More Fun Products and Services for Fido

The Wall Street Journal ran another article on some new products that are in or soon coming to market for our furry loved ones.  Here they are:

Dog Parker offers a membership service allowing you to park Fido in a locked sidewalk crate while you shop.  The crate has cooling fans for summer, is insulated against winter chills, and offer a plush cushion for napping comfort.  Dog Parkers unlock crates with a membership card, and for enhanced security, they are monitored via video cameras for protection.  Sanitation crews keep them spic and span ready for the next occupant.

Pet Plate is a gourmet food-delivery service that cooks up “human quality food” for Fido.  The company boasts promises of a happier, healthier dog, including fewer allergies, stomach upsets and brighter, softer fur (in case that’s a big key problem for your pet!).  The food arrives in cardboard containers just like human take-out food.  Meals are prepared by hand, portioned in zip locked bags, and come in flavors like lamb or turkey and brown rice with ingredients like carrots, peas and eggs – because the company believes natural foods are as important for Fido as they are for humans.  Menus are planned with the veterinary team at Cornell and are delivered fresh to your door within 36 hours.   One catch – they only operate for now in in the New York Metro area, so suburban doggies in the Midwest will have to wait awhile for their expansion.

Gerrard Larriett Aromatherapy Pet Care was created to provide “a natural, healthy and therapeutic in home spa experience” for our four-legged friends.  The founder applied his years of experience in the cosmetics industry to find an aromatherapy solution to relax and de-stress anxious pets – a real challenge given their superior sense of smell.  The doggie spa product line includes candles, grooming aids and treatments for fresher breath, healthier teeth and cleaner ears.  With such scents as chamomile and lavender, you may be tempted to borrow Fido’s shampoo!  Prices range from $10 to $14 for individual products, plus gift set bundles for $19 to $29.  The line is distributed at a variety of pet service providers and retailers throughout the U.S., plus Canada and London.  You can also buy from pet web sites, Amazon and the manufacturer’s own site.  Sales of the line are projected to exceed $1 million this year.  Watch for the newest line extension next month – doggie sunscreen!

TailTalk is promoted as the first emotion sensor for dogs made by a company called DogStar Life.  The gadget is a small band attached to the dog’s tail, and it interprets his feelings from the tail’s position and movements.  The theory is that the tail is the dog’s social interface, much as humans reveal their emotions by their facial expressions.  A wag to the right signals Fido’s happy or positive feelings; to the left indicates anxiety or stress.  The device connects via Bluetooth to a phone app that translates the movement into messages for the owner, and can help you stay in touch with Fido’s emotions even when you’re not together.  The app’s dashboard creates graphs and scores of your dog’s happiness status for the day, week and month.  The goal is for the device to help owners identify patterns for people, toys, environments and experiences that make the dog happy, and help owners avoid those that tend to generate negative feelings and stress.  Here’s a video that demonstrates the product.  TailTalk is still in development, but is expected to be available in stores next year.  Pricing will be under $99 – a small price to pay for Fido’s happiness!

Here’s a link to the article in the Wall Street Journal:  “For New York Pets, A Slew of New Services.”  Don’t show Fido unless you hide his credit cards!