Nearly 57 million U.S. households are occupied by a lovable, four-legged companion. Nearly two-thirds of American consumers own a smartphone. So, it’s really not all that surprising that there lots of great dog apps.
If you’d rather not spend hours, or even days, digging through the endless options, here is a look at some of the best dog apps for dog lovers. And, of course, don’t forget to upgrade your mobile device to get the latest features.
BarkBuddy
If you’re looking for a new furry best friend, BarkBuddy can help you find one. This dog app is the first of its kind, created to help you locate pups that are available for adoption in your area. Just like a dating site, you can find your perfect match. The app allows you to browse through thousands of dog profiles, get more information on them, share with friends and save to your favorites. When you save a favorite, the app takes the information and starts creating a profile of the type of dog you prefer.
BarkBuddy also provides a graph of the most popular breeds, and allows you to choose the size, age and sex of the animal you like. The app then uses geolocation to pinpoint which dogs are available in your area’s shelters.
Dog Training Basics for Dummies
Now that you have brought your new friend home, you probably want to teach him some basic commands and maybe even a few tricks. You can simplify the training process with dog apps. For example, Dog Training Basics for Dummies is an app that can help you teach your dog everything from sit and stay to eliminating bad habits like jumping up on people or destroying your shoes.
BringFido
If you’d like to take your dog out on the town or bring him along on vacation with you, BringFido can help you find pet-friendly hotels, campgrounds, restaurants, beaches, off-leash dog parks, hiking trails and more. You can even narrow your choices to find a hotel that doesn’t charge an additional fee for your dog.
Spending on My Dog
Let’s face it, owning a dog isn’t cheap. Of course, the cost is well-worth the reward, but if you’d like to stick to your budget, Spending on My Dog is an app that can help. It’s designed to help you keep track of pet-related expenditures through an enhanced envelope budget system. You can keep track of exactly where you spend money through various categories and even export the data into other financial management software programs.
DoggyDatez
If you’d like to make new friends for both you and your dog while taking a walk, this location-based dog app can help you meet up with other dog walkers. The mobile social program works on the premise that you can mark your territory, and then see who else visits the same spot. You can search for other users by age, gender, dog breed and dog gender, and even play and compete to try to make it onto a TopDogs list. The SkyJacking feature allows you to virtually take over other users’ territories, making your walk especially adventurous and special for you and Fido.
