow suit, right?
I didn’t even know they had all these apps I have a 3
Year old dog we got him recently and his previous owners didn’t really teach him any commands so now we’re trying to and he’s like slowly getting it I’m sure the training apps could help I’m going to check them out and next week we’ll be taking in a 7 month old so training all over again lol thanks for this
Sounds like the training app is perfect! Don’t let anyone sell you on the ‘can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ myth. We rescued our boy Indy at 1 1/2 and had to train him on many things that we expected and were used to with our Dav girl. Even now, at 8 and 12, my husband loves teaching them little tricks and stuff.
These apps are great. I particularly like the dog monitor one. Plus, with our hyperactive dog the dog trainer one would be great right now. Great share.
I understand the hyperactive dog thing – the good news is that a dog can be hyperactive AND well trained! My girl is 12 and has more energy than she knows what to do with… But she is SO well behaved. It just took a little more work and it takes a lot more exercise daily than our other boy lol